Your audience’s perception of your brand is fundamental to its success. But how can you identify what this perception is?
One way to develop insights into how people view your brand is by performing a brand or reputation audit.
Start by searching online for your firm name and any keywords related to your industry. This could include your brand name, misspellings of your brand name, brand names for particular goods or lines of goods, prominent representatives from your company, and your company name and location if you have an offline presence. Use incognito mode to avoid personalized search results and leverage hashtags for social media.
To stay updated on any mentions of your brand, consider subscribing to alert services like Google Alerts. You can do the same on websites like Facebook and Twitter. Analyze what people are saying about you and any mentions of search terms related to your brand and operations. A spreadsheet is an excellent way to arrange this data and identify trends.
- What information can you find about your brand that has been published online?
- What are people saying about you in online discussions?
You must understand these things, and a reputation audit enables you to do so.
If you encounter any negative comments about your brand, take the time to respond positively and meaningfully. Resist any temptation to get defensive. Instead, try and learn from the experience and reach out to the customer to address any concerns.
Conduct research periodically in this manner to ensure your branding is up to date. By doing so, you can make any necessary changes to your branding strategy to maintain a positive perception among members of your target audience. Remember, your brand’s success depends on your audience’s perception of you.
