As a business owner, you rely on your reputation to open doors and keep existing clients happy.
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett
When your customers love your business and identify with your brand, your business can grow quickly. If they are turned off or do not relate to your brand and messaging, you may suffer the consequences.
Getting into and staying in the good graces of customers means not only presenting a business model and brand that's appealing but staying consistent and loyal to your plan.
It’s important to find a balance between staying connected and not becoming an annoyance. In today’s digital marketing environment, there are many options for you to stay connected and relevant. Here are some tried and true methods to build your reputation in your local market.
Influencer Marketing: Focus on building relationships with individuals and organizations that can
help you get noticed by prospective clients. With influencer marketing, your focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. You identify the individuals that have influence over potential buyers and orients marketing activities around these influencers.
Respond to Reviews: There are many services that provide local business with search options. Once you sign up for any of these services, make sure you are responsive to any reviews good or not so good. If a client takes the time to post a review, your response should be timely and professional.
Support Local Organizations: Let your heart take the lead. Whether you are a business owner or not – giving back to your community will not only help build relationships but will help you gain respect in the community. You will meet new people, have plenty of networking opportunities and before you know it, you will reap the benefits. It is “OK” to share your experiences in the community on your social networking platforms, in newsletters and blog posts.
Utilize Social Media: People join social media platforms becomes they want to stay connected to friends, families, and co-workers. Create posts that highlight what is trending in your neighbor. Utilize the ads feature to promote your posts and remember to use hashtags. Having Facebook, Twitter and Instagram links on your website will increase your SEO and will help people searching connect with you.
Get Published: We all have an author hidden inside us.
Having a book published will open up a plethora of doors and opportunities for you to meet new people and get noticed in your target market. You can promote the book on social media, at
trade shows, client events and through email campaigns. Staying dedicated to your core beliefs and maintaining your reputation will help you grow a healthy business today and into the future.