Before we dive into the Jazz, let’s get a couple of fundamentals clear, so that we’re all on the same page. What is Online Reputation Management (ORM)?

In simple words, ORM means running the online conversation and owning it; its techniques and strategies to ensure that people find the right message you want delivered when they look for your brand online. It is looking at online reviews and how they can be a negative review or positive. It looks at social networks and your potential customers. So how is this different from Social Media Management?

Social Media and Reputation Management complement one another in harmonized co-existence. Having one without the other surely isn’t enough. Marketing managers need to tackle and address all listings and review sites alongside their brand’s own platforms and all social media platforms all in favor of creating a healthy online presence which reflect positively on the brand’s image. This is essential for leading and controlling the brand’s reputation on a location level, not only on a brand or product level. Statistically more than 90% of users search for a location online prior to visiting and check for online reviews– now just do the math in light of this bomb shell!

As the F&B sector in the Middle East is managed by groups operating multiple outlets and brands, getting a handle on their online reputation at the location level becomes operationally tedious. Imagine having four locations, each having just six review sites (Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Zomato, Deliveroo, Talabat), this means the marketing manager needs to check 24 different review sites – everyday! They have to look after online reviews and customer reviews. Social media listening tools help restaurant operators manage their reputation at the brand level but Reputation Management should be done at the location level; hence being holistic.

There are two ORM cycles, a vicious one and a virtuous one – obviously we’re after the virtuous!

However; the vicious cycle is a result of ignoring your online reputation, ignoring bad reviews, fake reviews, and risk falling victim to a vortex of misinformation and rumours about your brand. As for the virtuous cycle, it’s ideally controlling your online presence, social media posts, and creating a healthy cycle of quality content which will definitely reflect well on your brand.

The million dollar – or Dirham – question is… why should you care about your online reputation as a business owner and invest in a tool to run that show?

Well, online reputation is becoming so real and daily related, we believe it’s actually time to drop the word “online” and just call it “brand reputation”.

It’s absolutely undeniable that the internet is our first stop for, well, everything! Plus, now-a-days people not only consider the internet their first choice of information but also trust and believe what it tells them, more importantly, they actually make their decisions based on their online findings and insights. They even believe fake reviews.

Stat-time:

• 2 out of 3 people consider Social Media and a Social Media review a credible source of information regarding a brand.
• Over 90% of people didn’t make/made a purchase based on what they’ve encountered online, whether through positive reviews, review sites, search engines or simply, through a brand’s activity on its official social media channels.
• Over 80% of reputation damage came from a mismatch between the hype and the reality.

Based on these three quick statistical facts, it’s sealed by royal stamp – our cool way of saying “it’s clear” – that social media and reputation management are tied.

Other quick facts:

• Google My Business is an excellent way to keep on top of this. It is interconnected to Social Media. If your customers are checking your Social Media, they're bound to check you out on Google. Make sure to create a Google My business account and set up Google alerts.
• To generate customer reviews, having a Social Media presence gives you that much more space online for customers to leave their feedback.
• Creating blog posts for your restaurant or brand is a good way to educate your clientele such as this blog post. Sharing on Social Media is good for your Social Media marketing.

Now that you have some insight into how online content intertwines with Social Media and online reputation management, it is time to look after these! Avoid negative content and keep up with your competition. Our team at Localyser is waiting to help your business with online reputation management. It's time to remove negative content and improve your online content. Let our online reputation management company look after your search engine optimization, review sites, and social media sites. Contact and schedule a demo today.

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