Accountability: Using Social Media For Better Business Practices

Tell the truth – have you ever Googled yourself? Well if you’re a blogger, have a company website or any online presence at all  you should consider Googling. In the brave new world of the highly social Internet, people are chattering about everything from coupons to company preference. Customers post reviews of restaurants on Google Maps. People looking for industrial services forums to talk about the best vendors in their area. This ability to connect with people to find the best companies to work with can be a double-edged sword. If you can get people buzzing about your company, through bookmarks, blog posts, Tweets and Facebook links, you could get a major boost in traffic and brand perception. However, an unfavorable review online or a negative thread in a forum could be very detrimental to your business.

How to manage your online brand reputation?
How do you deal with the new vulnerability to online feedback? Well, as I mentioned, you could simply search around the net for mentions of your name or your business. There is also a more sophisticated tool that can help you look in all the important places for your name. WhosTalkin.com is a search engine that aggregates many of the online platforms where consumers might be talking about your brand. Blogs, photostreams, forums and news. You can sift through all those sources and see if your brand is being talked about.

And what to do if someone’s posted about you? First of all, all press is good press. While this might not be a hard and fast rule, if you’re being mentioned online that means you have a reach and access to an audience, which is positive. Second, if you’ve had a positive comment, that’s great, and you should capitalize on this. Maybe reply to the blog or forum post. Maybe begin setting up social profiles where customers can talk directly to you.

If you’ve earned not-so-good online reviews, assess the damage. Was it a post or a string of posts made in multiple locations? Depending on the magnitude of the negativity, you can just take the feedback and use it to improve your services and products. If you believe that the comments bring up a valid point you could be proactive and send a message to your customers and tell them that their comments are heard, and that you will strive to improve.

A lesson from Obama 
In his inaugural address, President Obama made a great statement that can really apply to businesses who operate online and offline, “And those of us who manage the public’s knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

The online arena will certainly hold businesses accountable to work “in the light of day” because if you do not – a blogger, a forum poster and a whole online community will make it known. Social media is a great way for businesses to earn feedback on their work. True, social media leaves businesses vulnerable to negativity that can be shown out in the open. However, if you’re doing the best work possible and serving your customers with honesty and respect, the feedback online will reflect that. For most businesses social media will only boost your brand.

Additional References:

WhosTalkin a New Reputation Management Tool from SEOSmarty

President Obama: We Will Be Held To Account

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