A lot of business owners decide to manage the reputation and image of their brands by themselves. However, when they do that, they often tend to end up leaving the company vulnerable to the Internet, and what consumers are saying about the brand online. However, if a company decides to take more charge of its digital identity, it’s important to do so as soon as possible, because the reputation of a company is how the general public thinks about the brand. Given the fact that the Internet tends to have a big effect on the way that people think, it’s important for companies to take digital reputation into consideration.

Importance

At every stage of the buying journey, from brand awareness to consideration, making a purchasing decision, and even long-term brand loyalty, the reputation of a company is incredibly important. These days, most consumers tend to have a lot of information at the tip of their fingers, which means they’re easily able to look up any information that they might need about a company before making any sort of purchasing decision. In fact, over 90% of customers have stated that they are a lot more likely to make a purchasing decision with a company, as long as the company has received positive reviews from other customers. On the other hand, over 80% of customers have stated that they are going to be a lot less likely to do business with a brand that’s received negative reviews. However, it’s important for companies to remember that both positive and negative reviews don’t suddenly show up for people that want to see more reviews. These reviews can show up whenever a potential customer looks up the company on a search engine when they are trying to find the company’s website or a specific solution from that business. If the search engine results show those potential customers any negative articles, videos, comments, or even posts on social media platforms, they might decide against purchasing from that company.

Improvements

There are a few strategies companies can always rely on if they want to improve their brand or reputation, specifically in digital spaces. That means, companies have to make sure that anyone that they engage with is able to show off the company in a positive manner because this can have a direct impact on the company’s credibility and reputation. More specifically, companies have to be mindful of the individuals and other businesses that they work with and ensure that their values and standards are similar to the company’s own ones. Another way that companies can improve their brand reputation online is by keeping an eye on what people are saying in digital spaces on a regular basis through social listening platforms. By keeping track of comments and mentions, companies get an opportunity to respond to both positive and negative comments that will improve their reputation at the end of the day.

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Ronn Torossian is the founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States. With over 20 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected Public Relations professionals. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth, overseeing more than 175 professionals in the company's headquarters in midtown Manhattan. With clients spanning corporate, technology, consumer and crisis, in addition to digital marketing and public affairs capabilities, 5WPR is regularly recognized as an industry leader and has been named "PR Agency of the Year" by the American Business Awards on multiple occasions. Throughout his career, Torossian has worked with some of the world's most visible companies, brands and organizations. His strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a 2020 Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications, and is called on to counsel blue chip companies, top business executives and entrepreneurs both in the United States and worldwide. Torossian has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly on CNN & CNBC, was named to PR Week's "40 under Forty" list, is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer, and his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations" is an industry best-seller. A NYC native, Torossian lives in Manhattan with his children. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and active in numerous charities.