Online reviews are one of the major influencing factors over your business. They reflect your brand and people searching for your website expect to find positive reviews from your experienced guests.

Social media plays a major role in online reputation management because it gets customers to know about your product and you can communicate with them on a regular basis to fulfill their expectations. So why not you take advantage of such an opportunity? What are the best ways to optimize your online reputation on social channels?

In this article, we’re going to show you five major steps of how to handle your users online reviews:

1. Manage social media as a search engine optimizer (SEO)

Your sales are affected by your guests’ positive and negative reviews. You don’t want visitors to see negative reviews as they might dislike your platforms and leave. Therefore, you should write keywords that define your main business in a way that shows your positive features, not the negative feedback. Google will not feature them in front of your visitors in search results. Social media pages are authorized by search engines, thus you have to optimize your profile pages with the best keywords that are relevant to your business.

2. Use the social platforms for the suitable place

Use a platform which is most appropriate for your business in order to promote your product effectively. Your targeted social channels vary according to the target audience you’re focusing on. For example, if you aim to use your platform for business purposes, LinkedIn is the most suitable social channel. However, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest are great options for promoting your brand to consumers.

3. Take advantage of positive reviews

When you get positive reviews, it is your major duty to reply to your satisfied clients/customers/guests with positive comments and welcoming expressions. Also, offer them recommendations that allow them to request your product on social platforms. Spread and share positive results that have been incurred from your work. When positive word of mouth is spread, more and more people are encouraged to create experience with you.

4. Never ignore negative comments

Try to get in touch with the clients/customers/guests who leave negative comments or reviews and show empathy. Engage with them and try to offer alternative solutions; otherwise these bad reviews might impact your reputation. Listen well before you reply and suggest the most appropriate solution. Also, another critical issue is not to ignore negative comments, without having submitted a reply. Failing to deal properly with such reviews might damage your brand image as your frustrated customers would share their bad experience with their friends, causing more harm to your reputation.

5. Listen to what folks are saying

Identify your customers’ needs and problems to fulfill their expectations accordingly. This is an effective way to enrich trust, credibility and loyalty to your customers. Take advantage of your customers’ requests and look forward to fulfilling their expectations. As a result, you increase the potential of converting your prospects into loyal guests. Search for your customers’ requirements and transform them into more opportunity for your business.

Your guests are the roots of your business; you should always follow-up with their requirements and track their feedback. When they are satisfied, enhance your relationship with them and promise new products or offers. When they are dissatisfied, don’t try to hide or ignore comments; rather let them blow off steam and show them that you listen and solve their problems in an effective manner.