Author: Lorenzo D'Amore
With the advent of the Internet, the buying process has completely changed, making it essential for each of us to acquire information before purchasing a product or service. In fact, if we discover a new product or if we need to buy it, the purchase is never immediate and instantaneous. There is a moment, which may be longer or shorter, when we need to find information and, most of the time, this is acquired online. Why does this happen? Because the internet is the place where information is contained in both greater numbers and higher quality.
In this article, you will find all the information you need to understand what a brand reputation is, how important a good online reputation is currently within a company and, above all, what strategies to adopt in order to increase it, so as to make yourself more visible in the eyes of consumers.
What is brand reputation?
Brand reputation refers to the overall perception people have of a company or brand. Why is it so important? Because if a new potential consumer wants to approach your brand, the first thing they do is go and check what customers think of your brand, i.e. the company's reputation. So if people need information before they make a purchase, or if this information can be found online and forms our reputation, it is clear that having a good brand reputation, is an element that can make a real difference in increasing sales and therefore also directly on increasing our turnover.
How can we improve our online reputation for our brand? 5 tips for you
1) Continuously improve customer service
Continuously improving customer service is one of the first areas every company should invest in to strengthen its reputation. Customers who have a positive experience with customer service are 86% more likely to return to buy from the same brand, while negative experiences can cost companies billions of dollars every year. For this reason, it is crucial to prioritize customer service, ensuring that every customer feels satisfied, valued, listened to and supported both during the entire buying process and afterwards.
2) Establishing an online presence
How often do you get to the second or third page of Google? Very rarely? Then getting found in the first positions of Google, through relevant words and search keys, could be the first step towards building a good online reputation. Those who find your company among the first Google results tend to perceive it as being able to solve their problems. The website is often the first point of contact with the brand, so it is essential that it offers a good user experience, especially on mobile devices. When designing a site, it is important to focus on elements such as:
-the tone
-voice
-narrative
-logo
-branding.
These aspects must be uniform across all channels of the brand so that consumers can immediately recognise it and connect it to its mission and core values.
3) Write high quality content and SEO
Content creation is a key tool for managing brand reputation. It is important to develop content that is: useful, informative, engaging and, above all, responsive to customers' problems and needs. When this content reaches a wide audience through social media, newsletters and SEO optimisation, the brand becomes more recognisable and is perceived as an authority in the industry. This allows the brand presence to be strengthened and easily expanded. Therefore, it is important to work on creating a stream of high-quality, engaging and valuable content, targeted at your target customers, so that it can greatly enhance your reputation.
4) Ask for and actively respond to reviews
There are several channels on which customers can post reviews, such as Facebook or Google My Business. These channels play an important role in shaping public perception, even if the people reading the comments have never interacted with your company. To further increase your company's brand reputation, it is therefore important to do two things:
-regardless of how or where reviews appear, make sure you always respond, especially if they are negative. Not replying to a review gives the idea of a company with bad customer service, that neither wants to listen to nor solve its customers' problems, in short a bad impression of the company.
-very often those who leave reviews spontaneously are those who have had a negative experience. This results in a negative rating online. To improve the rating make your satisfied customers realize the importance of their reviews and ask them to share their experiences. This way you will have a constant flow of reviews that will make you look positive.
5) Show the value of your company through reviews
Once those customers have left reviews you have to publish them, perhaps on your website, for example by creating a ‘what they say about us’ area. Your goal is to disseminate, through social media and email marketing campaigns, reviews that highlight the ways in which your products and services support your customers.
Nike and the Power of Online Reputation: A Growth Model
Nike represents a model of excellence in online reputation management, demonstrating how a well-orchestrated digital strategy can foster sustainable growth and an authentic connection with consumers. Through high-impact social campaigns, such as those related to inclusivity and empowerment, the brand has built a solid reputation that goes beyond product quality. With millions of followers on social media and over 300 million annual interactions on Instagram, Nike harnesses the power of digital platforms to strengthen its connection with its audience. This constant, targeted presence not only consolidates its image, but also fuels consumer trust and loyalty, making Nike a growth model built on an impeccable digital reputation. But how did Nike build this dominance and become the sports brand par excellence?
One of Nike's most successful strategies through targeted social campaigns is the iconic ‘Just Do It ’, which has helped strengthen its global reputation. This campaign was not limited to product promotion, but conveyed messages of empowerment, inclusion and resilience, values that resonate deeply with audiences. Nike then chose to partner with influential athletes and opinion leaders who embody these ideals, such as Serena Williams and LeBron James. Direct involvement with these charismatic figures has not only had a positive impact on online reputation and customer loyalty, but has also increased brand visibility and created an emotional connection with consumers, translating into increased sales and perceived value for Nike.
Future perspectives
The future prospects of online reputation for brands see an increasingly central role for technology and greater corporate social responsibility. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will become essential tools for monitoring public sentiment in real time and predicting potential reputational crises, enabling rapid and targeted responses. In parallel, consumer focus on ethics, sustainability and corporate transparency will continue to grow, pushing brands to operate with greater authenticity. Companies will therefore need to invest in building genuine relationships and continue to interact with consumers in a transparent manner, as trust will become an increasingly fragile and valuable asset in the ever-changing digital landscape.
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