What is Online Reputation Management?

As users browse the Internet and social media, they create opinions about people and brands that they see or interact with. As such, all online information that even just mentions your company name can influence a prospect or customer’s opinion about your brand—both positively and negatively.

Online reputation management (ORM) is the practice of actively creating, curating, and monitoring all information about yourself online. ORM encompasses a variety of platforms, including Google Search, social media, review websites, and company listings/directories (i.e. Bloomberg profile).

From a Marketer’s Viewpoint…

Over 25 years ago, when I was beginning my career in marketing, I decided to take a few design courses at night in Baltimore, where I was living at the time. The school, now called Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), taught me many important lessons—which at that time were tailored to a physical or print world, but which are still applicable to this day in the digital world.

First, space is space. And while marketers like to fill that space with words and images, white space (the blank area in between images) is equally as important because it gives context to and defines the actual design, guiding the viewer’s eye from what is primary to what is secondary in priority. The human eye cannot view everything equally or all at once. It’s that simple.

When a business is just starting out, relationship marketing can seem intimidating. Here are our suggestions on how to incorporate relationship marketing in the early days of your business:

Utilizing Relationship Marketing strategies as a new Business:

• Research competitors to see who they are targeting and how. From this intel, determine your target audience.
• Think like your ideal customer. Ask yourself:
  • What type of content do they want to see?
  • What type of marketing campaigns do they typically engage with?
  • What are their pain points that we can solve?
  • What are their pain points with their current provider of the product/service?
• Learn from your ideal customer. Ask current and prospective customers questions to begin the relationship and help to rationalize your marketing plan moving forward.
• Engage with customers and prospects on social media. This is a more casual introduction, and everyone loves a shout-out!
• Develop a database to use in email marketing and cold calling. Maintain the relationship throughout time by continuously reaching out to this database. Initially promote brand awareness, later focus on what’s specifically important to each customer.
• Start with brand awareness and then get more specific using data. Start with more generic brand awareness to get the message out there and acquire clients; once you have some data begin sending more targeted messages to your customer segments and follow up with a sales call.
• Request reviews on Google and Yelp to continuously get feedback and foster the two-way street relationship.

Let’s start at the beginning…

You could say that marketing for technology products officially started in 1984 (when I was just starting my career in marketing) with the mind-blowing Apple Computer Super Bowl ad—clearly a watershed moment for Apple, if not the entire industry. The meteoric rise of Apple, Microsoft, IBM and other technology leaders of the day incited a revolution—and the eventual birth of an entire industry—one comprised of hardware, software, distribution, service, and R&D companies of all types, started by individuals and financed by the venture capital community. Who wouldn’t want to be part of these exciting times?

What is Relationship Marketing?

Relationship marketing is a strategy designed to build and foster long-term relationships with customers. The goal is to establish customer loyalty for repeat sales; however, these customers also tend to act as good referral sources.

Think of brands you use and purchase from repeatedly. You have a relationship with these companies as they continue reaching out and selling to you. In comparison, there are companies you may buy from only once and never hear from again; you may not even remember their names.

In B2B marketing, we use traditional marketing in certain instances, but relationship marketing in others. We work with many companies that utilize us for the strategy and execution of their traditional marketing, but also have us oversee and aid in relationship marketing, alongside their sales team.