With the explosion of user-generated content, the importance of managing your business reputation online is essential. Here is how to monitor and join the conversation.

Online reputation management is the relatively new practice of finding and analyzing online content about your business and participating in the conversation in order to maintain a positive image on the Web. "Participation" in online media has become the fifth "P" in the marketing mix together with product, placement, promotion and price.

WHY SHOULD YOU?
Corporations no longer have sole control of their marketing messages. Citizen marketers - those consumers who are willing to talk about their personal experiences with products, services and organizations - also have the power to influence perception. In a 2009 survey from Opinion Research Corporation, nearly 84 percent of American consumers said online reviews influenced their purchasing decisions.

Fortunately, most consumer-generated content is positive or neutral - written and published by a vocal minority to help other prospective customers. In a Wall Street Journal article entitled, On the Internet, Everyone is a Critic But They're Not Very Critical1, Geoffrey Fowler and Joseph De Avila say: "One of the Web's little secrets is that when consumers write online reviews, they tend to leave positive ratings: The average grade for things online is about 4.3 stars out of five."

MANAGE YOUR REPUTATION IN THREE STEPS
Online reputation management is a three-step process requiring monitoring, evaluation and action. Consider building a process with these components to manage public perceptions of your business.

  1. Monitor: Use free keyword search tools to identify the keywords your customers use to find you. Set up alerts (such as Google alerts) to schedule e-mail notifications to yourself or to create an "as-it-happens" feed in your Google Reader whenever your company name, individual products, company employees, competitors, clients, or other relevant terms appear online.

    Select a free application like "tweetwally" to track the Twitter about your company, products and people.

    For more on keyword search read the Work Smart article called Get Noticed Online in this issue.

  2. Evaluate: "Listen" to what your customers are saying and determine when and how you will participate. Many organizations have articulated their approach to the online channel to help communicators in their organizations effectively evaluate and respond.

    For example, the U.S. Air Force has published a simple Rules of Engagement for Blogging flowchart to help military communicators evaluate the type of commentary published online as well as the nature of the commentator in order to create an appropriate response. "Official" responses include closely monitoring posts, replying to fix the facts or rectifying a situation with a reasonable solution.

  3. Act: Decide how you will respond to individual feedback by considering the source, outlet, timing and level of risk. Determine whether it is better to answer privately or publicly, and never reply in anger or haste. Respond authentically and with courtesy and respect - your words will live on indefinitely on the Web.

    Your own approach might be less formalized; the point is to be aware of the online conversation and participate to protect, enhance and preserve your business reputation online.

PARTICIPATION IS NOT THE SAME AS PROMOTION
There are many opportunities to participate proactively by tapping into social media sites - like Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube and Twitter - where your customers are talking about you. But remember: consumers prefer the channel for participation not promotion.

Align the tone of your messaging online to the tone of the community you are addressing. For example, if you are a restaurant owner, contribute to the local online restaurant guide where consumers post reviews. If contributors on the site are interested in healthier menus and your chef is a vegan expert, you will have struck upon the perfect opportunity to participate!

IT PAYS TO PARTICIPATE
Once you begin, you will find most of the online discussion about your business is conversational not controversial. Use the same free tools consumers use to add the fifth "P" to the marketing mix; you will find online reputation management offers a great way to connect to your customers.

KEEP GOING »

1 Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2009: "On the Internet, Everyone's a Critic But They're Not Very Critical": www.google.com - search: "everyone's a critic, but they are not that critical, complete article"

Read more about how to monitor the media.