How many Social Media accounts have you signed up for in the past few years?
How many do you still use? Have you decided that the whole Social Media thing is just not for you, threw up your hands and said, “fuggetaboutit”? Have you said, ” I have never received a lead from Facebook or Twitter, so why bother?
Bad idea! Even if you don’t participate on Social Media, it doesn’t mean your customers don’t.
Your stuff is still out there!
So, what can you do?
- First- Read this post and clean up your Social Media house
- Second-Find out what others are saying about your company (and what potential customers may see)
Reputation Sensitivity
What is it? Well, I’ll let Darren do what he does best and explain it below!
That’s a new one right? What is reputation sensitivity? Well, let me start by saying
some of you will be competing in industries that have more reputation sensitivity
than others.Reputation sensitivity is what a consumer cares about when it comes to the
reputation of the company they may transact with. Who wouldn’t care about the
reputation of any company they deal with right?For example, you probably don’t really care about the reputation of your local
pharmacy or grocery store. If you need some aspirin or a tube of toothpaste you do
what everyone does; you just go buy them. You aren’t motivated to jump online,
shop around and check reviews before you go and spend money with these local
businesses.However if someone is looking to engage the services of a plumber, electrician,
roofer, landscaper (or any kind of contractor). Those categories have a higher
reputation sensitivity; people are far more motivated to check reviews and weigh
reputations in the process of seeking those kinds of goods and services.Sound about right?
Certain factors contribute to higher levels of reputation sensitivity (resulting
in increased inclination for buyers to check reviews) when one or more of the
following factors are in play:● Cost: The cost of the transaction exceeds a trivial amount
● Pain or Pleasure: Emotional involvement is elevated
● Urgency: There is urgency in making a buying decisionSome of you compete in sectors where none of these factors ever come into play.
Some of you will compete in sectors where at least one or more of these factors are
always in play before a sale is made.The take away is this…
● Reputation sensitivity will affect some business categories more than others
● Reputation sensitivity is likely elevated when customers are seeking to make transactions involving higher levels of financial and emotional investment
If you operate a business in a vertical with high reputation sensitivity, are you
protecting and defending your brand? Are you marketing positive comments to
offset the inevitable negative reviews that surely come just from the normal course
of business?If not, you are one negative review or comment or post away from having to spend
thousands more in marketing to offset your lose of new business because your
former prospects have opted to do business with a company that has a 5-star
reputation.Don’t let this happen to you, learn how you can defend your brand and promote your business.
I have signed up for this and the ebook I was sent is worth the price alone!
Here is a screen shot Darren sent me the first day and I am getting daily alerts alerting me to any mentions of my business name. Great way to monitor your online reputation!
Go ahead, try it and see! Comment below and tell me what you think!
Good article Chris. If you are looking to use Social Media for leads, it’s not going to happen. It’s a marketing component to build your brand, and online reputation. The leads come from your website, but the relationship come from Social Media. They work hand in hand.
Thanks Chris, I think Social Media (and your reputation) are often either the way customers get to your site, or are checking you out after seeing your site, a compelling reason to have your “house in order”!
Thanks Chris for the opportunity to post. The take rate has been awesome, and why shouldn’t it right? I mean, the only way for contractors to differentiate themselves is by using their reputations. Not only that, but reputation marketing is the ONLY metric that is rising. All other forms of marketing are declining in conversion rates.
I just did a post, 80% of people changed their mind about doing business with a company after seeing negative reviews online. That is a huge number. And most contractors don’t even know what is being said about them.
You are most welcome Darren, I thought I was doing a good job of keeping track of my online stuff, but I am seeing things on the reports that I had long forgotten about!
Thanks for sharing this Chris.
What a great idea Darren has come up with to help contractors keep an eye on there online reputations.
Paul
Thanks Paul!
Thanks Paul, I am looking forward to seeing the results!
The premise of the service and as you say, the ebook on offer, it is a no-brainer. At least it made sense to me
Thanks Andy!
Agree! The ebook was an eyeopener!
Great topic, and I was only able to skim the meat of it right now. I will be sure to follow the links and read everything this weekend.
Hi Chris, I hired Darren a week ago after reading this and saw your screen shot and decided to give it a go. I kinda know whats out there regarding my company but I figured he would send me a condensed report or something so I asked him where I can see what it is he’s doing. I still have seen nothing, no report, picture, screen shot, nothing. Darren says “If there is nothing on the web, there is nothing to report. I can send you a screenshot of a blank page” and that I need to promote my brand because nothing is out there…. I have a score of 29 on Google, 18 recommendations on LinkedIn, 31 GuildQuality customer satisfaction surveys being marketed with 352 out of 353 questions answered with a perfect score, part of group with 1,900 radio commercials running a month, reviews are all over the internet, and my social media, so, HUH??? I don’t get it…
Steve,
I have sent it to you..twice. Not sure what else I can do. I have sent it to you. Check your junk folder, give me a different email, something. I am sending it for the third time.
Darren, its funny how I get all your emails, on both emails you have for me, but not that..twice. I even sent you a screen print just to show you, regardless if you believed me or not, and checking my junk or spam folder is routine when I’m looking for something, before I say I haven’t gotten something….
Hi Steve, I talked to Darren last night and he is looking into it, thanks!
to be fair, I havent had an emailed alert for a bit either, but I asked Darren and he sent me a print off which clearly shows references to me that I haven’t been able to pick up from other alert services. So I deduce there is a snafu with the final email part of the chain, rather than a flaw in the nuts and bolts of the service, which presumably is solvable by someone smarter than me 🙂
Andy, I have had the same experience, I am sure Darren will get it straightened out shortly, you have to love technology!
Hi Chris I just sent you an email and I attached what Darren has sent me, it has a few typed in items he put in an Excel spread sheet but you check it out. Its nothing like i see in your picture
I responded to your email (probably better to try and sort out via email). That screen shot was something I asked Darren for as part of the post, not something you or i would get sent.