They say it takes years to build a reputation, but only minutes to ruin one. Never has that saying been truer than in the digital age. Today, you can work decades to build a strong reputation for your business, but a single tweet or bad review can bring that reputation crumbling to the ground. But does that mean you should avoid having an online presence altogether?

Absolutely not! According to a recent survey, 88% of consumers trust the online reviews they read just as much as they trust personal recommendations. That means having no online rep is almost as bad as having a bad one. But how can you ensure your online reputation stays stellar? These steps can help:

• Watch and improve: Analyze your online profiles – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, LinkedIn, etc. – and note how people are responding to your posts. What are people liking and commenting on most? Notice the things you’re doing right and build on that to increase engagement.
• Put your business out there: You can’t build an online reputation if your business doesn’t have a presence on review sites. Make sure you’re listed on local sites like Yelp, but also get listed on industry sites like Caring.com.
• Be responsive: Being online means opening your business up to both positive and negative comments and criticisms. A knee-jerk reaction to negativity can be to lash out or ignore and erase (which is becoming less easy to do on many review sites). However, responding to negativity in a positive, non-defensive way speaks volumes about your company. And remember, one negative review isn’t the end of the world as long as the positives outweigh the negatives! In the survey referenced above, 85% of consumers noted that they read up to 10 reviews for a local business before they make a decision.
• Stay neutral: Social media has made it easier than ever for everyone to voice their opinions about any subject under the sun, from sports to religion to politics and beyond. While you may be passionate about certain subjects, if you post controversial or off-color posts on your business’s social media pages, you run the risk of alienating and even angering potential customers.
• Be proactive: When you’re doing things right, you should have dozens – or hundreds, depending on the size of your agency – of happy clients. Ask those happy clients to write a review on one of your review sites or testimonial for your website. Also, apply for awards related to your business. Nothing says quality like being able to put the words “award-winning” in front of your business’s name!

Your business’s reputation is important, and these days, it’s easier than ever to build a robust online reputation with a little know-how and work. The corecubed team can help you get your aging care business’s reputation moving in the right direction. Contact us to learn how we can help.