One of the best ways to measure the success of any business across every industry is through its online reputation management. After all, no consumer will spend on a company that they do not trust or respect.. Because of our continued dependence on online channels, monitoring how the brand is perceived by the public eye over the World Wide Web is an essential aspect of a digital marketing campaign that no entrepreneur can ill-afford to overlook. And the ability of your business to stay on top of its online presence, enhance its image, and resolve any issues before they turn into major problems can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals.
But the task is easier said than done. With so many internet platforms available that provide customers with an outlet to communicate their thoughts about a brand to other users, it can be more than a little challenging to keep track of everything relevant to a company’s standing. Fortunately, several online reputation management tools can help you stay informed and in the loop. In this article, we’ll talk about a few of the aforementioned tools that you should check out. Keep on reading to learn more.
Google Alerts
It comes as no surprise that the most popular search engine offers digital marketing tools that entrepreneurs and marketers alike can use to help them keep abreast of their brands’ online reputation and Google Alerts is but one of these. As its name suggests, it alerts users with information relevant to their businesses based on any preferences listed. From the company itself to keywords that may be directly related to its niche, it provides crucial information on what communication that it has and continues to become involved with – but it also offers other advantages. For instance, it presents companies with the opportunity to find backlinks through pieces that mention their brands, and as a result, elevate their search engine optimization efforts.
The best part about Google Alerts is that it is one of the free online reputation management tools available. What this means is that there are no financial risks involved with its use, and you are almost guaranteed to see desirable returns through its use.
Brand Grader
Similar to Google Alerts, Brand Grader is another free tool that aids brands in managing their online reputation by providing detailed reports that include the mentioned overview and locations, top sources, and web influencers, to name a few. However, the most interesting feature is its sentiment detection. It breaks down both the negative and positive reviews of the brand through percentages. However, the downside to this tool is that a more detailed view on internet mentions is unavailable unless you decide to sign up at its sister website, Mention. With that said, it is still an excellent place to begin when it comes to finding tools to manage your reputation.
Reputology
Reputology is a tool that helps a brand manage its reputation by allowing it to gather crucial metrics and respond to reviews online. While it is more commonly used for review websites than the social media platform, it isn’t uncommon for both channels to overlap from time to time. One of the best aspects of the tool that stands out to many users is its feature called customer sentiment. What it does is effectively break down all reviews into more precise and actionable information to make the process of managing online reputation much easier and simpler than it would have been otherwise. Doing so helps companies focus on priorities and make immediate changes and adjustments to elevate their images to existing and prospective customers.
The only disadvantage to Reputolgy is its pricing. At $180.00 per month for the professional plan, $400.00 for the agency plan, and $2,500.00 for the enterprise/partner plan, the fees are steep and might be beyond the reach of startups and small businesses. However, for bigger companies with a lot more financial wiggle room to move, it is an invaluable tool.
Social Mentions
While known for its paid plans, Social Mentions offers a free version of the tool that boasts enough features to help SMBs or small to medium-sized businesses manage their online reputations effectively. With it, brands can check their reputations throughout social media channels with the use of their names or keywords. Free reports are also available on the dashboard, so users do not have to subscribe to utilize the service. As is the case with similar tools, the paid plans offer a lot more useful features. However, using it for free can also help you gain a better understanding of how users feel about your company on social.
Talkwalker
At its core, Talkwalker is a tool that presents users with the ability to monitor their respective brands across many different platforms. While it is free to use, you must go through the sign-up process, making it a little tedious for those who are just about to use it for the first time. But once you get through it, you’ll have access to a variety of features ranging from key metrics to demographics. The research option that it offers is superb too. It shows the most popular conversations that the chosen brand is mentioned in and it even provides the option of filtering social media platforms. Like the abovementioned Google Alerts, it is also an excellent way to create opportunities for backlinks. By scanning through all of the conversations, you’ll find where they are located and contact the domain owners to obtain the desired links.
Bottomline
Managing a brand’s reputation over the Web is a critical factor that can make or break its business. There are no two ways around this. Not only will the company keep its existing customers engaged. But more importantly, it will help the brand attract more customers and help it generate higher revenue in turn. With the online reputation management tools mentioned in this article, you’ll be able to effectively monitor the image of your company and help it maintain a good reputation in the industry.
