Not long ago, reputation was built slowly – through word-of-mouth or trusted industry experts. Today, it can unravel in seconds. One viral complaint on social media has the power to flip a brand’s image overnight.
It’s not enough to do damage control when things go wrong; it’s about building trust, earning credibility, and turning online interactions into opportunities on a regular basis.
This guide will help you audit your brand’s reputation, give you proactive strategies to shape the conversation, and offer real-world examples of brands that got it right.
A reputation management strategy is non-negotiable for building brand trust and a competitive edge. It means your brand is proactively shaping how your customers and prospects feel about your company. You’re not just prepared for a crisis – you’re managing what they read or hear online about you every single day.
With 46% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, reputation management can mean the difference between a customer choosing you, or turning to one of your competitors instead.
Although they sound alike, reputation management is very different to review management:
A comprehensive reputation management strategy puts you in the driving seat – not stuck in damage control mode.
Customers want answers now; Emplifi’s research reveals that 52% expect a response to questions posted online within an hour. Being proactive means you’re one step ahead:
Let’s look at how you can build a proactive reputation management strategy in 4 simple steps.
Visual idea: Audit: “Know where your brand stands online”→ Strategic Plan: “Set goals, define messaging, assign roles”→ Proactive Measures: “Encourage reviews, share content, engage audiences” → Response & Monitoring: “Respond quickly, track sentiment, evolve strategy”
Before you can improve your brand reputation, you need to know exactly where you stand. A reputation audit takes a 360° view to see what people are saying about your brand, where they’re saying it, and how often.
Begin by making a list of everywhere your brand appears online. Include every channel where your brand might be mentioned by prospects, customers or critics.
Think about:
Anywhere your customers can leave a star rating or a comment belongs in your audit.
Scrolling through mentions manually might work for a small brand, but at scale? Impossible. That’s where social listening tools come in. They’ll automatically pick up any mention of your brand online as well as analysing the context and sentiment behind the comments.
While a social listening tool will do the heavy lifting, you’ll only get out as much as you put in.
Here’s how to do just that:
You’ll quickly be able to see what your audience is loving, and what’s not working so well.
Your audit shouldn’t be a one and done deal – conversations can change on a daily basis. Treat your audit as an ongoing process, and review it on a weekly or monthly schedule to get the best results.
An audit gives you the “what.” Now you need the “how.” How will you ensure brand sentiment remains positive, and your company is seen as a trustworthy entity? Let’s dig in:
Use the SMART technique to set realistic goals. Make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Your audit should tell you where you need to focus your efforts to build a more positive reputation. For example:
Your online presence should be consistent across every platform, no matter who is speaking on behalf of the brand.
As a team, you should outline:
An internal playbook gives you the headstart you need when a crisis hits. Your playbook will outline the steps you need to take, and who needs to be involved, no matter the scenario.
It will mention:
When you need to respond within minutes, there’s no time to waste. Clear ownership avoids slow responses, which can be damaging for your brand. Define who does what from the get-go, so you know who will be responsible for:
Staying one step ahead puts you in control of the narrative. It shows customers that you’re trustworthy, and happy to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.
Creating advocates for your brand is one of the most effective ways to prove you’re a reputable business. By building an impressive online presence, you’ll create an overwhelmingly positive experience for prospects searching for your company.
93% of customers read reviews before buying – think of it as a digital word of mouth recommendation.
Here are some of the best ways to encourage reviews:
You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Search results can unearth everything from negative reviews to unflattering press mentions, but savvy content marketing and SEO tactics can put your valuable content front and center.
40% of internet users aged 16-64 turn to social media to research new brands or products. It’s a powerful way to shape how your audience perceives you and with consistent posts, you become a familiar face. You should:
Credible voices = credibility for your brand. The right influencer can help you amplify trust in ways traditional ads never will.
Don’t wait for negative reviews to pile up. Proactive measures ensure that when challenges arise, your positive reputation already outweighs the noise.
With 96% of consumers looking for negative reviews specifically to see how a brand handles them, it’s in your best interests to respond to any negativity quickly and constructively.
A smart, empathetic response can turn the tide and help critics become happy customers.
Remember that your customers’ feelings always come first. They want to know they’ve been heard before you launch into an explanation of what went wrong.
Don’t be afraid to be open about what you’re doing next. Show that you’re taking feedback seriously.
Not every issue should play out in public, particularly when it comes to sensitive information.
Your most loyal customers deserve to be celebrated. Don’t miss an opportunity to turn them into repeat visitors or ambassadors for your brand.
You can see examples of reputation management in action every day, just by logging on to any social media channel. Here are two that turned potential missteps into moments of trust and connection.
When a customer called out Southwest on social media for a frustrating delay, the airline didn’t hide behind corporate jargon. Instead, they:
This public display of accountability gave other customers confidence in the brand; they saw a company that cares about its passengers, not one that shies away from criticism.
Key takeaway: Speed & sincerity can win customer trust. Be empathetic to the customer’s situation and respond as quickly as possible to stand the best chance of success.
When Lloyd asked Skyscanner what to do with the 47-year layover it had suggested in Bangkok, the company could have dismissed it as a mere glitch. Instead, Jen from their social media team offered some genuine suggestions, responding with warmth and humour:
Jen’s response turned a potential embarrassment into a moment of relatability and connection, garnering over 21,000 likes on Facebook and plenty of media coverage.
Key takeaway: Not every mistake needs a stiff response. Sometimes, leaning into humor can humanize your brand and spark positive buzz.
Reputation management is an ongoing task. The way people talk about your brand today won’t be the same six months from now and the brands that stay ahead are the ones who continuously listen, measure, and adjust.
Reputation management can seem like a vague notion if you don’t know exactly how to measure it. Focus on these outcomes to assess whether your strategy is working:
A reputation strategy is never static. It should evolve with your audience, industry, and competitors. By committing to continuous monitoring and analysis, you’ll not only protect your brand but also uncover new opportunities for growth.
Your customers aren’t reading your press releases to understand what your brand is all about – they’re looking to social media to see how you react to complaints, and customer forums to see what others are saying about you.
Emplifi’s unified platform gives you everything you need to control the conversation when it comes to your brand. Get access to powerful social listening tools, streamlined analytics, and the reporting tools you need to protect your reputation.
Book a demo with one of our social media experts today.
Review management focuses on responding to ratings and comments after they’re posted. Reputation management is proactive, aiming to shape the overall conversation about your brand. It spans social media, review sites, and other platforms to consistently build credibility and trust.
Reputation audits should be conducted regularly to stay aware of public perception. Weekly or monthly checks help capture shifts in customer sentiment. Staying consistent ensures you can address potential issues before they escalate.
Yes, when done thoughtfully, humor can humanize your brand. It can turn negative situations into positive, shareable moments. Skyscanner’s 47-year layover response is a great example of this in action.
Track review ratings, sentiment scores, response times, and engagement quality across social posts, influencer campaigns, and reviews. These metrics show how well your reputation strategy is performing. Regular monitoring highlights areas for improvement and growth.
Emplifi helps boost efficiency, increase revenue, and scale your social media — whether you have a small team or a complex product. Want to see how? Let’s talk today.
We’re recognized as a market leader in innovation, customer support, and ease of use from these organizations.