Your reputation; your business success depends on it and it’s something you should always be growing – but how exactly do you do that?
We all know that a business reputation can make or break a business. Customers will only come to you if they know, like and trust you – and this is all based on your reputation. It’s how your business is perceived by all of those people interested in it, including its customers, employees and suppliers.
There are things you can actively do, in order to help boost your online reputation, such as posting regularly to social media, writing blog posts and promoting your business generally. However, all of these things are underpinned by three simple but crucial steps – be you, be honest and be active.
Being active
This is the step most people tend to focus on. As already mentioned above, it includes being seen online, via tweets, posts, blogs, videos etc. The problem most smaller and solo-run businesses have though, is they focus only on this step. If used in isolation, the simple act of being active will only get you seen – but it alone, will not build your reputation.
Being active also includes what you do behind the scenes. Are you actively working on your business? Are you tweaking content, updating your website and actively seeking out and qualifying new clients?
Be honest
Customers will only work with someone they trust, making honesty an obvious part of building that trust. We think of honesty as not telling lies but, when it comes to building an online reputation, it means so much more. It’s about being honest in everything – from your sales pages to your viewpoint, your ethics to your standards.
If you create physical products, does the materials and labour used to create those products comply with your company ethics or are they out of sync with each other? When you state you’re opening a limited amount of spaces for complimentary calls, are you really sticking to that figure – or is it more of an ongoing marketing tactic to increase urgency?
Be you
Finally, when it comes to building an online reputation, you need to be you! YOU are your business – you are the face and voice of your business, as well as its secret to success.
Being yourself is what ties the honesty and action together. You can be as active as you want and have sales pages that are honest and heart-based – but if they don’t sound like you – there’ll be an inconsistency about it all.
Your online reputation is built on you putting yourself out there and being you, with your own unique voice and gift. It’s about building a reputation that’s built on trust – and having that naturally continue, when clients speak to and/or see you in person.
Be open about who you are, what you stand for and speak from your heart – as this will make both of the previous steps so much easier – and will grow your online reputation, so much faster.
How do you feel about the steps outlined above? Do you feel that an online reputation needs more than these three steps? Why not share your thoughts and opinions in the comments box below!