Can Social Media Improve Your Business Reputation?

Whether you run a small or large business, fewer phone calls, less people walking in the front door, and a decline in your website traffic should signal to you that something is wrong. In some cases, terribly wrong.

While you may be pointing to the challenging economy as to why your business has slowed down, that may be too easy of an answer. Do you think it could be that your business reputation may have been called into question?

With all that business owners finding themselves responsible for on a daily basis, it is not unheard of for them to fall a little behind in monitoring what is being said about them and/or their company online. When that happens, the trap can be very easy to fall into, that is just assuming that all is well in the online world.

Unless business owners are constantly monitoring what is being said about their brand online, they can find themselves with a nasty surprise or two when the fire starts to get a little hot. Before they know it, comments regarding their business (be they true or not) have taken on a life of their own. In such cases, social media can play a major role in turning things around.

With a determined and proven social media strategy, business owners can:

* Engage in real-time – One of the best facets of social media is that it can be done in real-time. Unlike the past where responding to customer needs or addressing negative comments may have meant hours or even days, you can use social media instantly. This is all the more reason why you need to monitor the online chatter regarding you and your business. If something negative is out there, you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ accounts to address it. Always remember that time is of the essence when your business reputation is called into question;

* Educate consumers – Your social media tools are great vehicles in allowing you to educate both present and potential customers. With social media, you can provide consumers with links to tutorials, studies, analysis, and more. By doing this, consumers are more apt to come to you for information they need in determining the best products and services to meet their needs. If you have a Facebook fan page or Twitter account, use them to educate the masses, while at the same time enhancing your reputation as a proven leader in your industry;

* Network with other businesses – Another reason to use social media is networking with other businesses. In the event your business reputation is taking a hit, having a stable of supporters on social media can help you quell the fire. If both present and potential customers see other businesses coming to your side on social media, they are less likely to believe the negative comments that a customer or current/former employee said about you. Given the fact that any business can have its reputation called into question, having supporters out there makes the task of reclaiming your reputation less daunting.

Whether you do it yourself or seek the outside assistance of an Internet reputation management expert, those two options are certainly better than doing nothing.

As a business owner, has your reputation been called into question in the past?

If so, did you deploy social media to help better the situation?

Photo credit: 51blocks.com

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