It happens almost every business eventually, but when it happens to your company, it can seem like the end of the world. You were browsing on the Internet one day and noticed on social media or on the news a negative story about your company or your brand. It might be a famous person who made fun of your brand on a television show or perhaps some of your products were defective, but before you finish your morning coffee, you may have discovered a challenging public relations setback that might be difficult to recover from.
If you already had a strong marketing program in place and are using effective strategies on a regular basis to promote brand awareness, it is likely that your company will bounce back rather quickly from this negative news story. However, if you were falling behind in your marketing plans, this disaster might have arrived at the most inopportune time. Regardless of the situation, it’s a good idea to have a reputation management services company to help your brand recover from the negative news.
Why Use a Reputation Management Services Firm?
You may think that you are able to clean up the public relations mess on your own, because after all, who knows your product or service better than you do. This kind of thinking is one reason why many businesses never recover from a public relations problem. It may be because you are so close to your business that you may not be able to accept the damage that has been done by the negative news story. You may also not be able to see what others like best about your brand and their criticisms with it. Hiring an extra pair of eyes in the form of a reputation management company may be the best favor you can do your business.
A ReputationDefender has experience with what works in the news and on social media, on television programs and with consumers. An experienced firm has the skill to influence a whole range of opinion makers from those who keep shopping blogs to magazines geared towards careful consumers. The reach of a public relations firm is much farther than that of an ordinary company. In addition, the firm has the manpower and the technology to make sure that effective content is produced quickly to help push the negative news story at the bottom of the search engines. This requires an intense effort that you may not be able to cover with your existing staff.
Don’t Wait for a Catastrophe
The saying in sports that the best defense is a good offense also works well with a reputation management company. If you hear shocking stories about someone you’ve known for many years, you are less likely to believe them then if you than if you hear compromising rumors about someone you currently know. Your company’s reputation is less likely be harmed if there is sufficient positive information about your products and services in the news, to begin with. In addition, be sure to encourage reviews to ensure that customers are providing direct feedback about your company and service. Don’t try to do this in a hurry and risk being accused of having an ulterior motive coming up with positive reviews during the scandal, which may seem suspicious.
Content is the key to building a strong reputation, and a firm should be adept at using content in various ways over a number of platforms to create brand awareness. Producing search engine optimized articles and blogs are one way to get your story to people who can most benefit from them. Producing YouTube videos and commercials is another way to grab attention as well as creating means that can be shared on social media. Work with the reputation management services company that has vast experience in content production, public relations, and technology to ensure your story stays current and is being discussed on social and mainstream media.
When choosing a firm to work with, check its credentials and how many years the firm has been in business. Social media is relatively new compared other forms of media, but your reputation management company should have a number of years’ experience working with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In addition, the firm should have a strong grasp of search engine optimization strategies and how to make sure those who Google your product and service end up on your website.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this time-honored expression applies accurately to brand awareness and management. A negative news story could be rise organically or it could be a malicious attack. Whatever the source, most people are not prepared to deal with sudden maligning of their brand. Before the negative news story has time to take hold of the media and to capture the imagination of the consumer, take proper steps to combat problem early and have a brand awareness strategy in place so that people already know your brand’s story.