Is Your Online Reputation Quietly Killing Your Ad Campaign?
Advertising is an investment, in some cases a very expensive and time consuming one, but the way consumers respond to advertising is changing. The internet has allowed consumers to research every detail of your company and brand, in many cases uncovering details that you may not even know were there to be found. This means that people won't just believe the information that advertisers put in front of them. They will want to do their own research and check that not only is the offer you are advertising exactly what it seems, but also whether or not your business is one that they want to spend money with.
When setting up a new marketing campaign there are already plenty of things to consider, such as:
- Who is your intended target?
- What is your message?
- What do you want to achieve from the campaign?
- How will you measure the responses?
And now something else needs to be added to that list:
- What will people see when they search for us?
Let me give you an example. A few weeks ago I had a postcard through the door from a local firm offering their services. The postcard was of very high quality, the printing was well done, the postcard was eye catching, well written and crucially for this business it did its job; I was interested and impressed enough to Google them!
Unfortunately, what I found there was a different story! The search engines pulled up plenty of information on the company in question, mostly in the form of bad reviews from unhappy customers. Was I still interested in using their services? Absolutely not!
Before spending any money on an expensive new advertising campaign, research your brand as a potential client might and see what you find. Perhaps instead of focusing on single campaigns, businesses should be considering how they can spread their overall influence to a bigger group through working on their online reputation.
Online Reputation is fast becoming one of the biggest assets a brand can have. What is said about you and your business on internet forums, social media and directory review sites is often beyond your control, yet the comments there can make or break your reputation.
Online Reviews are a huge influencer, with approximately 72% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 52% saying that positive online reviews make them more likely to use a local business (Local Consumer Review Survey 2012).
As well as getting an idea of what is being said about you, you also need to understand the social influence of your own loyal consumers. If you can engage your own customers and encourage them to leave their own positive reviews of their experience with your company then you could leverage an incredibly powerful resource for your brand.
Marketers are always looking for the best way to increase their brand presence and market share. The internet has opened new doors for everyone and means that small local businesses can compete on the same level as much larger rivals.
Don't let your online reputation get away from you, because if it does it could quietly kill off all the good work you do elsewhere.