By Dez Duran-Lamanilao

Every business works on building a strong reputation that thrives on excellent customer care, quality products and services, and satisfied customer base. Negative feedback that leads to bad publicity is every entrepreneur’s nightmare. How can you avoid getting on the bad side of your loyal customers? In a setting where every small news about a company may be dissected by the public through various social media platforms, having a team that protects the brand’s online footprint is a strategy companies may now realize they cannot do without.

How can you then build a reputation that uniquely represents your brand and what it believes in?

Start with quality.

Viva voce, or more popularly known as word of mouth, can benefit your business from the start if you ensure that what you are offering is of the highest standard and according to your target market’s preference and needs. Try to foster loyalty from the beginning and your competitors would have difficulty penetrating your fortress.

Establish a strong online presence.

Create your own profiles in various social media platforms and keep them updated so customers will not have time to check out those of your competitors. The most popular social media platforms that can help you market your business include Facebook, which has 1.7 billion users as of September 2016 according to online statistics portal Statista, Twitter, one of the top 10 websites in the US, and Pinterest, which is a good platform for products and services related to fashion, food, photography and beauty.

Connect with bloggers or publish blogs about your business.

Blogging has been at the forefront of businesses as it allows for reader engagement and is an easy way to update customers about the latest news and trends.

Conquer negative feedback with positive content.

Of course no business is exempted from negative press. The best way to salvage negative content is to fill the space with positive advertising so your customers will have something to divert their attention to. There are available options to resolve unsightly reviews so as not to lose your existing customers and eventually gain new ones.

Be honest.

While you are doing all these, stick to the principle of honesty. It allows you to apologize if necessary, or to correct the mistake without having to sacrifice your principles.