Protecting Your Online Reputation Management During COVID by JW Maxx Solutions Phoenix-based USA owned.
Protecting your company or brand image online is as essential now as it has ever been. Perhaps even more important. The worlds gone crazy, this time is like no other, yet business is expected to continue. The mistake many people make is attempting to keep business as usual for the sake of normalcy. This is a huge error in both ethics and efficiency. This article has ten great tips to help you protect your personal and Business online reputation management during this Covid-19 pandemic.
JW Maxx Solutions Top Tips Online Reputation Management
10 Tips for protecting your online reputation during Covid-19:
#10 Empathy:
Empathy in these times is essential. Genuine empathy that is. Looking at things from the consumer’s perspective is important for ensuring you are respectful and considerate of their wants and needs. The problem many brands are facing is they are, very clearly, only showing false empathy. Are you pretending to care? The “we are all in this together” schtick doesn’t work. If you are the huge airlines seeking government bailouts, are you in this together with the rest of us? No. You mismanaged your company so badly that you wasted billions of dollars and now need taxpayer money, so you don’t go bankrupt. On the other hand, people who work their hardest and save all they can are jobless for months and are at risk of becoming homeless. Pretending to be on the same page does not make you relatable it makes you despised.
#9 Be Vigilant of your Reviews:
Watching your reviews is always important. Now, however, it is more so. Ensuring you can catch any problems the customer has and publicly solve them is vital for ensuring you retain your customers. People are going to forgo brand loyalty now for savings. Doing everything you can to keep your customers is critical. Without reading ALL of your reviews, you run the risk of losing swaths of customers over fixable issues.
#8 Respond to ALL reviews:
Responding to all your reviews is the best way to keep your customer engaged and retain brand loyalty. Negative reviews should be resolved swiftly and with great customer service. Positive reviews should be thanked and rewarded. Showing your appreciation, be it with a kind thank you or offering a coupon for returning customers, is one of the most effective forms of customer retention. It makes you look good, makes them feel good, and encourages them to shop with you again.
#7 Proactive FAQ’s:
Creating FAQ’s proactively, so all customer queries and concerns are answered before they even are formulated in the consumer’s thoughts is the best way of keeping them happy. Being clear about how COVID is affecting your business hours or distribution is essential for clarity. It also cuts down on your customer service department’s workload.
#6 Clear Chain of Escalation:
Showing the consumer, the chain of escalation is an integral part of making them feel heard. Giving them a clear path to get from the very basic customer service Rep to someone who can make meaningful changes, like a supervisor or manager.
#5 Listen to the Professionals:
When setting company policies relating to Covid-19, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t, end of. You might have an opinion about how things should be handled, but that’s it. Follow government guidelines, listen to the CDC. This is the only way to look genuine and be accountable in your consumer’s eyes. If they see you aren’t following CDC guidelines, they will never trust you again. Unfortunately, at this time, we are receiving mixed messages, and we all, including us here at JW Maxx Solutions, have our thoughts and theories.
#4 Go Above and Beyond:
We always felt that at JW Maxx Solutions, that to over-deliver was always best. Now is the time to show that you are willing to do whatever it takes to keep your customers. Excellent customer service, a high-quality product, and doing the little things that show you care are what it will take to keep your business going and to keep your reputation in good stead with your customers. A little thank you card with every item sold, a message telling them to be safe. It matters more than you think yet costs you almost nothing.
#3 Genuine Engagement:
Genuine engagement with your consumer on social media, via email, or with notes attached to your product is a great way of showing you care. Being active in your comment section is the best way of doing this. Respond to people’s questions, offer sympathy, make sure you are genuine because the customer can smell insincerity a mile off.
#2 Expand your Methods of Communication:
Face to face communication is now minimal for almost everyone. This is unfortunate but does come with some silver linings. One of these is that now is the time to expand your methods of communicating directly with the consumer. Making your brand approachable in as many different ways as possible is the best way to ensure your customers feel heard. Social media platforms have always been great for this, that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Providing your brand is represented on every major platform is a significant first step.
#1 Do Not Try to Capitalize on Hysteria:
Above all else, don’t try to capitalize on the hysteria of this pandemic. Promoting products to combat COVID, suggesting people stay in and use your latest product, etc., is an excellent way of losing all of your customers and creating a terrible reputation. Even if you believe your product might help keep people safe, this should be marketed as an afterthought. If people see you trying to use COVID to generate sales, it will be catastrophic to your online reputation.
JW Maxx Solutions is an online reputation management firm. We are providing positive media solutions to growth-oriented individuals and companies. We are A-plus rated by the BBB and have been in business for over a decade.
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