Whether it is your own personal reputation or the reputation of your business, social media is an important aspect of monitoring and maintaining it in the online world. When someone hears of a business or a brand and wants to know more or connect with them they search in the various social networks. So, why is social media important for your online reputation? Keep reading to find out.
As you probably already know having a good reputation is important when it comes to having a business or being seen as a credible influencer in your industry. Being online is one step but that’s not the end—it’s important to also be on social media networks. You do not have to be on every single social network there is...but it’s smart to be on at least a couple that work best for you and your industry.
Have a Presence
Once you are on a social network like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for example, make yourself known for who you are or what your business does. Make sure your profile is clear, concise, showcases your skills/services and has a link back to your website. Having a bad looking profile or not keeping it updated can actually hurt your online reputation—and you definitely don’t want to do that, right?
A study revealed 42% of people look up the people that they are going to do business with and 45% of people learned something from searching online that changed their minds (Social Media Today).
Begin networking just like you would in real life by building connections. Social media isn’t all that different from what everyday situations are like, no matter what you’ve heard elsewhere.
Stay Active
This is where many businesses or industry professionals fail. You can’t make a profile and expect it to represent you without a little work. Just like managing a good reputation in real life includes working for it, keeping connections, checking in on clients, and showing you are still active in your industry—this also holds true in social media.
Your online reputation depends on how active you are. For example, if someone goes to your Twitter page and it shows you haven’t posted for a year, what are they to think? Personally, I would think many things; they are no longer in business, they gave up on social media, they don’t know how social media works or they just don’t care/are lazy. They obviously don't understand why social media is important.
Be Engaged
This is where the work is. Just like posting and staying active you also need to engage with other people in the social networks. Think of it like if you were at a party; you don’t just stand there and chat away about yourself or your own business do you? No—you ask questions about other people's lives/business, you introduce yourself to new people, you network. And if you didn’t already know this, well, that explains why you’re never invited to those awesome parties. Opps, someone had to break it to you sooner or later. =)
Respond—Even to Negative Comments
You don’t have much control over whether someone leaves a nasty comment on one of your social network pages but you do have a chance to show that you a.) care b.) will take the time to offer help or assistance and c.) are not ignoring customers. Replying back to an individual who has a complaint or something not so nice to say can be one of the best things you do for your online reputation. But remember to be nice and helpful, don’t be sassy (even though it may be tempting at times).
Well, there you have it. Now you know why social media is important for your online reputation. If you have questions or additional tips, please feel free to comment below!
