Method 1

It is a quite common practice when SERM employees (Search Engine Reputation Management) monitor reviews and any references to the brand. If there are many negative comments, they add positive ones. Some people may deem this scheme as scandalous but this method is used even by large and famous brands.

Method 2

If the first method seems like an unfair game, the second one is trickier. SERM employees publish not only positive reviews about the company but also negative ones about competitors. This war of brands is especially noticeable on specialized websites where people share their opinions of products or services.

Why is it so difficult for companies to get positive reviews?

Firstly, the company may have just launched its brand. Therefore, it is trying to expand its customer base. In this case, many newbie companies struggle to get any feedback. In addition, quite frequently customers are more willing to leave negative reviews if they are unhappy with the provided service than positive ones. As a result, those clients who are satisfied with the company's services remain unheard.

Method 3

Direct advertising is another successful way to improve the firm's online image. The most effective strategy is to collaborate with a celebrity who has a lot of loyal subscribers on social media platforms. In other words, the celebrity shares with a company a piece of their own reputation. No wonder, companies usually benefit a lot from such cooperation.

Method 4

This method has also proven itself as quite productive. SERM agency arouses the audience's interest in the product by initiating discussions on forums. For example, the agent asks on the forum, "Where to buy a printer?" Then this agent answers it as a third person. To encourage clients to choose the right company, agents can start a real online conversation with well-thought-out arguments and consistent persuasion. For such discussions, they purposefully choose websites where people are most often interested in such services or products.

Furthermore, such agents can try to promote the forum thread in search results by purchasing links and other methods. As a result, people who want to buy a printer will always see a mention of a particular brand that is sure to boost awareness of the product among diverse groups of people.  

Method 5

It is fairly common that companies can motivate their customers to leave positive reviews in exchange for small gifts or discounts.

The most common mistake in reputation management is that customers write almost identical reviews on different companies. As a result, other clients immediately understand that this feedback is highly likely to be fake. This is why do not limit yourself to clichés. Try to convey to potential customers why your products or services are the best in the market.

Method 6

Most companies make one common mistake – they do not pay enough attention to the client. After that, they are surprised by an avalanche of negative reviews on the Internet. With the help of the monitoring service, the company's managers can quickly find out such reviews and customer's order number. Then they contact the customer and offer to solve the problem. When the issue is solved, you can ask the client to delete the review or add the new one. As practice shows, customers usually agree.

Method 7

This method is effective when dealing with regular customers. Since they have used your services more than once, they are satisfied with their quality. It means that you can ask them to leave a review. Quite often, they do it.

The best way to manage your online reputation is to use different methods. It enables you to understand which of the ways to manage the online reputation is the most efficient for you.