5 of the Most Effective Strategies for Growing Your Brand Reputation

Your turnover, acquisitions, profits, and everything in between are all crucial assets. But of all you can acquire as a business, nothing precedes your brand's reputation. You could lose it all today, but with your reputation intact, you can start again almost as if nothing happened.

That explains why some of the world's biggest brands spend billions on public relations. They know how important it is to cut an image that impresses.

Here’re the most effective strategies on what it takes to grow your brand's reputation:

 

1. Improve Customer Service

 

You wouldn’t have a business without your customers. Like business experts like saying, 'the customer is always right' and 'customer is king.'

Your customers are your biggest ambassadors. Serve them well, and they'll most likely recommend your services to people within their social circles. Serve them badly, and they'll discourage anyone they know from seeking your services.

Note that word of mouth is compelling when it comes to brand reputation. The best of all is that it doesn't cost much to improve customer service.

More often than not, it takes simple measures like making follow up calls to find out whether your customers found your service or product helpful.

After-sale services can go the extra mile to curve a positive brand reputation. It shows your customers that you won’t forget about them once they hand over their money.

Lastly, be sure to respond to customer inquiries on time and in a professional manner.

 

2. Analyze Brand Mentions

 

Brand mention happens when people talk about your product or service. It can occur in many different ways, mostly through social media. Think of it as a shout out for your business.

An excellent example of how brand mentions happen is when someone mentions your company in a Facebook post or a blog post. To business owners, this may look normal. Any serious businessperson would differ with that assumption, though.

First off, the fact that someone mentions your brand somewhere means you are either doing something right or entirely wrong. Find out what's happening. This is what brand mention analysis is all about.

Capitalize on positive mentions by a quick 'Thank you”. Go the extra mile to mention the name of whoever mentioned your brand in a positive way—merely reacting to a brand mention with a quick thumbs up or retweet won't do you some justice as far as social media reputation is concerned.

Then, by all means, respond to brand mentions tucked in criticism. Make sure to take note and address a customer's concerns. From then on, make a follow up with the customer to find out exactly what went wrong.

Whatever you do, don't ever underestimate the power of social media. It can make or break your brand's reputation in minutes. Your best bet is to remain courteous and professional even when it seems impossible.

 

3. Host Webinars

 

Webinars are extremely popular in the business world today, so why not take advantage of them to advance your reputation?

Webinars have a positive ripple effect on social media engagement. They facilitate brand loyalty, build lead generation lists, and create linkable assets. Note, though, that you have to be tactful and strategic when it comes to using webinars as a brand reputation strategy.

The best way to go about hosting a webinar is by associating your brand name with notable and prominent niche influencers.

It is easy to understand why. People tend to trust people. When they see famous and influential personalities recommend your brand, they are more likely to engage. In a nutshell, webinar hosting and influencer marketing go hand in hand.

 

4. Organize Contests

 

Organize contests and reward winners. Make this an event your customers can always look forward to. It could be twice a year or monthly.

Whichever way you go, make it big by hyping it—reward winners with discounts or even money. Word will spread faster than you imagine. Encourage the winners to share their experience with your product or service to profit from even more brand exposure.

 

5. Gather Feedback

 

Find out what people have to say about your services. A quick survey on twitter is an excellent example of how you can gather feedback. Interestingly, gathering feedback doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

The best way to go about it is to make it a continuous process. Request for quick feedback after closing a sell or offering a service. That way, you can review progress consistently. You can then note areas that need improvement and the ones where you're doing fine.

Gathering feedback gets exciting and more effortless in today's tech-savvy world where collecting data is faster than ever before. One way to ensure you accumulate the exact feedback data you need is by developing an app for your business.

Mobile applications come in handy for pretty obvious yet substantial reasons. For example, with an app, you quite literally live in your customer’s pocket. It will be easier for you to personalize the customer experience. That way, you can ask for feedback without having the customer feel uncomfortable or having to take multiple steps.

If you’re concerned about the costs associated with developing an app, consider other benefits such as increased brand awareness, targeted marketing, and more purchasing options.

Also, you don’t necessarily need to hire an in-house team. Outsourcing the development to professionals who will also save you time and money. They will also be able to provide you with tips on how to use push notifications and collect and analyze valuable customer data.

 

Wrap Up

 

Growing and maintaining an impressive brand reputation is easier than many people think. It also doesn't cost much.

With the right strategies like the one discussed above, you can easily manage your brand's reputation and create a 'movement' your customers will always want to associate with 24/7.