Monitoring Twitter
If your target market is active on Twitter, it’s not enough to simply monitor your @mentions. Not everyone talking about your business will bother to mention you. You can easily keep tabs on conversations surrounding your business by using Twitter search, a function that will allow you to see any tweet that includes your business name.
Even if you’re not on Twitter, there could potentially be conversations going on about your business. You can still search for these conversations without an account or you can set up an account purely for research.
4. Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a great free business tool for monitoring your online reputation. Simply go to Google Alerts, set up an alert for your business name, and you will be emailed whenever it’s mentioned on the web. There is no need to sign up for a Google email account if you don’t already have one, alerts can be sent to any email address of your choice.
These alerts are a great way to keep tabs on what is being said about your business on a website and respond to any comments made.
5. Address Trends and Ingrained Beliefs
Depending on your industry, there may be misconceptions or misunderstandings about your product or service or there may have been some recent press around an issue relevant to your business. These influences can easily impact the reputation of your business, and make potential customers hesitant about buying from your company if not managed correctly.
Address these misconceptions directly on your website, in your blog, and through your other communication channels. By giving your side of the story in an open and transparent way, you will boost your credibility, and may gain some new customers along the way.