Let’s say you’re looking for a new dentist. What do you do first? You probably don’t just click the first billboard you see on the highway. Or you text a group chat of friends “Does anyone know a good dentist in town?” Or, you pull up Google, type in dentists near you and filter down to places with four stars or higher. It’s an everyday act that powerfully illustrates a business truth: people trust people far more than they trust ads.
When a friend tells you about a business, that is Word-of-Mouth (WOM) marketing. That’s Reputation Management. When you look at an online review score. They might sound like two different business terms, but in reality they are two sides of the same coin. What you’ll learn today is that proactive reputation management is the fuel that powers the ultimate marketing engine: organic word-of-mouth recommendations.
Understanding The Two Pillars
But before we can see how they relate to each other, let’s define exactly what these two concepts mean in plain, everyday language. In the past, word-of-mouth was totally invisible. It was over fences in backyards or inside coffee shops. Now word of mouth has gone online. A review on a public web site is just a digital whisper to a neighbour – except thousands of people hear it at once.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing
This is when a customer is so satisfied with a product, service or experience that they tell their friends, family or social media followers about it. It is free, highly credible and very persuasive.
Reputation Management
This is the proactive process of monitoring, influencing and shaping what the public thinks of your business. This means gathering online reviews, responding to customer feedback (positive and negative) and ensuring that your brand displays its best face online.
The Trust Cycle: Review To Recommendation
Reputation management is the bridge of trust, which feeds directly into word-of-mouth marketing. The process is a continuous self-reinforcing loop that helps a business to grow organically.
When a business is actively managing its reputation, there is no breaking this cycle. Here’s how to create massive word of mouth by managing your reputation.
It Makes People Feel Confident To Share
Most people don’t want to recommend a business if they believe it might make them look bad. If a friend asks for a mechanic recommendation and you remember a great experience, but notice the shop has a dismal 2.1-star rating online, you might think twice about suggesting them. You don’t want your friend to have a bad experience and put the blame on you.
An online reputation that is polished, shining and highly rated gives your loyal customers the social confidence to shout your name from the rooftops.
Converting Passive Customers To Active Advocates
Sometimes reputation management is simply a matter of asking for feedback. When a business follows up with a friendly text or email that reads, “We loved serving you today! Can you tell me your experience?” It triggers the memory for the customer.
This simple nudge makes the customer think about the great service they got. Once they leave a positive review, that experience is cemented in their minds. The next time a coworker mentions needing that service, the customer is ready and primed to repeat the praise they just wrote online.
It Neutralises The Bad And Highlights The Good
No business is perfect and a bad review will happen in due course. How a business reacts to that critique is a big part of reputation management.
When a company responds to an upset customer with grace, speed and an actual solution, people notice. Potential customers see a caring business. This stellar problem-solving often impresses people so much that they tell others about it and a potential disaster becomes a fantastic word-of-mouth story about elite customer service.
The Numbers Behind The Behaviour
To see just how much weight your reputation holds, look at the numbers behind how consumers behave. 88% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a close friend. The takeaway? An online review is pretty much digital word-of-mouth.
Based on this high level of trust, 93% of consumers say that online reviews directly influence their final purchase decisions. On the flip side, neglecting your online presence can stall your growth dead in its tracks, with only 9% of consumers stating they would ever consider using a business with a bad 1 or 2 star rating.
Getting The Engine Started
Getting your reputation to start driving organic word of mouth referrals doesn’t take a huge corporate budget. You just need a system. A consistent system.
- Always Ask, Make it Easy: Don’t assume your customers will remember to leave a review. Send a direct link through SMS or email directly after a transaction has been made.
- Reply to Every Single Review: Respond to 5-star praise with a humble thank you. Respond to 1-star complaints with professionalism and a desire to make things right.
- Share Your Successes: If a customer takes the time to write a lovely paragraph about your team, take a screenshot and post it on your social media pages. Show your community your reputation at work.
The Silent Salesperson
Control what people see when they search for your business and you can start a powerful chain reaction. Your online stars give your current fans the confidence to speak up and they give your future customers the peace of mind to listen. Your name is up to you and your customers will take care of your marketing.
