The Public Relations Blog

Improving your brand’s online reputation

When your company gets negative press, you may hesitate to publish anything online in your defense for fear of fueling the fire. It’s a Catch-22 because if you don’t control your message, everyone else will. If you are ready for your customers to move beyond a recent incident, here is how you can be heard through the firestorm.

Ben Franklin knew a thing or two about reputation. Not only was he concerned about his own, but also about the effect his actions would have on his parents' legacy and on the ambitions of his children. In short, he knew that one's reputation was a most valuable thing. Here are a few other insights on reputation from the self-proclaimed printer, revolutionary and statesman.

Media relations is important to a company's PR strategy. If you don't tell your company's story, then someone else, who does not have your best interests at heart, will. It's critical for businesses to understand that media relations can be a highly effective method of reaching target audiences. Here are three other reasons that you should trust in the power of good media relations management:

Use PR to ensure your image remains intact

Ben Franklin once said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” Just look at some Google searches as proof. It seems the worst news always rises to the top. When it comes to online reputation, the stakes are high.

The first reaction to a company crisis is usually to speak out and defend yourself. In social media, this can be hazardous to your brand. So what is the best way to react during a corporate catastrophe? Should your social media firm respond or not? It depends on the situation. Here is a brief primer on how a social media firm should react during an emergency.

Create the news to get you noticed

Not every day is jam-packed with breaking news announcements. Product launches, news conferences and mergers are the bread and butter of media relations. Having news to share makes the job easier. So what do you do in the absence of news? You create it.

Developing news stories is difficult for business people to understand, but in media relations there are techniques that can and do keep your name in the public eye.

Public recognition and trust are huge aspects of business success. By virtue of the stories they run, the news media can develop awareness, extend credibility, generate trust and motivate the audience’s responses toward a company and its products and services. Successful businesses often have solid working relationships with several news outlets, including bloggers, reporters, editors and producers. A recent survey indicated that the public considers news stories to be more persuasive and more credible than advertisements. A high percentage of business owners report that public relations – not advertising – is the most valuable investment for marketing dollars.

PR helps you understand this powerful network and get it right

You post to Facebook at least five times a week, send Tweets several times a day and make sure you keep your LinkedIn pages current. But how often should your company post on Instagram?

Your social media strategy only works if you have followers, and gaining new followers can ultimately translate into more business. So how do you attract more followers for your company?

Organic growth does not happen overnight; it requires time and considerable effort. Below, you will find seven tips that can help you gain more social media followers for your company and grow your business.

Learn about PR tools that can help you take control of your online reputation

Your business has gotten great reviews from many of your customers. Do all your customers, prospects and other key stakeholders know that? Getting great reviews is wonderful, but if no one sees them, it’s like throwing them in the trash.

You don’t want consumers to stumble upon your positive customer reviews by accident or, worse, make them search all around the Internet for them. It is vital to promote your customer reviews, especially on social media, to make them easily accessible to consumers.