So you got a bad review. It isn’t the end of the world if you have a reputation management strategy in place that minimizes the damage of the occasional Negative Nancy. Reputation management is not about controlling what others say. It is about letting go and managing the information you can control. This includes the quality and depth of information you are proactively and strategically sharing with the online world.
What can you do to improve your online reputation? We have a few tips for you.
Focus on SEO (search engine optimization)
How search engines work changes constantly, and it can be difficult to keep up. But SEO plays a huge role in your reputation, so your reputation management strategy must reflect the current trends in search. This might mean you need to hire an outside firm, and that is okay, because you need to constantly monitor and audit what is and isn’t working. That’s not always feasible in-house.
SERP (search engine results page)
Give some attention to sites that have a very high, organic SERP. Spend time creating content for Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and Youtube. I know focusing on these sites is often outside the norm for multifamily, but they have very high authority with google. Because of that, it is an easy way to make sure the good stuff (aka your positive reviews) is on page one.
Mobile
Don’t forget mobile! Google optimizes search results based on how mobile friendly the content is. As we all know, a large number of users access the internet with their mobile devices. This means review sites need to give users the ability to create reviews, upload photos, and manage their profiles on the go. This should help you decide where you are going to spend your efforts.
Manage and Engage
You’ve heard this before, but one of the absolute best ways to manage your reputation and encourage positive feedback is to engage with your residents online. Respond to the good and the bad, thank them for their time, and just show them that you truly care.
Advocate Marketing
Last but not least, advocate marketing! Your advocates create content. Constantly. Use your resident surveys and ratings and reviews to identify whom your advocates are. Proactively engage them online and offline. Referrals from your current residents are the best place to get new prospects.
Are you still merely reacting to reviews and resident feedback? 2014 is upon us and it is time to commit to a strategy and truly own your online reputation.