Just like on the streets, a reputation goes a long way in business, too. Your ‘rep’ is your badge. It is a sign that you are who you say you are and customers can trust you. Without it, you have no trust or credibility – you have no reputation. Clearly, it is important that a business focuses on building an excellent reputation for its long-term future. Indeed, the right amount of ‘street cred’ will take you far. Here’s how to boost your ‘cred’ and become one of the biggest OGs in the game.
Be Consistent
Everyone likes a one hit wonder. Just take music as an example. A song comes on the radio, and you think, ‘I used to love this song.’ The word to notice in this sentence is ‘used.’ Although one hit wonders are good, they only get their sanctioned fifteen minutes of fame. After their time is up, the next person comes along and takes the limelight. The same goes for businesses. One product or service might give you the upper hand, but you have to capitalise on your opportunity. A business must continue to develop services and products that customers want or need to hit this goal. Only then will they think about you as a reputable company.
Do Something Worthwhile
From time to time, the opportunity to do something worthwhile will appear. Now, most businesses won’t seize this opportunity because they can’t see the benefits. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t make the same mistake. Just because there is nothing in it for you in the short term doesn’t mean there aren’t long term benefits. Let’s use eco-friendly processes as an example. Haitham Alaini Yemen entrepreneur shows how something as simple as a tree can help the planet, and how that directly helps businesses. By spreading the word, everyone will know how much you do for the earth. And, because saving the earth is a priority in 2017, it will reflect positively on your brand.
Encourage Customers To Be Nice
The direct knock-on effect of doing something worthwhile is word of mouth advertising. Consumers who have never used your business before will start to say good things just because they agree with your politics or actions. And, the nicer they are, the better your reputation. You see, reputation boils down to trust, and no one will trust a biased source. Customers aren’t biased, though. At least, they aren’t biased in the eyes of other customers. They see reviews as trustworthy, which is why you should put them on your site for everyone to see.
Manage Your Rep
Once you have a reputation, you have to cultivate it for the best results. In the past, that would take years of hard work. Nowadays, it takes a few social media posts. As social media is a direct link to your customer, it is possible to speak to them and answer their queries and questions. The more you converse with your customer base, the better they will think of your brand. The best thing about social media is the variety, so use as many as possible.
