Business Reputation Management: What is it and How to Do it?

Table of Contents

1. What is reputation management?

2. Reputation management: defined

3. What does it mean to manage brand reputation?

4. Can an attorney help a company protects its business reputation?

5. How is brand safety different than brand reputation management?

6. How do you get started with brand management?

7. What is the purpose of a brand reputation manager?

8. What software can help track reputation?

9. Summary

What is reputation management?

A business can monitor and respond to what is said about it by engaging in reputation management on social media, review sites, and the news. This can be a difficult task due to the lack of control a company has over what is said. However, reputation management is vital to the success of a business.

About 80% of customers browse reviews when looking for local companies. The same percentage expect businesses to respond promptly to any messages they send on review sites or social media. Because of the sheer number of channels, it can be hard for companies to respond to all the chatter.

Not to worry! There are a lot of tools that make reputation management easier. This article will review some strategies that can help you protect your brand image.

Reputation management: defined

As businesses have increased their online presence, it has become more important than ever to manage the public’s perception. To manage reputation, you can use different techniques. These include reacting to messages or subduing them. Strategies may also include a social media campaign, PR outreach, and SEO.

Having a positive company reputation is important because it inspires loyalty among customers, which in turn drives growth. If a company has a negative image, customers will not want to patronize it and sales will plummet. Reputation management can help you learn what customers like and what they want to change. This allows you to update operations to keep customers happy and attract new ones.

What does it mean to manage brand reputation?

Brand reputation management means you monitor how customers think of your company. By checking your company’s reputation in social media, reviews, and Google, you can work to improve the company’s image.

Managing a company’s public perception is a continuous process that allows you to handle problematic situations as they arise. Brand reputation and reputation management are used as synonyms in many cases, but there are some big differences to be aware of.

When you engage in brand reputation management, you are focusing on a single brand. Reputation management, by contrast, focuses on an entire business. Should a brand discover that it is not connecting with its intended audience, it can alter its strategy. In 2014, Airbnb rebranded itself to focus more on people than technology.

However, some companies are built around a brand to the extent that it’s hard to change paths. Consider Weight Watchers. In 2018, the weight loss brand changed its name to WW and switched its focus to wellness. But reports show that this rebranding did not resonate with its customers.

Having a positive reputation encourages customers to trust your business. Therefore, managing a company’s reputation can help retain customers and attract new ones.

Reputation management not only builds trust, but it improves operations, sustainability, and safety.

Can an attorney help a company protects its business reputation?

Nakase Wade business attorneys or civil litigation attorneys can be of great help to companies in managing their reputation. They provide guidance on various matters that could impact how the public perceives the company, such as adhering to laws and regulations maintaining ethical business practices and handling disputes or legal actions. These lawyers can assist in crafting and reviewing statements or responses related to legal issues to ensure they meet legal standards and safeguard the companys interests. Moreover they offer advice on strategies to minimize damage to the companys reputation during disputes guide the company through crisis management situations and navigate complex scenarios involving defamation, intellectual property disputes or contractual disagreements. Their expertise ensures that the actions taken by the company are legally compliant and align, with maintaining a reputation.

How is brand safety different than brand reputation management?

The Internet Advertising Bureau defines brand safety as ensuring companies use appropriate ads and content. Brand safety thus falls under the umbrella of brand reputation management.

An example of brand safety may be found in ad placement. According to the IAB, you should be careful to buy ad space from trusted publications. You don’t want your ad to be put next to offensive or controversial content. For instance, it might not be a good idea to advertise your chicken sandwiches in an animal welfare publication.

It is also important to have your ads relate to the thing you are advertising. You would be engaging in malicious advertising if your ads took customers to unrelated content. If they click on your ad for a delicious chicken sandwich, they do not want the link to take them to a spinach salad.

Just as brand safety protects customers from false advertising, it also protects your company from third parties who want to harm it. The process of brand safety ensures that your advertising is legitimate and trustworthy.

How do you get started with brand management?

To set up a brand management strategy for your business, you should first take a look at all your online channels and ensure consistent messaging. Make sure all your accounts have the same messaging, values, and imagery. Get rid of any outdated descriptions or logos. Make sure any outdated info or images are not present on customer or partner websites. The key is consistency.

It is also important to clearly explain trademarks on your website. If anyone tries to use your protected brand without permission, you will be able to refer them to this information.

Nowadays, information travels at the speed of light. Customers and brands can get in touch at the click of a button. This allows for deeper relationships between companies and people. The flip side of this is that poor company interactions stand out like a sore thumb.

Companies are encouraged to provide a five-star customer experience from start to finish. One bad experience can lead to serious consequences in the digital age. However, if a customer has a great experience, one positive post can travel around the Internet just as quickly.

Customers are a business’s biggest asset. It is crucial to take their needs seriously. If they contact you, be sure to respond promptly and helpfully.

To protect your online reputation, practice the following strategies:

Ensure that all messaging is consistent and updated.
Use clear language on your website regarding trademarks.
Support a positive customer experience.
Listen to feedback from customers and make changes as necessary.

Every business will need to find reputation management strategies that work for its size and field. For small companies, offering value and trustworthiness makes a bit difference in managing reputation. However, things get more complicated for big companies.

What is the purpose of a brand reputation manager?

A brand reputation manager is in charge of running a company’s online channels. These individuals often play a role in branding. They also monitor online platforms to track the brand’s performance and see how the public is responding.

Their job involves reading reviews and mentions to gauge how customers are feeling. Their responses can help promote a positive brand image.

To create a reputation management plan, you should take the following steps:

Monitor your online reputation.
Create response strategies.
Establish a brand tone for responses.
Ensure the organization is familiar with the plan.
Respond to comments, reviews, and feedback.
Track results.

Reputation management is a continuous process important for companies both large and small. Let’s take a look at a sample reputation management plan:

Monitor your online reputation

When performing reputation management, you first want to conduct research to discover conversations about your company. You want to look out for different kinds of discussions. Look for customer reviews, social media discussions, review sites, and Google results. You might even want to check your competitors’ social media.

Create response strategies

Once you have an idea of what people are saying, you can work to improve your brand’s reputation. Let’s say that you come across some negative comments about your company’s customer service. While this isn’t great news, at least you know where your company can improve.

Research can also help a company pivot as trends change. Let’s say you run a coffee shop. Maybe there is a viral video of a new drink that everyone wants to try. If you are engaged with your customers online, you could try offering the popular drink.

You should establish a strategy to respond to online comments. This strategy should identify individuals at your company who will monitor conversations online and conduct research. If your company does not have a brand reputation manager, consider giving this role to customer-facing employees. These workers are best suited to public messaging.

It can be hard to know which comments are worthy of a response. Everyone is familiar with internet trolls. These individuals may write fake comments or otherwise try to harm your brand for their own amusement. Luckily, most comments come from real, genuine people.

While you should avoid responding to fake comments, ensure you answer real customers as much as possible. It may be too difficult to answer thousands of responses, so focus on one category first, such as questions. It may be helpful to create a list of requirements comments must meet to warrant a company response.

What if your company already has an excellent reputation?

The reality is that almost 70% of companies report experiencing a reputational crisis in the past five years. Only 45% percent were prepared to deal with it. Even if your company is performing fine at the moment, it is wise to have a plan in place. When problems arise, panic can ensue. By planning for emergencies, your company will have the right response prepared in the event of a crisis.

Establish a brand tone

When responding to customers, you should maintain a consistent tone. Even if customers leave a negative review, you should respond to them in the same tone you use for positive reviews. If you come across as caustic, it can seem defensive.

To ensure you maintain a consistent tone, create a style guide for employees to use. Be sure to explain how tone of voice contributes to the company’s mission and the brand. Offer detailed support for the employees monitoring different online channels.

Ensure the organization knows the plan

Once you have a clear plan for how to respond to customers, communicate it to the rest of the company. Everyone is responsible for reputation management, not just the brand reputation manager. To make your team feel accountable, hold meetings where you explain the specifics. Demonstrate how every employee, whatever their role, can participate in reputation management.

Respond to feedback

One of the most important things a company can do is listen to its customers. Often, customer feedback presents opportunities to grow as a business. Therefore, responding to customer feedback is an essential part of reputation management.

Customer criticism will let you know what parts of the business can be improved. Conversely, positive reviews will let you know what the company is doing well. Feedback thereby helps you manage your reputation.

And while it is important to have a consistent tone and template replies when dealing with customers, always be sure to listen.

Be consistent

Reputation management is not a one-and-done effort. Rather, it is a continuous process. It is important to constantly research what others are saying about your brand and respond to feedback.

While you monitor your company’s reputation over time, be sure to look at small shifts as well as major events. To improve your outreach, it may be wise to survey employees who speak with customers the most. You should also offer feedback and training sessions that can help your team be aware of changes in the business.

Track results

It is important to track results so that you know what reputation management strategies are successful. You can track reputation using different KPIs, such as:

Customer or brand loyalty
Sales and financial performance
Net Promoter score
Repeat purchase rate
Customer lifetime value
Employee satisfaction
Social media reach
Stakeholder surveys
Share of voice
Sentiment analysis

Your particular company goals and any challenges you come across in your research will impact what metrics you use to track reputation.

What software can help track reputation?

Believe it or not, there is software that can help you manage your reputation as a brand. There are some programs that can flag negative reviews and highlight testimonials from customers Such tools make it easier to gather and analyze data. Certain other programs can conduct A sentiment analysis to resolve issues quickly.

Reputation management software can be an excellent resource for smaller businesses that do not have a huge PR budget. Let’s go over some of the best software options.

Yext Reviews

It is important to ensure information about your business is consistent across platforms. This is because inconsistent data can affect SEO. Programs like Yext can identify and amend inconsistencies. It also makes it easy to respond to customer reviews as a way of managing your reputation on social media. The program is perfect for smaller businesses as well as enterprise companies. Its customers include Samsung and Lego.

ReviewTrackers

ReviewTrackers is a software gathers reviews from third-party websites such as Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Google. Whenever a customer leaves a review, it will notify you so that your team stays current. You can also track recent trends and topics that will give you a bird’s eye view of what customers are thinking. Other features include performance analytics and the ability to track competitors. The software is best suited to smaller businesses and enterprise companies.

Reputation

Reputation is software is unique in that it lets you monitor consumer feedback from the moment you gain a customer. The program listens in on conversations taking place on different platforms. It analyzes this information to predict what customers are going to want or think in the future. This helps companies be proactive about any changes they need to make.

Podium

It can be difficult to manage your reputation across multiple sites. Podium is program collects all reviews and customer interactions in a single place. It also allows you to respond to reviews, even through text messages, in real-time. This software is best for smaller local companies that prefer to contact customers directly through texts.

BirdEye

BirdEye is a SaaS tool that gathers information from over two hundred sources to give you an accurate understanding of what people think. Using a single dashboard, you are able to track and respond to reviews. You also have the ability to study competitors’ customers, create surveys, and manage your accounts on social media.

NiceJob

NiceJob is a cloud-based tool provides simple tools for social media posting and review management. It allows you to send automated review emails, reminders, and text messages,

io

This tool allows you to gather reviews in various formats such as photo, text, and video. It will place the reviews in a timeline so that you can speed up your responses. There is a feature that allows you to edit auto-replies to personalize them for each customer.

Summary

Reputation management is an effective tool that allows your business to minimize the negative and focus on the positive. After a crisis, it can help you repair the damage and show customers that you are genuine and worthy of trust. Review the above tips to create a foolproof reputation plan to promote your brand.

Most recent blogs:

Best Free Payroll Software for Small Businesses and Startups in 2025

Find the best free payroll software options for small businesses and startups in 2025 with essential tools and flexible features. Compare user-friendly platforms offering global payments, tax calculations, employee portals, and cloud access at no cost.

What Services Does a California Business Lawyer Provide?

A California business lawyer helps protect your company by providing legal guidance on structure, taxation, contracts, and compliance. Their services ensure you avoid costly mistakes and navigate disputes, allowing you to focus on growth.

Where Can I Find a Business Lawyer?

Find a skilled business lawyer to navigate legal matters like contracts, trademarks, and liability issues. Protect your company with expert legal advice and support.

What Are the Requirements for a Business Contract Termination Letter?

A contract termination letter must clearly state the reason for termination, reference the original contract, and follow required notice procedures. Ensuring proper documentation and adherence to contract terms helps prevent legal disputes and wrongful termination claims.

Are Verbal Contracts Binding in California?

A verbal contract can be legally binding in California, but proving its terms in court is often difficult. Written agreements provide stronger legal protection, reducing risks of disputes and misunderstandings.

Where Can I Find a Business Lawyer Near Me?

Find a business lawyer by seeking referrals, researching credentials, and ensuring they specialize in your industry’s legal needs. Schedule consultations to assess their expertise, compatibility, and pricing structure before making a final decision.

What Is the Statement of Information and When Is It Required?

A Statement of Information is a required filing for California corporations and LLCs, providing key business and leadership details. Filing deadlines vary, requiring annual or biennial submissions to maintain compliance and avoid penalties.

What Is Indemnity and How Does It Apply to Insurance Contracts?

Indemnity protects individuals and businesses from financial loss by ensuring compensation for damages under legal agreements, including insurance contracts. Various indemnity policies cover liability, property damage, and professional risks, with terms defining coverage limits and exclusions.

What Is Gross Profit and How Is It Calculated in Financial Statements?

Gross profit represents the revenue remaining after deducting the cost of goods sold, helping businesses assess production efficiency and pricing strategies. Calculating gross profit involves subtracting direct expenses from revenue, providing insights into cost control and financial performance.

What Is Gross Income and How Does It Differ From Net Income?

Gross income includes all earnings before deductions, while net income is what remains after taxes and expenses. Understanding these figures helps determine tax obligations, loan eligibility, and overall financial health.

What Is Beneficial Ownership Information and Why Is It Important for Compliance

Beneficial ownership information helps prevent financial crimes by increasing transparency in corporate structures. Businesses should stay informed on reporting requirements to avoid penalties and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.

What Is Arbitration and How Does It Resolve Disputes?

Arbitration resolves disputes by allowing a neutral third party to make binding decisions, offering privacy and efficiency over traditional litigation. Businesses and individuals prefer arbitration for its speed, cost savings, and adaptability, ensuring enforceable outcomes across various legal frameworks.

What Is a Corporation, and How Does It Differ From an LLC?

A corporation is a separate legal entity owned by shareholders, while an LLC offers flexible management and pass-through taxation. Corporations require stricter compliance and structured oversight, whereas LLCs provide fewer formalities and adaptable ownership structures.

How Do You Incorporate a Business, and What Are the Benefits?

Incorporating a business creates a separate legal entity, protecting personal assets and offering potential tax advantages. This process enhances credibility, simplifies ownership transfer, and provides growth opportunities while requiring compliance with specific regulations.

How Do You Get an LLC, and What Are the Benefits of Forming One?

An LLC provides liability protection, tax flexibility, and management freedom for business owners. Follow seven simple steps to establish one efficiently.

How Do You Start a Business, and What Are the Legal Requirements?

Starting a business in California requires careful planning, legal compliance, and financial preparation. From selecting a business structure to obtaining permits, tax registration, and funding, each step is crucial for long-term success.

How Do Accrual Accounting and Cash Accounting Differ in Financial Management?

Accrual accounting records transactions when they are earned, while cash accounting records them when money changes hands. Choosing the right method impacts taxes, financial planning, and cash flow management for businesses.

Do I Need a Permit to Operate a Vending Machine?

A vending machine business requires permits, including a business license, EIN, and compliance with state and federal regulations. Proper location approval, ADA compliance, and product labeling are essential for legal operation and profitability.

Are There Grants Available to Start a Business?

Government and private grants provide funding to help entrepreneurs start businesses, with eligibility varying by industry, location, and business type. Opportunities include federal programs, state initiatives, and private grants supporting startups, research, and minority-owned businesses.

What Is a Stock Corporation in California – General Requirements?

A stock corporation in California raises capital by selling shares, granting investors ownership and voting rights while maintaining limited liability. These corporations, classified as C or S, follow specific legal steps, including filing Articles of Incorporation and drafting corporate bylaws.

Is a Contract Valid Only if It Is in Written Form?

A contract can be legally binding whether written or verbal, but some agreements, such as real estate deals, require written documentation. A valid contract must include clear terms, mutual agreement, legal capacity, consideration, and intent to create enforceable obligations.

What Is a Cash Receipt and Why It Matters for Business Transactions

A cash receipt records the exchange of cash during a transaction, detailing the amount, parties involved, and purchase specifics. Maintaining accurate cash receipts supports tax reporting, financial management, and dispute resolution while ensuring compliance with audits.