Brand Reputation

In 1986, when then-President Ronald Reagan repeated the old phrase, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,” he wasn’t enlisting support or elevating the federal reputation government. As an opponent of big government, he was likely to be sarcastic. Nonetheless, brands wishing to enhance their reputation can learn from that amidst today’s highly competitive environment. Brands need to work extra hard to boost their reputation and sales by demonstrating the following attributes.

Engagement

Because consumers can access brands 24 x 7, many assume brands will also regularly engage with them, if not daily, via email, on-site, text, social media, or a combination of all these. An earlier article discussed how consumers are visiting these platforms, and brands not leveraging them regularly are missing a big opportunity.

For emails, be sure to tailor content to maximize chances for the most success. Pay attention to comments on social media and respond to them. Earlier studies have shown that brands that do generate better results.

When it comes to visitors to the brand’s website, enable comments and reviews, and be sure to acknowledge and respond to them as well. When visitors are engaged, it builds up their confidence and trust, and they’re more likely to return.

Social Listening

Paying attention to social media comments and reviews gives brands a clear picture of what customers are saying, not just about the brand but also its competitors. Pay attention to the latter as it can also generate ideas on capitalizing on some shortcomings by the competition. Recommendations by friends and relatives remain the strongest form of referrals, and stimulating that conversation further will only enhance the brand’s sales and reputation.

Customer Service

Remain focused on enhancing the customer experience, especially when they need help from customer service. Customer service reps are the brand’s frontline ambassadors. They can often make the difference between a completed sale or an abandoned cart.

Do an audit, or have someone you trust, be a mystery shopper. Analyze their experience. Were the wait times and resolutions acceptable? If not, changes are necessary.

Chatbots have become more vogue as they relieve some of the traffic volumes. Consider a hybrid system of chatbots and “live” customer service folks. Chatbots are particularly helpful for tasks like password changes and answering common and basic questions.

However, it can get frustrating very quickly when chatbots don’t understand more complex issues, and when human intervention becomes necessary. The latter promotes future dependability and confidence among consumers.

The Value Proposition

The way brands manage customers is important but what is probably more critical is how brands demonstrate their value. Displaying that value is what ultimately boosts sales and growth. This is where videos and customer endorsements, and positive reviews, tip the scales in a brand’s favor.

Need more evidence? A recent survey by web hosting tech company Hosting Tribunal reported that 72% of consumers don’t even act until they’ve read reviews. Another 15% said they don’t trust brands that have any.

The firm said local businesses post an average of 39 Google reviews and that just one review can raise conversions by 10%. The most impressive finding was that positive reviews could increase a product’s conversion rate by more than 270%!