A reputation crisis can happen unexpectedly and can be a difficult thing to overcome, but it is possible to repair. Although a damaged corporate reputation may seem impossible to reverse, the journey to rebuild it can be summarised in a few key steps:
- Take control of your brand’s online presence.
- Know and monitor what is said about you online.
- Most importantly, apologise for any missteps.
A strong network is essential for business and the Bartercard network can help you rebuild your reputation. Bartercard is also a highly effective platform to create brand awareness. As they say, “it’s all part of the membership”!
Set Your Goals for Your Brand Reputation
If dealt with carefully and honestly, a strong brand reputation can survive a crisis without too much damage, which is why it’s important to set clear goals.
You can measure your brand reputation by asking things like, “how well is your brand message aligned with your company culture in your communications?” “Is your message communicated clearly?” “Are you delivering on your brand promise?”
Remember that your brand is the perception of the product or service in the mind of your customer. If you work toward goals for a strong brand reputation, you’ll be able to carve out a niche for yourself in your industry and control how your target audience perceives your company.
It is imperative that you are ranking well for your own brand name, and that you have built history, trust, and equity. That way, you know that you are going to be able to control it sufficiently. Without this authority, others will be able to outrank your brand on the first couple of pages of the search results which will lead to your entire brand’s reputation being vulnerable.
Bartercard is New Zealand’s largest business network with tens of thousands of cardholders. Joining Bartercard not only gives you access to a unique market of buyers and sellers, but its regular networking events also provide a forum where you can build invaluable relationships across nearly every type of industry. Mixing with industry leaders can give you some great ideas for your business with the right connections.
Be Quick to Apologise to Customer Complaints
Do everything that you can to respond swiftly to your customer complaints, and/or comments, simply because a happy customer is going to end up telling five of their friends, whereas an unhappy customer is going to tell 10 of their friends. At the same time, a customer that had their issues resolved sufficiently and quickly will tell even more friends. Therefore, it is going to be in your best interest as a brand and company to be sure to get your customers the best customer support and care that they need to be satisfied.
Superb and memorable customer experiences are major factors in establishing and cementing your brand reputation, so listen to your customers for increased customer satisfaction. Executives know the importance of their companies’ reputations, and firms with strong positive reputations attract better people. They are perceived as providing more value, which often allows them to charge a premium, and in this way, they can attract new clients. Their customers are more loyal and buy broader ranges of products and services.
Now For the Good News!
The good news is that it is possible to recover. The evidence of your past mistakes may be out there, but you don’t have to live with the consequences forever. You can still turn things around to regain a positive online reputation. It might take more time than you think, and it will require a lot of effort, but by taking the right actions, your company can be just as respected and renowned as it once was, and Bartercard can help in navigating this process.
