How to manage your online reputation?

It is interesting because e-reputation is something new for many companies. What are your recommendations for effectively managing your e-reputation on the internet or social networks?

What has changed today is that everyone gives their opinion about everyone and the internet never forgets, we have this concept of e-reputation that is now stuck on the skin of companies. I'm even talking more and more about digital identity. Whether it's us, a natural person or a legal entity. Today, it is important for the company to manage this image because the first impression we will make of someone is first and foremost on the Internet. How can companies today deal with the more negative reactions of their customers? Unfortunately, they will never be able to manage them. There will always be negative opinions, certainly more and more. This is also what characterizes the advent of social networks. It's about everyone giving their opinion. Not necessarily enlightened. Today, the company has to accept that its image is not perfect and that there will be negative opinions. The most important thing is that it should not take precedence over the rest, especially the positive opinions. Don't let this mirror be too distorted. And that a prospect or customer is a realistic and good image of the company.

If we leave B2C to move to B2B, will e-reputation now be managed in the same way in B2B?

In any case, the trend is there. It is clear that the principle of recommendations, through word-of-mouth advertising, has always existed, works on LinkedIn. "Do you have an agency that can advise me in this or that area? "We use his network. So the approach is already there. Is client testimony one of the best marketing tools for companies today?  Definitely. That's why it's hard to handle, because it shouldn't be exploited. The real revolution in today's social networks is that we trust strangers who look more like us than we do. what the company says. Companies are aware of this, but they are less audible than before. So yes, customer testimonials are certainly one of the tools, the lever that is most interesting to use.

Are there tools you would recommend to monitor your own e-reputation or that of others, those of your competitors?

So we can start by putting the company name on the internet to see how often it appears. From free tools like Google Alerts. I think everyone knows it. We let the Google robot work and as soon as he finds something new that worries us, he sends us an email. Now there are other instruments that allow us to agglomerate a little more. These are no longer an alert tool, but rather tools called Insight Marketing tools. We can start with mention.com. There are formulas for a few tens of euros with which you can already do a temperature measurement. Are they talking about me? Who's talking about this? What are the influence signals?

We talk a lot about buzz, especially bad buzz. How can we avoid ending up in a bad buzz situation?

Many companies unfortunately have to accept that at some point you end up in a bad buzz. Because today everyone has become a militant or an expert in all areas. We all have a phone in our pocket that will allow us to take, see and spread a whole range of possible mistakes. There are plenty of extensive studies on the subject, but with most bad buzz we can see that it's not the competitors who are trying to compete, but often it's the company's fault. Either it's a communication error, a marketing error, that couldn't have imagined that his image, his communication plan might be seen as sexist, racist or insult the sensitivity of some of them. The question is how does the company manage it and how he'll control it. One bad buzz chases another. The important thing is that it's not really going to be a crisis communication. This reputation base, which I mentioned earlier, will make it possible to absorb waves.

How can e-reputation be linked to the company's strategy?

The business strategy therefore implies that managers obviously need to be aware of this time change and this change of interests. What I often see in the field is that this is not always is the case, so there's often middle management that forces the company to be image to control and develop because they are meeting these new challenges acknowledge. The whole strategy must therefore be aimed at building up trust and no longer rely solely on the declarative. Currently, the world of the communication really in a pivotal moment, a change, a bit of a change of epoch where it is necessary to change the reality on the ground, the reality of customers and employees, to guide, to show things in instead of just standing in a nice brochure that unfortunately won't create the decoding.

What do you see as a brake in a company regarding online reputation? Does it scare companies to find out what's going to happen?

To see what is going to happen, what already exists, is the same as opening a Pandora's box. Anyway, whether we talk about ourselves or not on the internet, the internet talks about us. So we might as well start the discussion. And then I said in the introduction to this plan, this action plan on to state. But today it is necessary to get this picture under control. It's not Pandora's box. It really is the best way to create this reputation base, to manage your image on the internet.

We no longer accept waiting patiently for someone to pick up the phone. On social networks, people will expect a qualitative and quick response. Is this a strength for society to show that they can respond qualitatively and quickly to people who want to share their opinions?

Yes, I would go even further, because sometimes a company's fear of saying to itself that if I offer customer support via Facebook and Twitter, it will be an avalanche. I wouldn't be able to answer, I can't answer in real time. There is no real-time response. If a Facebook issue is resolved within hours, it's more than enough for most customers. I explain to them that it's better than receiving complaints from customers by phone. They should be able to respond by phone as quickly as possible, within a minute. And if you can't answer within 10 - 15 minutes because the phone is busy for too long, the customer is frustrated. A dissatisfied customer posts his opinion on Twitter or Facebook, even via a private message, and that's enough. He will wait a few hours for his answer. So there are only advantages to saying "we listen to you". But one should not give false promises. We listen to you and no one reads the messages on Facebook or Twitter is harmful in terms of promises to customers.

Maybe one last question. The next steps for obtaining a good e-reputation. What can you advise them?

Be busy in this domain. All the time. We call ourselves Reputation 365 because it's something you work on every day, every day. Multiply your platforms, be a little bit everywhere on the internet. Google is the founder of this image on the internet, so you really need to take your time and not just think that talking about yourself well on your own website is enough. Of course, we have to make sure that others say good things as well. Thank you.