There is no question that today’s consumer is better informed than ever before; with information readily available to us at the touch of a button, we are becoming savvier consumers. TripAdvisor has recognised that more and more customers are seeking impartial recommendations, and online review sites are readily becoming the answer to our burgeoning appetite for ‘real’ reviews written by ‘real’ people. Offering complete anonymity to its users, TripAdvisor allows ordinary people to post reviews without asking for any supporting evidence, elevating the user to the position of a traditional travel expert. It is precisely this anonymity, seen as a key benefit of the service, which is leading others to criticise the site. Our very nature determines that we are more likely to post a review when we are dissatisfied, and therefore sites like TripAdvisor are actually negatively weighted against the companies featured. A Netflights.com spokesman said: “We’ve seen the influence of online reviews grow sharply in recent years and there’s no question our customers see them as a valuable tool in the decision making process”.

Collate positive feedback

Incentivise consumers to review your products and services, and ensure these reviews are placed on your website or blog. Customers are naturally more inclined to post about a negative experience, so give them a reason to say something nice. Perhaps offer a ‘recommend a friend’ discount for uploading a positive experience to the site.

You can’t stop people writing bad reviews, but you can make sure that negative reviews are outweighed by customers sharing positive experiences.

Control your search engine results

A typical search engine results page lists about 10 results, and these should be managed regularly to ensure the best results are featured most prominently.

To improve your brand’s position, push links to sites and reviews that show your brand in a positive light.

Ensure you are doing everything within your power to fully optimise your website too, make sure your code is properly formatted, and make sure your content is keyword-rich.

Deal with customer complaints offline

It is important that brands track, and respond to negative comments online. The best way to track down online complaints is use social media monitoring software to track what is being said about your company. Forewarned is, after all, forearmed

With social media, directly addressing the complaining customer will help other users of the platform to see that you are concerned about customer experience, but moving the conversation offline in most cases is the best course of action.

Perspective is important

Be sure not to overreact to comments about your brand that you perceive as negative. Remember consumers do not have the same insight into your brand as your internal team, and it is important not to appear defensive in responding to flippant remarks. Instead use customer feedback to inform future communications.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

A threat to your brand reputation online can quickly get out hand, and it’s important to act quickly to manage the problem.

Whether you use an agency or an in-house team, you must ensure that the right skills set are on hand to manage the problem. Proactively managing your reputation will pay dividends, particularly through search, where any negative results will cost you dearly. Google is the first stop for consumers 9 times out of 10, and making sure your brand is reflected kindly through search will safeguard your brand in the long-term.

[1] http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2011/11/04/5163/travel-review-sites-overwhelmingly-trusted-survey-finds.html

Lindsey Reaney
Account Manager, Golley Engage

Brands and their agencies need to allow their customers to take the lead, challenge and interfere with the brand, products and services. The role of the agency is to act as a pathfinder and encourage the collaboration which leads to positive contributions from all interested parties in the shared passion around the brand.

Brands need to learn that consumers have sometimes more passion about a brand than they realize and this passion can be a brand’s biggest advocate or its biggest detractor depending on the way in which the brand has engaged and collaborated with them.

So brands need to embrace their customers’ misbehaviour, not ignore them!

To view Chris Lovell’s discussion on his Campaign Integration Essay 2009, ‘No need to smack’, please visit www.campaignlive.co.uk  

Chris Lovell, Group CEO