How your brand’s perceived is important to the success of your business. It is what attracts people and keeps them coming back, and with the rise of the digital age maintaining a reputation has become harder. This is due to increasing demand for transparency from consumers and how easily accessible information is.
Online channels of communication offer the ability to be able to respond instantaneously to any situations that arise and have become the go-to platforms when looking for information in the first instance. This is why it is very important to own your online communication channels, not just social media channels like Twitter and Facebook, but a digital space that solely belongs to your brand in the form of a website.
Having website means there is a go to a place where people can easily access the information they need without it becoming lost, which can happen on social sites, where lots of pieces of information is being shared constantly.
Planning is important when it comes to managing any online platforms, especially when it comes to reputation management. You want to make sure that you know how you will and can respond when a crisis hits. It’s about being proactive and taking control of the situation to manage and limit the damage that might be caused. Make sure you know how to access your platforms and you know what kind of response you should be putting out there. This should be in line with your brand messaging and how you want people to perceive your brand.
Another key element you should consider when creating your online space is the look and feel of it. You want the look to match the brand’s ethos. Don’t overwhelm your audience with information, make sure you keep it simple and only put information that is vital. The clearer it is for people to digest the easier it is for people to engage with it, particularly in a moment of crisis.
Having a good SEO is very important when it comes to your brand's exposure online. Research has shown that most people will only click on the top five search results. To help improve SEO you should make sure that you have fixed page errors, sitemaps, have regular and creative content, link backs, and a good design. If all these elements are checked, reviewed, and implemented it allows Google to search and index your site correctly resulting in more people being able to find it, or importantly, it will provide a single, controlled, point of reference.
It has never been more imperative to own your online brand space, it is the easiest way to communicate with you consumers and respond to any crises that arise. Ultimately, it is about being in control of your brand messaging and having a platform to clearly reiterate it.
By James Hamilton-Martin, design director at PHA Media
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