With 2020 fulling in our wake, we can now focus on trends for 2021. I usually like to get my predictions and advice well in advance of the new year, but with the ever-changing world we were living in, it just didn’t seem practical. It is my hope that over the next few paragraphs, I will be able to convey to you how vital it is to stay ahead of reputation management trends. After all, it is straightforward to destroy a glowing reputation in a matter of minutes. It only takes one misguided tweet or Facebook post to destroy what has taken years for you to achieve.
Let’s not waste too much time talking about the ways you can destroy your reputation. Instead, let’s focus on the ways you can stay ahead of trends and make your reputation even better. So, join me in this blog as I share with you some of the trends I see reputation management companies being able to use in the coming year.
Trolls
If you have not been paying attention lately, Reddit has spawned even more trolls than ever before. These trolls are no longer content with merely going on a company’s blog, Facebook page, Twitter channel, etc.; they are taking Wall Street by storm.
A few weeks ago, some netizens decided to take it upon themselves to conquer the stock market. Most had no prior knowledge of how things worked on Wall Street. They took the advice of one or two key players and made several stocks soar beyond even what they were in their prime. This led to several people losing a lot of money.
The result was a specific stock trading app to discontinue trading that stock for a few weeks (they just reopened to trading that stock today). However, in the wake of everything that happened, the stock trading application was reported (though they vehemently deny the allegations) to have sold stocks on behalf of the users who bought the stock. The result was the total destruction of the company’s reputation. They went from 4.2 stars on app stores to a mere 1.0 star.
If you think that you are above these trolls coming after you, then you are sorely mistaken. I highly suggest you enlist the services of a reputation management company that can keep tabs on your reputation at all times. Trolls are out there, and they will come for you one day.
Social Media
With customers having a limited ability to interact with you in person, social media has become more critical than ever before. You need to review the platforms you have and evaluate if you need to use others. Keep in mind; several new social media platforms are cropping up with people’s discontent with the current platforms.
This is in no way meant to be political in nature. I am merely stating that many users are abandoning the most popular websites as they feel they don’t let their voices be heard. That is neither here nor there. However, if you have the potential for clients to be on another platform, it is up to you to determine if that group is your target market. If you find that they are, you need to make a new social media account that encompasses these new platforms. All I am going to say is that your customers likely come from all walks of life. It is not your job to tell them how they should think. Your job is to be where they can find you.
Video Marketing
Along with social media, people are cutting the cord more and more. That means you need to evaluate new and innovative ways to market to your customers. On nearly every social media, gaming, and streaming platform, you can make advertisements.
While the channel holders mainly decide who and what will be seen on their channel, there have been changes in YouTube policies. They have made it so that no matter what channel, what video, how long the video is, users will see an advertisement. That allows you to purchase ad space for pennies. There are billions (probably trillions at this point) of videos on the internet. There are over a billion interactions a day. Advertising on a video streaming platform is a booming market to get your name out there.
I suggest you sit down with your marketing team and figure out how you can get your piece of the pie. Make a well-constructed video. Don’t cheap out on anything. You will have tons of eyes seeing your video daily. While you might not get business from every person that sees it, you will get a higher percentage than if you made a standard television commercial. The reason is that the internet tracks people. They will show them advertisements that they know they are interested in. So, take the time and figure out how you are going to get eyes on your video.
Empathy
If last year has taught us anything, people want a company to share empathy and compassion with their consumers. You need to know what your customers are going through. Share with them things that you are going through. If not your business, your employees. Show how you are trying to make your worker’s lives better. Share with them the struggles you are going through. They need to know we are all in this together. They want to believe in something. Be that something they can think in.
Conclusion
2020 was a terrible year. Let’s all try to bounce back. Show your customers that you care about them. Fight the trolls that happen upon your website. Consider hiring a reputation management company that will help you to protect your online reputation. This year can be the best year yet if we just take time to share experiences with each other and try to understand where the other one is coming from. I wish you the best of luck this year in business and in your personal life.