Last Updated on August 31, 2025
Today, managing and improving your online reputation has become essential. This is due to the advent of Google Search and anyone’s ability to search online and find information about your business and personal life.
Even if there’s something out there where you don’t want people to stop, you can do better. It takes a little work, but it can be done. In fact, everyone who wants to be known online needs to do these things.
Monitor The Buzz
People talk about you. You can use Google Alerts and other online apps to track your company name, personal name, product names, and more to find out what’s being said about you online.
Listen to your customers
Many entrepreneurs conduct surveys, read their buzz online, check rating sites, and so on, but never really listen. It’s important to show your audience your actions that you’re listening to.
Respond quickly
When a clients has a problem or complains about you online, you must always respond quickly to the complaint. Even on social media, if you don’t respond to a complaint, they’ll see you as bad customer service, regardless of whether you planned to provide customer service there or not.
Stay positive
Regardless of what a customer or review says, it’s imperative that you never allow negativity to take over. Stay positive and try reading through the vitriol. A good suggestion is to copy and paste the complaint or reviews into a Word document, then delete everything that removes you from the complaint. Then answer the complaint.
Forgiveness
Even though business owners know that sometimes customers get it wrong, they’re right in public. You have to apologize to them in public and offer to do better. It’s the only way to win back public trust. Better yet, ask the customer what they can do to do better, and you may be surprised at how little is needed.
Request reviews
When you send information to your buyers in a follow-up, always ask for positive feedback and give them the link to where you want the review to be published. This will help to increase the positive and counteract any negative comments.
Avoid making mistakes on social media
It sounds easier than done, but all of this means you have to think twice about everything you put on social media, positive or negative. Even innocent jokes can get you in trouble if you don’t know your audience well enough.
Don’t neglect your accounts
Once you have a social media account, don’t let it go down. Keep it up to date regularly – at least once a week personally, and if you turn on some smart automation it will feel like you’re more active.