You’ve likely heard the term “Reputation Management” and may have an idea about what it means. It’s a discipline that aims to influence how a business is perceived by others. It’s also a discipline that has a shady reputation of its own. For example, some companies post fake reviews, censor negative ones, or use black or gray hat tactics to bury negative search results.
That’s not to say Reputation Management is completely unethical. In fact, there are many steps businesses can take to manage their reputation. However, this website isn’t about Reputation Management: it’s about Reputation Marketing.
Though both disciplines seek to improve a business’ reputation, Reputation Management tends to be a reactive approach while Reputation Marketing is proactive. With Reputation Marketing, the goal is to build a five star Reputation first and then market that stellar Reputation Online and Offline.
Though there is some overlap between Reputation Management and Reputation Marketing, banish the term Reputation Management from your vocabulary. It’s a commodity that’s not overly interesting to the business community and frequently perceived as a gray area.
In contrast, Reputation Marketing is an effective marketing technique that involves a customer service-oriented mindset, ethical practices, increased trust, and better conversions. Reputation Marketing can also increase the ROI of your other marketing efforts and give your business a competitive advantage.