The Critical Role of Reputation Management in Today’s Digital Landscape

Here are two valuable insights we’re sharing with you, after working with many clients over the years: 

1. A lot of businesses are afraid of establishing an online presence. Why? The main fear is that they may not know how to handle their own online reputation.
2. When seeking PR agency services, many, if not all, businesses focus more on crisis management. That is, they tend to be reactive instead of proactive when it comes to their brand reputation. 

Requests like “What can our response protocol be if we ever face backlash?” are not inherently wrong (backlash from what, though?) However, it might be more productive to ask “What can we do so that we don’t face backlash?”

With the internet being an everlasting catalog of engagement, brands and individuals can never be too careful with how they conduct themselves online. This is where online reputation management – taking care of your brand’s digital reputation consistently throughout its lifespan, whatever happens – comes in.

Why should you care more about reputation management at this stage of your business? 

Read on!

1. Reputation management helps enhance trust and credibility from the get-go.

Consider your online profiles as your virtual storefront or brand portfolio. It can’t just look good. It has to work hard in achieving your brand goals while embodying your brand values. It should also be a positive reflection of your reputation as a product or service provider. 

Show your market that you’re a trustworthy and credible brand through simple, everyday steps like:

• Posting as consistently as possible to show you’re still fully operational. This can increase the chance of a potential lead converting instead of going to a competitor. A consistent online presence can tell users you’re still “alive”, active, and willing to engage. When you actively engage with your online community, it also tells new and potential customers that you’re there for them. You’ll respond if they ever have queries!
• Providing a space where your customers can publish authentic customer testimonials (e.g., Google Reviews or Website page). On top of your public social media accounts (ex. Comments section), encourage your customers to message about any feedback. You can easily do this by automating your responses. For instance, sellers on e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada send automated messages to sure buyers as soon as they receive their item, encouraging them to leave reviews about their products.
• Reposting IG stories or reviews featuring your brand to boost consumer confidence. When consumers tag a brand, they’re vying for your attention and asking you to see how your product has positively impacted their lives. Acknowledge this! This simple gesture helps build brand loyalty, too!

2. A credible brand attracts better talent.

Are you a brand looking to acquire talents to market your brand? You’ll be hard-pressed to find an influencer or content creator who will just accept your partnership or collaboration terms without vetting your brand first. 

Are you an individual hoping that brands will tap you for your content creation services? You’ll need to have a mostly spotless reputation if you want any brand association.

And even if you’re not looking at large-scale marketing yet, it’s always better to set the reputation foundation strong.

Whenever the NGP team engages with brands and influencers, we make sure we’ve vetted them ourselves. We also help each party understand the client or brand they’re working with by making sure we’ve learned and understood all there is to know about the campaign and everyone involved in it. Now, not everyone has a middle-man to help streamline the vetting process for both parties. We would definitely recommend that you engage with a PR and digital marketing agency like us, but just in case you’re doing this on your own, see #1!

Reputation is every brand and individual’s currency. A stellar image opens doors to high-profile projects, bigger paychecks, and even a dedicated community ready to click “purchase” to whatever one might recommend.

3. Reputation management helps you manage negative feedback – if it ever comes.

If you manage your online reputation well, trust that you’ll be capable of addressing any negative feedback well. That is, if there’s ever any negative feedback to begin with! 

When you exhibit proven reliability (as mentioned in #1), many of the people who have had positive experiences with your brand will tend to advocate for you. Basically, they’ll be able to remind everyone that one small slip-up shouldn’t land you on the blacklist. This balances the scales and minimizes the damage of negative feedback. 

To ensure this:

• Keep an eye on the sentiment around your brand by tracking mentions or hashtags. 
• Demonstrate commitment by providing prompt solutions to concerns.
• Hire a public relations professional to ensure your messaging is aligned with your actions. 

4. When you have a good reputation, people are willing to pay more.

In this day and age, you truly get what you pay for. When your brand has exhibited an excellent product, effective aftersales services, and a trustworthy reputation that they won’t be ashamed to associate with, they’re also willing to pay more. Even if your competitors offer a lower price for the same product or service, consumers are smarter now! Most tend to look towards quality over quantity. 

Take certain luxury brands, for instance. Many people might think the hefty price tag is a turn-off, but with the cost comes an assurance that you’re getting high-quality items that will outlast you.

So yes, an online reputation and presence is essential for your businesses. It should, however, not take away from the key aspect of it: your actual product or service! Back that witty, engaging reputation up with a product or service that goes above and beyond!

5. Good reputation management = stronger relationships with stakeholders

Your internal stakeholders (like employees and investors), your target market, and even the media will all greatly appreciate a business that stands firm on its values. As an agency with over a quarter of a century of media relations experience, we know the truth: if you’re a generally ‘nice’ business to work with, people will want to see more of you. They will be more willing to tell your story.

6. A good reputation makes your brand more human. 

That’s exactly what you want! You’ll want a brand that is more relatable, humanized, and “reachable” for your target audience. 

Be the brand that cuts out the hard-selling marketing. Be the brand that values creating memorable experiences for its audience through authentic products or services, coupled with a heart-rending story to boot.

Remember these things:

• People love a good story, so instead of focusing on selling the product, incorporate relatability. Make them cry if you must!
• Ensure that your brand’s messaging and the action/execution are well-aligned. Take the guesswork out of your brand so that your market understands it better off the bat.
• Link your brand into something identifiable and digestible that gives it meaning. Ex. Jollibee = good food, good times with good company; Robinson’s Appliances = there for your milestone wins; Victory Liner = explore the beauty of North Luzon on wheels. And so on!

As the adage goes, “actions speak louder than words”, and for brands, that’s even more true; every move you make online matters! So be intentional with every post, like, and collaboration. This sends the message to the public and potential shareholders that you care about what you do and how your brand is presented, helping you gain top talent, business visibility, and loyal customers – that could guarantee sustainable growth!

Looking to get a handle on your rep? Connect your story with us. Work with NGP-IMC for expert PR guidance that keeps your brand’s image in tip-top shape!