Daleen Gouws, Communication professional, Edge Communications,

The digital era and social media have provided the world with astounding opportunities that was not possible two decades ago. Companies, big and small, can now reach consumers in ways and places they have never thought possible.

But like all good things, there has also been a flipside to this coin. As beneficial as social media can be, it can have devastating consequences when something goes wrong.

You can have the best product or service but if your online reputation suffers, it can become a nightmare to the strongest companies or brands.

Did you know?

According to the Clutch 2018 Online Reputation Management Survey, only 42% of brands monitor their online reputation daily. That means more than 50% of brands are not managing their online reputation successfully, consequently increase the risk of damaging content being published. (Source: https://reputationtoday.in/importance-of-reputation-management-in-pr/)

All it takes is one hashtag or share

A few decades ago, word of mouth or a well-placed advertisement in a newspaper or magazine were effective tools to promote your product or service. These days, no matter what business you are in, people are going to talk about you online. You want it to be good because anything else might cause irreparable damage to your brand.

Bad reviews, sharing of offensive content, ignoring the wants and needs of your consumer, a wrong advertising campaign – even unintentionally – or a manager losing his temper while the cell phone cameras are rolling – once it is out in the digital realm, you cannot erase it.

You can, however, manage it.

This is where effective reputation management takes over.

What is it?

Reputation management is the effort to monitor and influence what people think or perceive of your brand through addressing negative online reviews or any harmful content.

The mistake a lot of companies make is taking too long to respond and take positive measures to repair their reputation. You have to deal with issues as they arise.

Deal with it!

The best way is to appoint a reputable Public Relations company who can constantly monitor your online presence and work out the best reputation management strategy.

An experienced PR company can help you to:

— Form a good response plan to negative publicity.

— Measure and monitor feedback.

— Build on the positives, strengthen and maintain your brand’s reputation.

Get the edge!

Edge Communications has the experience and proven track record to handle and maintain your brand’s reputation.

With extensive experience in the communication, branding and marketing industry, Edge Communications specialises in a spectrum of traditional and digital communication solutions to shape clients’ reputation through engaging with stakeholders and using multiple channels to tell effective stories and run creative campaigns.