How to find a PR firm that excels in online reputation management

Preserving your image online is paramount to your company’s success

You may never know the true value of your company’s good reputation until you lose it. Your online reputation can be severely compromised by just one disgruntled former employee or dissatisfied customer with a grudge. To ensure your image remains positive, it’s vital to hire a PR firm to handle your online reputation management (ORM). How do you find the right one? Axia Public Relations can help you choose the PR agency that is right for you.

Why your company needs online reputation management (ORM):

Analyze what customers, employees, prospects and your competition are saying about your company.
Gain control of search engine rankings and what customers find when performing a search of your company. If done correctly, you can use this to highlight positive information and lessen the impact of negative content. Research shows that more than half of consumers will choose not to do business with a company if they find too much damaging information online.
Fix your company after a crisis, or, even better, prevent one in the first place.
Protect your brand from attacks and change public perception. ORM allows you to take control of your image and lets you tell your own story.

4 characteristics to look for in online reputation management from a PR firm:

Full service.

Some PR agencies will try to tell you it’s enough to focus only on search engine optimization or social media or online reviews. In truth, a comprehensive reputation management strategy must encompass all of these in addition to news media and content marketing.

More than monitoring.

You may find PR firms willing to monitor your company’s image. While this is important, knowing about a problem is only half the battle. You must also fix it. The right agency will help to re-establish your good name if your reputation has already been impaired.

Customization.

Every company is different and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Make sure that the PR agency you choose for ORM really listens to your unique issues and develops a strategy that works for you … not just a rehashed plan from some other company. For example, if your company has not yet experienced a crisis, your goals will be not be the same as those of a company currently in the midst of a PR catastrophe.

A good reputation.

If a PR firm can’t manage its own reputation, why would you trust it with yours? The agency you select should be reputable with vital contact information on its website. Check out the firm’s blog or company biographies to learn more. Be wary of any black hat tactics or huge promises that the firm won’t be able to deliver.

A PR firm that demonstrates success in online reputation management is hard to find, but worth the effort. You can combine the firm’s unique expertise in news media, social media and content marketing, giving you a true competitive edge.

Even when you are not in the room, your reputation is. Let the experts at Axia Public Relations help you monitor, measure and influence what people are saying about your company. To learn more about how we can help you get your reputation under control, contact us now or download our e-book Online Reputation Management.

Lisa Goldsberry is a blogger for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business and technology PR. Lisa has worked for Axia since December 2013. Learn more about Lisa Goldsberry. Connect with Axia on Twitter @axiapr or tell us what you think in the comments below.