Brand Reputation Management: How to Properly Respond to Feedback

To maintain a positive image, brands need to engage with their audience by responding to comments and reviews from users online and monitoring various communication channels.

In this article, we will discuss what online brand reputation is, how to respond to negative customer feedback online, and why it is important to react to positive feedback.

What is online brand reputation

Managing brand reputation is a must-have for any business because every company can receive online comments and reviews. People often search for information about companies before making a purchase and base their decisions on it.

Do not confuse the notion of online business reputation with brand image, as brand image is the image that a business creates from scratch. Reputation cannot be invented: people will leave reviews and comments whether you like it or not. It is nearly impossible to control people's opinions. Therefore, the only thing a business can do is protect its reputation online.

What are the reasons for working with reputation

Managing online reputation provides the following benefits:

How online reputation management works and what is ORM

There are two ways to work with reputation: do it yourself or hire an agency. In both cases, Online Reputation Management (ORM) is used - a methodology that shapes a company's image online by monitoring and addressing negative comments and reviews, and creating a positive information field around the brand.

Reputation on the internet is formed through marketing channels, review sites, comments on social media, blogs, reviews on marketplaces, and expert comments.

Replacing negative content with positive one is done through Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) – cleaning up the first page of search results from negative reviews. This usually involves adding new positive opinions, reviews, and expert content. Through SERM, online reputation is improved because people simply don't get to the negative comments.

Another method that affects reputation management is the use of influencer marketing or hidden marketing. In this approach, the company is protected not by an official employee, but by a seemingly satisfied customer. This person participates in discussions, comments on other reviews, and promotes the brand.

This is how influencer marketing works: we can’t understand whether it is native advertising or a natural review of a person. Seeming natural is a characteristic feature of a quality hidden marketing.

Usually, reputation management methods are used in combination with others. However, it is important to know how to respond correctly to different types of comments on the internet at every stage of the process.

How to Respond the Reviews and Feedback from Clients

It is important not to ignore the opinions of your audience. Firstly, it shows disrespect towards your customers. Secondly, you never know where a person who expressed their negative feedback might take their experience further. Therefore, respond to and address both negative and positive comments and reviews.

Important tips:

How to respond to negative comments

Negative feedback can be constructive, when there are reasons and justifications for dissatisfaction, and it can also be trolling, where there may not be a real issue. The goal of a troll is to provoke, mock the brand, or express themselves online.

How to work with constructive criticism

When dealing with constructive criticism, the classic approach is to introduce yourself, express gratitude for the feedback, apologize if necessary, and offer a solution to the problem if the customer's case is clear. If there are no details provided, it's important to first gather more information.

Transferring communication into private messages is a common practice. There's no need to be afraid of engaging with customers in the comments, but if resolving an issue requires personal information (such as phone number, order number, etc.), it is justified to take the conversation to private messages.

Tell what actions you are going to undertake to deal with the situation if it doesn’t disclose the customer’s personal data.

Don't end the conversation abruptly when the question is resolved; always conclude the communication on a positive note.

Sometimes it is enough to simply thank them for the comment and respond that you will take the customers' feedback into account. This approach is suitable when the comment or review does not indicate any specific issue.

How to respond to trolling

First option: don't respond at all if you are confident that the comment was made by a "troll." Typically, these are people with fake accounts without profile photos, and their negative comments appear consistently, not only on your account. Trolls don't provide specific details and often engage in emotional communication.

Second option: clarify the details. If it's a troll or a deliberately negative comment from competitors, it's unlikely that there will be any further dialogue.

How to respond to neutral comments

And here’s another example of a detailed response.

How to respond to positive reviews

The main thing is to respond rather than ignore. People have shown their attention and are waiting for your reaction. You can simply thank them for the review or positive comment.

And the best way is to say thanks and encourage a person to buy more.

Or else you could just chat with the customer in a positive manner.

Should negative comments be deleted?

This is a controversial question because deleting a comment can provoke even more negativity from the user, especially if they are a real person rather than a "troll". Such a customer may turn to other platforms (review websites).

You can delete a comment if:

• The user is insulting the brand or other people.
• The user is violating community guidelines.

Be sure to provide a reason for deleting the comment and offer alternative contact options for further communication.

Summary

The reputation of a brand online is formed by the collective opinions of customers, employees, and brand partners who mention the company in their content, write comments, and reviews.

Managing reputation is necessary to continually attract customers, maintain loyalty, and build trust. This typically involves reacting to negative feedback and replacing it with positive comments about the brand.

It is important to respond to users rather than ignore or delete their comments (except in the case of offensive behavior). When dealing with negative feedback, it is advisable to thank the person for their review, apologize, inquire about details, or offer a solution immediately. Asking follow-up questions can help identify "trolls" who won't provide specific information.

It is also important to respond to positive reviews and comments by expressing gratitude, suggesting future purchases, or encouraging customers to return. Don't forget to address customer inquiries. Always maintain a positive tone, respond quickly, and be clear in your communication.