Peer Perceptions: Guide to Maintaining Good Business Reputation on Facebook

PEER PERCEPTIONS The Guide to Maintaining a Good Business Reputation on Facebook A brand's reputation takes a long time to build but only a moment to destroy. And with more and more businesses joining the populous world of Facebook, it's more important than ever that they take an active role in keeping their names untarnished. WHAT'S IN A REPUTATION, ANYWAY? Most respondents in a Weber Shandwick and KRC survey believe that what other people say is a very influential factor in how they perceive a company. Percent who consider each very/somewhat influential on consumer opinion 0% 50% 100% 88%: What other people say 83%: Online reviews 81% Online search results 79% News sources 74% Company websites 63% Awards and rankings 59%: Company communications 56% Advertising 49% Social networks 0% 50% 100% EASY WAYS TO KEEP A GOOD BUSINESS REPUTATION KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL, BUT APPROACHABLE Make sure the tone of all interactions and communications is professional. Not only will current clients have access to it, future ones will too. That said, don't be afraid to get a little conversational with fans to prove that you're more than just a team of stiff suits. OK: NOT OK: Requesting friendship from fans. "Poking" strangers. #1 Posting informative updates with links. Posting mundane updates about what you had for lunch. Putting up photos from your latest company Christmas party. Posting up a video of your boss, in his underwear, singing along to Journey. BE PROACTIVE ABOUT RESPONDING Try to promptly answer both positive and negative comments on your page. Let's face it, negative feedback can't be avoided. Instead of getting upset, correct the record or quickly respond to concerns with a resolution while maintaining a neutral tone. The longer an inflammatory comment goes unanswered, the more it will stain a good reputation. 3 SHOWCASE POSITIVE CHATTER ABOUT YOUR COMPANY What's the best way to minimize negative press? Show positive reviews and quotes about your service or products from real customers, and display them directly on your page so fans can see proof of a virtuous reputation. CHOOSE FRIENDS AND 4 GROUPS WISELY Just as it is for real-life relationships, you are who you know. It may be tempting to accept every friend request or join every group, but remember that who you're associated with will reflect on you-whether that's positive or negative. 5 LEARN HOW TO SELF-EDIT Wish you could take back something embarrassing you posted? With the Facebook Timeline setup, account an manually edit or remove status updates. If you're in a hurry, try the Activity Log, which gives you the option to star, allow, or hide stories so they don't appear on your timeline at all. TELL US WHAT YOU ARE 6 THINKING DON'T OVERDO IT NEW PHOTO CНECK THIS OUT! UPDATE!, Overzealous Facebook users are annoying-whether they're personal friends or business pages. If a business makes excessive status updates or SPAMS fans' inboxes with unsolicited messages, it can guarantee a direct drop in the NEW! NEW! number of friends or fans. BUT DON'T ABANDON SHIP, EITHER If you know you won't have time to maintain and update your page, wait until you can before creating a page. An empty or rarely updated Facebook business page will make visitors think the business does not care, or worse, that they've gone out of business. SOURCES: PCWORLD.COM I FORBES.COM I VERTICALMEASURES.COM I FACEBOOK.COM I VENTURESTREET.COM I MARIECLAIRE.COM I WEBER Demandforce In Partnership with Column Five SHANDWICK AND KRC RESEARCH. "THE COMPANY BEHIND THE BRAND: IN REPUTATION WE TRUST." (2012) s.s. FACEBOOK