Be aware, don’t beware!
In her recent article, Mary Bowling spoke about the importance of knowing what people are saying about your business online. There are a few stages to online reputation management; they include consciousness, monitoring and classification, action, and cultivation. This article is going to deal with being conscious of your online reputation.
You need to be aware that you DO have an online reputation. Although reputation is somewhat intangible, it is definitely something you can control. A crude demonstration would be the “word association” game we played in grade school. When I say “Florida Resort” what do you instantly think of? If you own a Florida resort, your ultimate goal is to make sure that when someone says “Florida resort”, people think of your property. This is not easy – it’s a long road, but it is attainable given the proper time and resource investment.
Every guest has the opportunity to review their stay at a number of different websites. Monitoring and conversely being proactive in gaining online reputation is a major indicator in the willingness of a business to thrive. If a potential guest sees you actively extending yourself into forums and blogs – being aware of reviews and offering information on your area – they will instantly place more trust in what you have to say.
**TIP: search for your property name – what comes up on the first page of results – is it all positive – is some of it negative? Be aware of what’s being said.
Get your staff on board. Make sure that every member of your company is conscious of how their actions relate directly to your online reputation. The concept needs to be the mantra of every person on your payroll, from the housekeeping staff to the chief financial officer. Word of mouth and positive online buzz affects pricing – the right reputation can command a premium price.
Stay tuned for more tips and information on managing your guests’ reviews online. If you’re interested in more information on what can be done to keep up with your brand’s online character, contact your promotion account manager today. If you’re not a current promotion client, please contact our Business Development Department at 888-840-5893 or info@blizzardinternet.com.
