One of the most common worries that small and medium-sized businesses have, when they consider starting social media campaigns, is how they can protect their reputation online. Many fear that because posting a negative comment onto a business’ social media channel is such a simple process, it will occur more often and hurt the brand’s reputation.
While it is true that negative posts will come and go, your brand’s reputation does not come from what a customer says about you, but how you react to it. You can build your brand’s reputation by being attentive, willing to take action online to defend your brand, and willing to admit when your business has made a mistake. If you implement these three actions within your social media marketing strategy, it will create more brand equity for your business online and also validate your brand in the process.
If you’re still not convinced about whether or not you should dive into social media, remember that being inactive on social media doesn’t equate to having (or not having) an online reputation. Instead, there is an online reputation of your business that you aren’t controlling. By taking advantage of social media outlets that exist, not only will you be authenticating your business, but you will also be preventing others from misrepresenting your brand online.
Now, as your business transitions into the social media realm, move confidently and remember that social media platforms will not spoil your brand’s reputation so long as you commit to being proactive and transparent.
