In the world of influencer marketing, perception is everything. Your brand reputation plays a large hand in the success of your influencer marketing campaigns.
Here’s why – imagine you spot the right influencers for your big product debut, they put their best foot forward and rave about your product on their social. Fantastic, right? Well, not if your brand image is in the dumps.
But why so? Because your consumers are not only buying your product, they are buying the brand. And if there’s nothing good about the brand, then no amount of influencer endorsements can fix a brand that lacks trust from its consumers!
What is brand reputation?
Your brand reputation is your public image – it defines how people feel on their first interaction with your product, logo, media presence, brand voice, and other elements of your brand. Think of it like your digital street cred.
Essentially, it’s the collective perception of your brand in the eyes of your consumers and market stakeholders.
Wait, it doesn’t end there. Your brand reputation is also what your audience believes, knows, or purports to know about your business.
What’s the narrative on the streets like? Everything you say or do, or even promote trickles down to building or crushing your image.
How important is your brand reputation?
If you haven’t got the gist of the matter yet, this section will elucidate it for you quite profoundly. Read on to know why these two words – brand reputation – mean everything for your business.
1. Trust!
Your reputation sets the foundation of trust between you and your consumers. Let’s put it practically – assume you’re shopping for a product online and you spot two brands offering the same product, with the same features and functionalities.
So you scroll down to the review section and find that one has a stellar reputation while the other…it’s not so shiny. Which one will you buy from?
This is exactly what we mean by a positive reputation being a golden ticket to consumer trust. It works all the time.
2. Competitive advantage
In our online shopping scenario above, the stellar reputation has already earned the brand a new customer. But let’s dissect this further.
When a potential customer comes across a company that is perceived reliable and credible, they are more likely to get into business with them. A positive image would not only attract new customers, but also increase your sales.
Therefore, your reputation sets you apart from your competitors, ultimately earning you a higher return on investment.
3. Loyalty!
Customer loyalty is about winning the hearts and minds of your consumers. We’re not just looking for a number of sales on a scoreboard but we want those customers to always come back.
Maintaining a strong brand reputation throughout the life of your brand warrants for specific consumer-centric strategies that will lead to customer acquisition and retention.
While trust and credibility gets your customers through the door, maintaining a positive experience keeps them in the room.
Whether it’s through high-quality products, complementary services, or exceptional customer care, strive to create positive experiences that drive customer loyalty.
4. Pricing power
Yes, you read it right. Reputable brands piggyback on their impeccable credibility, reliability, and top-notch quality to command premium prices.
You can hike up your prices based on your brand reputation in the industry. And guess what? With such growth potential, investors will be lining up to associate with you.
So without further ado, let’s get to the meaty part of our blog.
Strategies to build a brand reputation
Building your reputation from the ground up requires grit, consistency, resilience, and transparency at the very least. But it is not rocket science.
Consequently, we’ve prepared expert brand reputation strategies to catapult your brand to success. Read on…
1. Deliver on your promises
Nothing taints your public image like overpromising and underdelivering. You’ve got to walk your talk when it comes to online business. Remember, your brand’s reliability lies in meeting and exceeding expectations.
When customers know you will always come through for their needs, they will trust your ability to deliver and going an extra mile for their satisfaction. This promotes loyalty and puts out a good word for your brand.
2. Engage, engage, engage
An active social media presence is crucial in solidifying your brand identity. In today’s age of digital marketing, consumers revert to public spaces such as Yelp, Google My Business, and Facebook to share their thoughts on products and service experiences.
89% of consumers confess to reading product reviews before making a purchase. Of this number, 49% consider positive reviews as a primary determinant of their purchasing decision.
For this reason, consistently monitor your reviews and offer feedback to customers’ experiences – both good and bad. Furthermore, incorporate PR strategies in your social media engagement efforts to help strengthen and maintain a good brand reputation in the public eye.
For instance, establishing a constant messaging formulation will make your brand memorable and easily relatable to your audience.
In addition, securing media coverage from a reputable publication will help boost your brand reputation.
3. Own up to your mistakes
Let’s face it – no one’s perfect and mistakes are inevitable. However, when they do happen, it’s imperative to be accountable and own up to your mistakes.
This actually lead to customer retention and loyalty. Believe it or not, in a world saturated with fakeness, a dash of truth and realness is appreciated. Fessing up humanizes your brand because when all is said and done, you’re human like the rest of us.
So embrace taking responsibility for your wrongs instead of acting defensive or sweeping the dirt under the rug. Remember, the Internet never forgets.
4. Invest in employee empowerment
Your employees are your first brand ambassadors. Whether it’s through social media or word-of-mouth interactions, you want them championing your name in goodwill.
But how do you get them here? By investing in their growth. Provide growth opportunities, present them with challenging assignment, and encourage employee autonomy.
We’re past the age where employees are just looking for a good paycheck and head home. Today, they are after a purpose; a sense of accomplishment; a reason to show up every morning beyond a mere paycheck.
Therefore, strive to make your team feel valued and important, bearing in mind that energy is contagious. Their genuine support and enthusiasm can go a long way in building your brand reputation.
5. Implement corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Brands that commit to their CSR initiatives are often perceived as socially responsible, trustworthy, and ethically moral. Investing in CSR projects also denotes long-term goals of a brand, highlighting its dedication to promoting a sustainable future.
Whether it through charities, environmental initiatives, or volunteer programs, CSR involves ongoing collaborations between a company and its community. Such relationships build genuine trust and loyalty among the involved stakeholder, bolstering brand image and reputation.
6. Leverage the power of influencer marketing
Onboarding a few influencers to champion your name in the online media chatter increases brand awareness. This is by leveraging the follower count of different influencers who deliver engagements and conversion through their posts.
While these brand-influencer partnerships come with a price tag, the right influencers will make the investment worthwhile. This is because influencers are like trusted sidekicks to their followers – their recommendations and endorsements are worth their weight in gold.
They not only give you direct access to new customers but also promote your brand reputation by tapping into their influential power. Nonetheless, this strategy can only be effective if you form the right collaborations.
Let’s break it down.
Alignment with brand values
Before diving head first into influencer marketing, you’ve got to partner with the right people.
While it might be tempting to just go for influencers that command large followings, your ideal influencer should align with your brand values. Their content must reflect your brand ethos and principles, helping maintain a certain standard of reputation.
Remember, you’re not just launching a campaign, you are creating an experience. So these social media endorsers need to be the best tools to convey your brand message credibly and reliably to your audience.
Audience relevance
During your influencer selection process, you need to vet the kind of audience brought on board by your potential influencers. Think of it like target practice – you only hit the bullseye when your message lands on the right demographic.
This calls for auditing the kind of followers your influencers have. It’s not just a numbers game but the quality of these followings. Do they align with your target audience?
If so, you are on the right tract to creating a reputable brand image among your relevant audience. To analyze the audience demographics of your influencer, consider leveraging influencer finder platforms with advanced search filters that allow you sift influencer followers based on interests, gender, age, and location.
Track record and reputation
The kind of influencer you onboard directly affects your brand reputation. Their reputation within the industry trickles down to boosting or tainting your brand image.
Ideally, you and your brand ambassadors are one entity in the public eye. It is, therefore, imperative to do your due diligence before onboarding influencers into the grand scheme of things.
Let’s say you’re a fitness brand that promotes fitness products and living a healthy lifestyle. Your go-to kind of influencer would be one who breathes and eats healthy habits; from work outs to recipes and fitness motivation content.
Partnering with an influencer who promotes fast foods and unhealthy snacks could question the credibility of your brand. Additionally, their style of content delivery could implicate your brand, prompting your audience to question your commitment to promoting healthy living.
This is because influencers are the face of your brand. For that matter, exclusivity in your influencer agreements could help prevent such misalignment in informing and educating your audience.
7. Tap into social listening
Social listening involves keeping track of online conversations about your brand. What are people saying about your products? What’s the word on the streets about your services?
Monitoring your brand mentions across the busy social media streets will reveal how your audience perceives your brand. It could also usher invaluable insights on areas of improvement based on your consumers’ pain points.
8. Consistency
Consistency in your messaging, tone, voice, and response affirms trust in your brand which trickles down to building customer lifetime value and acquisition.
When customers trust your brand, they’re more likely to stay loyal and believe in your course. Therefore, ensure the message you send out is consistent and speaks to your brand values.
Nonetheless, building a reputation takes time, effort, and dedication; it doesn’t happen overnight. Consistency will reinforce remembrance and familiarity and you want your audience to view your brand as nothing but trustworthy. This ushers us to the new phase of brand reputation management.
Maintaining your brand image in good standing
As your campaign team grows, maintaining your brand identity in good standing can be a little dodgy. This is because different parties are chiming their ideas and although this is the embodiment of teamwork, it risks losing the identity of your brand.
As a result, there are certain measures your brand can take when your feel you’re veering off the track. Read on to find out.
1. Handle negative feedback like a pro!
Getting negative feedback is part of the drill because let’s face it – you can’t win them all. You, therefore, need hacks to handle the naysayers. Don’t just revert on positive criticism and leave out what’s not pleasing to your ears.
Instead, take a breather and handle the situation before it spirals out of control cause trust me, the Internet sure loves some good bashing and you do not want to be on the bad side of the stake. It will drain your brand reputation.
Show you audience that you’re remorseful for their challenges and are working to rectify the situation. Above all, remember to stay true to your word and follow up.
2. Maintain transparency
When maintaining your online brand reputation, openness is the core principle. You’ve got to be transparent to your influencers and your audience. Let you stakeholders know your brand values,
Transparency is the name of the game when it comes to online reputation management. People want to know who they’re doing business with – warts and all.
That means being honest about your products, your practices, and your values. Don’t try to sweep anything under the rug or hide behind a façade – be upfront and transparent, and people will respect you for it.
3. Have a crisis management plan
Let’s face it – sometimes, things go sideways. That’s why it’s crucial to have a crisis management plan in place.
This plan should outline exactly how you’ll respond to different types of crises, who’s responsible for what, and how you’ll communicate with your customers and the public.
By being prepared for the worst-case scenario, you can minimize the damage to your brand reputation and bounce back stronger than ever.
This introduces us to the next section on repairing a tarnished brand reputation.
Brand reputation repair
Alright, so your brand image has taken a bit of a hit – don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Let’s talk about how to get back on track.
First things first, it’s crucial that we acknowledge certain factors that may jeopardize your brand reputation. Identifying these factors can help you understand where things went wrong and how to avoid similar pitfalls in the future.
Factors affecting your brand reputation
- Poor customer service: If your customers feel like they’re not being heard or valued, it can damage your brand reputation.
- Product Quality Issues: Whether it’s a faulty product or a service that doesn’t live up to expectations, quality issues can quickly erode trust.
- Ethical Concerns: If your brand is involved in any unethical practices or controversies, it can have a significant impact on your reputation.
- Negative Publicity: Whether it’s a negative news story or a viral social media scandal, negative publicity can spread like wildfire and damage your brand reputation.
Strategies to restore tarnished brand image
1. Identify the culprits
You need to figure out what went wrong in the first place. Was it a PR blunder, a product failure, or maybe a social media misstep?
Identifying the root cause of the problem is the first step toward fixing it. Think of it like playing detective – you’ve got to gather all the clues before you can crack the case.
2. Assess the damage
Once you’ve identified the culprits, it’s time to assess the damage. How bad is it, really? Is your brand reputation slightly bruised, or is it hanging on by a thread?
Take stock of the situation and be honest with yourself. This isn’t the time for sugar-coating – you’ve got to face the music if you want to move forward.
3. Craft a plan of action
Now that you know what you’re up against, it’s time to craft a plan of action. How are you going to repair your tarnished brand reputation and win back the trust of your customers?
This might involve anything from issuing a public apology to launching a new marketing campaign to showcase your commitment to change. Get creative and think outside the box – the sky’s the limit!
4. Rebuild trust, one step at a time
Rebuilding trust isn’t something that happens overnight – it’s a journey. You’ve got to prove to your customers that you’re committed to making things right, and that takes time.
Start by being transparent about what happened and what you’re doing to fix it. Then, follow through on your promises and show that you’re willing to go the extra mile to regain their trust.
To help rebuild your trust, consider leveraging social proof and testimonials through the following hacks:
- Display customer reviews and ratings on product pages or websites to affirm your credibility and gain audience trust.
- Collaborate with influencers or industry experts who endorse your brand to enhance its reputation and reach a wider audience.
- Share case studies and success stories of satisfied customers demonstrating the brand’s capabilities and building trust.
- Encourage customers to share their experiences and content related to the brand on social media can increase authenticity and trust.
Here’s the deal – repairing your brand reputation won’t be easy but with determination and perseverance, you can come out on top.
How is brand reputation measured?
Congratulations! You’ve learned the art of building, maintaining, and even repairing your brand reputation. But how do you know if all that hard work is paying off? This is when we introduce measuring your brand reputation.
It’s like taking a peek behind the curtain to see how well you’re really doing. So, let’s dive into the world of metrics and analysis, and uncover the secrets to measuring your brand’s success!
Setting benchmarks
To begin with, you need to establish benchmarks to measure your brand reputation against. Think of these as your starting point – where you are now compared to where you want to be.
This could include metrics like brand sentiment, online reviews, social media mentions, and customer satisfaction scores. Setting clear benchmarks will help you track your progress over time.
Tracking KPIs
Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) can provide you with insights into the position of your brand name. This includes metrics like:
- Brand recognition and awareness: This measures how well-known your brand is among your target audience. You can track brand awareness through metrics like website traffic, social media followers, and brand mentions.
- Brand loyalty: This measures how likely your customers are to choose your brand over competitors. You can track brand loyalty through metrics like repeat purchase rates, customer retention rates, and customer lifetime value.
- Social media metrics: Social media metrics include engagement metrics like likes, shares, comments, and mentions. They indicate how active and engaged your audience is with your brand on social media platforms.
- Net promoter score (NPS): NPS measures how likely your customers are to recommend your brand to others. It provides insight into overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Conducting surveys and requesting feedback
Another way to measure brand reputation is by directly asking your customers for feedback. Consider running surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather insights into how your brand is perceived.
Ask questions about brand awareness, trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. This will give you a clearer picture of where you stand in the eyes of your customers and identify areas for improvement.
Leveraging reputation management services
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can always enlist a reputation management service. These professionals specialize in monitoring and managing brand reputation online, using advanced tools and techniques to track sentiment, analyze data, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Wrap-up
By regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their brand reputation and make informed decisions to improve it.
Brand reputation management is the unsung hero of influencer marketing. It’s what separates the big dogs from the little pups and ensures your brand shines in the eyes of influencers and customers alike.
So roll up your sleeves and get to work – your brand name is counting on you.