Reputation management refers to influencing and controlling an individual's or business's reputation. Originally a public relations term, the expansion of the internet and social media, along with reputation management companies, have made it primarily an issue of search results.
In business, your reputation is everything. You can build a great online reputation fast. There's just one problem: The Internet moves fast, and with a few missteps, you can hit rock bottom just as quickly as you rose to that coveted 5-star rating.
Reputation management services can help both businesses and individuals build and maintain a positive online presence .And it adds value to your brand, contributes longevity and visibility to your career or organization, and helps prevent your identity from being appropriated and misused by others.
Avoiding social media is not a strategy for avoiding reputation bruising. Whether you are there or not your goal is part of the social media. Others are joining social media there listening, and starting related conversations. So knowing what others are talking can be half of the battle.
Company should know about the social media crises. It is a reputation bruising event and that unfolds in social media or is amplified there in the form of an ugly, people driven responses.
Company should concern the triggers a crisis. There are;
•Product failure- Actual or alleged product failures from the company’s part
•Pressure groups- Product movements or alleged by pressure groups which are not necessarily about product failures
•Legal action- Legal action against the company, which may or may not necessarily be about product failures
•Individual complains- Individual customers, bloggers, or journalist marketing complains. Eg. United Break Guitars 2009
How you response initially to a situation can decide whether it turns into a crisis or not. A brand centric incident affected to the turn situation in to the crisis.
Those are;
•Initial responses
•Timing
•Critical mass
•Pressure groups
•Empathy towards victims
•Political of powers
Company can prepare their brand for a social media crisis in three ways.
1.Social media task force -This is a term of company representatives who would make decisions on responding to social conversations regarding the brand.
2.Listen post- is the internal processes and tools designed for scanning the social web and gather social media conversations about the brand
3.Response mechanism- Response to what? When? By whom?.
There have some strategies to overcome crisis.
•Control negativity- Eg. Talk with the media stations and try to control negativity.
•Defuse positivity- try to build up the positive attitudes against with the crisis, by using CSR program or personal relationship program
•Channelizing the content- try to get action to reduce impact of the crisis
•Reframe the content- try to give different meaning of crisis. Eg. Informed crisis impact arises due to the competitors actions
•Reorient the story- convert crisis social conversation in to another way
•Corporate for the solution- agree or try to give technical solutions.
Search engine marketing includes all activities involved in enhancing the visibility of a website in search engines, thereby increasing the chance of attracting visitor when they search for terms relevant to that website.
There are two main forms of SEM
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Paid (PPC) Advertising on search Engines (paid Search)
After a website is built for your company, you must promote it. Search engine marketing, is one of the best ways that you can promote your company, services and website. SEM is the process and strategy of getting website exposure online with keywords related to your business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing website content online to increase exposure in the organic search results for desired keywords. This is a long-term strategy that has many factors contributing to its success. These include site architecture, on-site content, internal and external links, and keyword research and competition analysis to name a few.
SEO includes all technical tasks that help search engines to effectively crawl and index all relevant content of a website and; all marketing tasks that enhance the authority and relevancy of the website for a given subject, so that the website can gain high ranking in organic search results when users search for terms related to the subject matter of the website.
Key success factors in SEO
1. Web site crawlability
2. Keyword research
3. Site Structure and KWD mapping
4. Content building and formatting
5. Page titles and Meta data
6. Use of images and videos
7. Internal linking structure /Navigation
8. URLs
9. Link popularity (authority building)
10. Website maintenance
Paid Search Marketing
Paid search marketing is the process of attracting visitors to a website by purchasing ad space on search engine result pages. This mainly involves a bidding process on keywords, so that relevant ads are placed on search results pages when users search for those keywords. This is also referred to as CPC (Cost per click) or PPC (Pay per click) marketing, because most ads on search engines are sold on a CPC/PPC basis.
Pay per click, or PPC, is an ad that displays on search engine result pages. The advertiser pays when the ad is clicked by the user and is directed to their website or landing page. PPC allows for nearly immediate exposure online and can provide a high-level cost transparency.
PPC marketing is;
• Message can delivered to the target group
• But you don’t pay unless people click on your add
• It is highly targeted advertising
• Only appear when people search for it
• It can measure direct results and ROI (unlike TV or magazine advertising)
Online Marketing is used by companies selling goods and services directly to consumers as well as those who operate on a business to business model.
Online marketing refers to the techniques available to a business to market, promote and advertise their products, services or brand on the World Wide Web. Reaching out to consumers and establishing a brand is an important part of succeeding in business. Without marketing solutions, a business has a very high chance of failure. Online marketing is a strategy that helps build up a company’s reputation and exposure online by using a variety of internet tools and solutions.
Online marketing, which is also called internet marketing or online advertising, is any tool, strategy or method of getting the company name out to the public.
Internet users are gradually increasing day by day. It is the main factor of company move online marketing widely.
Internet users by several countries are mentioned below
And its % refers to the percentage of nation’s population
China 298m (22.4%)
USA 227m (74.7%)
India 81m (7.1%)
Germany 55m (67%)
UK 48m (72%)
France 41m (66%)
Japan 94m (73.8%)
Types of online marketing are;
· Email marketing
· Blogging
· Pay per click (PPC) marketing
· Social media marketing
· Viral marketing
Email marketing-
Email marketing is promoting products through the use of email. Businesses use this tool to reach out to current customers by sending out newsletters, coupons or informational emails. Company can also encourage new customers to sign up for your newsletter or mailing list to learn more information about the products or services that you provide.
Blogging-
Blogger was launched in1999 by three friends. Businesses, companies and even superstar now use blogging system for huge promotion. Blogger is important and crucial marketing trend that has brought a huge aberration in our society.
Pay Per Click Marketing-
When Company message is delivered to a target group, but company don’t pay unless people click on that ads. This is highly targeted advertising. It only appears when people search for it.
Pay per click, or PPC, is an ad that displays on search engine result pages. Unlike TV or magazine advertising this method can measure direct results and ROI.
The advertiser pays when the ad is clicked by the user and is directed to their website or landing page. PPC allows for nearly immediate exposure online and can provide a high-level cost transparency.
Social media marketing-
Social media is very popular right now and it’s only getting more popular. Just use social media to direct people to other sites where company can then hit them with a sales pitch.
Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social media.
Here are some examples of social media
Facebook- is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.
Twitter- is a free microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets. Twitter members can broadcast tweets and follow other users' tweets by using multiple platforms and devices.
Google+ is Google's social networking project, designed to replicate the way people interact offline more closely than is the case in other social networking services.
Wikipedia- is a free, open content online encyclopedia created through the collaborative effort of a community of users known as Wikipedians. Anyone registered on the site can create an article for publication; registration is not required to edit articles. Wikipedia was founded in January of 2001.
LinkedIn- is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. The goal of the site is to allow registered members to establish and document networks of people they know and trust professionally.
Viral marketing-
It is a technique whereby information about a company's goods or services is passed electronically from one Internet user to another.
On the Internet, viral marketing is any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message's visibility and effect. One example of successful viral marketing is Hotmail, a company, now owned by Microsoft that promotes its service and its own advertisers' messages in every user's e-mail notes.
Social Media is a medium the medium is only a vehicle that amplifies social behavior. The medium is an instrument on communication like a newspaper, or a radio. Social Media is a people having conversation online. It is not like in normal conversations. Social media conversations get recorded.
Since 1994-2004 1st generation of web was born social media had difference between the creators and the content consumers. But in 2004 and beyond 2nd generation of web was born. Social media come into existence. Instead of consuming; users come as creators as well. Today there is a no difference between the content creators and the content consumers. Face Book, twitter, Blogger, flicker, Skype, Instragram, community Face Book pages etc. are some of examples for the 2nd generation of the web.
Social Media Marketing is the marketing effort of securing place for your brand, in the online conversations taking place on a social media web, and hence increasing the "likability" of your brand. Further it means Company joins social media conversation (ex. Bank involving the credit card purchasing conversation.) So the company can win a place in these conversations and can create add value to the brand.
Consumers are now mostly active involving online through social media sources, blogs and websites to post their feedback. That Feedback including on their experience with a product or brand.
The use of social media interaction allows brands to receive both positive and negative feedback from their customers as well as determining what media platforms work well for them and has become an increased advantage for brands and businesses.
It has become increasingly popular for businesses to utilize and encourage these conversations through their social media channels to have direct contact with the customers and manage the feedback they receive appropriately.
Word of mouth communications and peer-to-peer dialogue often have a greater effect on customers, since they are not sent directly from the company and are therefore not planned. Customers are more likely to trust other customers’ experiences. It is increasingly advantageous for companies to utilize social media platforms to connect with their customers and create these dialogues and discussions.
The potential reach of social media is indicated by the fact that in 2015, each month the Facebook app had more than 126 million average unique users and YouTube had over 97 million average unique users.
Social Media Marketing arises many advantages and as well as disadvantages.
Advantages of the Social Media Marketing are,
· Better targeting for the company audience.
· High return on investment(ROI)
· does not required specialization or vast technical skills'
· increase visibility
· increase to the target traffic
· Content promotion
· Helps with PR
· Fun way to do business
· Cost effective
· marketing research (What are your customers think about,
· Create relationship with customers.
Disadvantages of the social Media Marketing
· Wrong strategy can hurt company reputation
· More time consuming than the SEO and PPC
· Interaction is needed for each location point
· No short term ROI
· Risk of negative comment
When company using social media they can increase social engagement with customers in three ways. They are;
1. Emotional Route
2. Rational Route
3. Social Route
Emotional routes company can creates an emotional connect between their customers and their brand. Like a company engage by entertainment. Company can philosophy, and message of a brand and translate that into entertainment properties that consumers want to volunteer their attention and engage with. Like a unique story telling about their brand.
Rational routes when company creates value for the customers as an outcome of the engagement with their brand. Like an engagement by utility. Company can offer stand chance to win particular gift for their customers it is kind of outcome of the rational routes.
A social route is an engage by social interactions. Instead of the brand directly engage with the customer through entertainment or utility, brand plays the facilitator role for consumers to engage with each other. These social interactions create positive brand sentiments and it help to improves brand's likability. Create user generation content (UGC) on face book pages one of example for this.
Digital Marketing is a process of building and maintaining customer relationship through online facilities the exchange of ideas, products, and services that satisfy the goals of both parties.
And further digital marketing is a promoting product and services using digital distribution and social media channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal, and cost-effective manner.
When comparing with print vs digital reach first place goes to the Google 5.5M, then Sunday Lankadepa 4.6M, Face Book 3.6M.Comparing Radio vs digital reach also first place goes to the Google 5.5M, then Face Book 3.6M, Hiru fm.
The use of digital marketing in the digital era not only allows for brands to market their products and services but also allows for online customer support through 24/7 services to make customer feel supported and valued.
Digital marketing is a board term describes a set of marketing activities and processes that utilize all available. Digital channels promote a product or service or build a digital brand.
The channels that make up digital marketing include, Websites, Social media plat forms, Banner placement, Email marketing, Mobile/Tele marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), Pay Per Click, web TV/radio’ bill boards.
Digital Marketing consists of internet marketing, Digital advertising, and web TV, Radio, sms, and billboard.Scope of digital marketing consists of three ways. Reach, Frequency, and influence. Reach means head count or how many individual reach the ads, frequency is the exposure or how many times the individual see the ads, and influence is the level of engagement. In traditional marketing there have two scope reach and frequency. No any influence level. That is the different of the both digital and the traditional marketing.
Digital Marketing consists of five digital platforms,
1.Search- Basis for most of other channels. Consumers are search information through the internet then it can build up need recognition them.
2.Mobile- More than 50% internet access are available.
3.Display- Web banners and ads. This is an effective, measurable, biddable platforms with transparency in media cost.
4.Social- Great opportunity to build up brand communities
5.Email- Direct approach to the identified targets.
This time is a transition period which uses digital and social media highly. Now consumers have the power. They know all about brands, products, and advertising. Customers are word spread through the social media. So marketers should have to ready those kinds of challenges.
Earlier there were only two ways of get customer feedback. They are
- Letters from customers
- Newspaper (letters to editor)
But now it has changed. People believe in things what other people says rather than what company say through advertisements. Now the customer is becoming the king of the real sense.
People are using digital marketing in different ways. As an individual or as a company can using digital marketing in different ways. When consumers for search information on a new product, services, or locations. And if they have a question, If they can looking for the help they can solve and find information through the online by using digital marketing, As an individual or as a organizations wants more information such as meeting attendants, business contacts, available jobs can using the digital marketing.
Peoples are using digital marketing,
• Increasing web traffic
• Increase brand recognition
• Improve search engine rankings
• Generate leads
• Increase online social conversation
• Improve internal communications
Digital Marketing provides more benefits.
• It puts the consumers in control.
• Provide convenience.
• It cause to the increasing of the satisfaction.
• Drives brand loyalty
• Reduce the selling cycle
• Reduce the cost of sales
• Build for brands
• Provide targeted results
• Can measurable
• Cost effective
With the constant growth of the web, and more people getting connect every day, digital marketing has become a necessity for many organization. This also includes too small business that also to trade online and make a name for themselves on the web.
