7 Effective Tips for Quick Online Reputation Repair [2024]

Are you struggling with a negative brand image? It’s not good; 90% of consumers say they DO NOT want to use a business with a bad reputation. In this article, you’ll find 7 tips on how to make an effective online reputation repair. Let’s transform digital challenges into opportunities for improving your brand and regaining customer trust.

Online reputation repair means taking action when the image of a person, company, or brand on the Internet is negative. The goal of this repair is to restore a good online reputation.

Table of contents:

• What indicates online brand reputation damage?
• How to repair your online reputation?
  • 01 Identify the source of the damage
  • 02 Identify the reason for the damage
  • 03 Find negatively speaking influencers
  • 04 Track negative reviews
  • 05 Respond to negative mentions
  • 06 Address false information
  • 07 Encourage positive reviews
• Conclusion

What indicates online brand reputation damage?

Recognizing early damage signs of an online brand’s reputation is crucial. Here are 3 key indicators to watch for:

Low Reputation Score

A low Reputation Score is a significant indicator of online brand reputation damage. It’s a useful metric for businesses to track their online reputation health and identify the reason for the brand crisis.

The Reputation Score is typically a metric used by reputation management services or tools like Brand24 to quantify a brand’s overall online reputation based on sentiment and reach analysis.

A high volume of negative reviews across different platforms can drastically lower this score.

Rise of negative sentiment

An increase in negative online mentions and reviews generates negative sentiment.

Rising negative sentiment is a clear signal that a brand’s reputation is under threat. It affects public perception and also has long-term consequences on customer loyalty, financial performance, and overall brand health.

That’s why it’s important to pay attention to any sentiment changes. Here you can see the sentiment chart of Netflix:

Increase in negative emotions

Emotions heavily influence consumer behavior. An increase in negative emotions can sway potential customers to avoid the brand and seek alternatives.

Negative emotions such as anger, disappointment, or distrust erode consumers’ confidence in a brand. By tracking what emotions your customers feel about your brand and products, you can detect a crisis early on. Some online reputation management tools will help you do that.

Here’s an emotion chart that tracks the feelings of Netflix customers:

How to repair your online reputation? 7 tips

Before we move to the online reputation repair tips, you need to know how bad the situation is. Tracking key metrics such as negative mentions and reach will be very helpful.

Here, you can see an analysis of Netflix’s negative mentions:

Compared to the previous period, the brand noted an increase in negative mentions from 3,273 to 4,276. Those mentions generated 8.4M social media reach and 7.6M non-social reach.

01 Identify the source of the reputation damage

To start online reputation repair, you need to identify the sources of damage first. Are your customers complaining on social media platforms, or maybe some news site wrote a negative opinion about your brand? You need to find it out.

Honestly, it would be difficult to pinpoint the source of negativity on your own. Processing an enormous amount of data would be required.

Fortunately, media monitoring tools can do it for you. Take a look at my monitoring project:

According to data from the Brand24 tool, in the last 30 days, Netflix has gained over 6,500 negative mentions on X (Twitter), over 4,300 on blogs, about 1,000 on news, and over 800 on forums. Most of those mentions come from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Blogs, news, and forums may sound a bit mysterious, don’t they? So, I deepened my research to discover the exact source that is causing the negative online reviews.

Here you can see the list of websites that generate negative buzz:

To sum up, Netflix should focus on building a positive online reputation on X (Twitter), Tumblr, and Reddit first.

Find the sources of negative reviews and comments!

02 Identify the reason for the reputation damage

Now, it’s time to analyze the topics that can negatively impact brand image. To do that, you need to discover what your target audience is talking about and the sentiment of those topics.

Online reputation tools like Brand24 monitor and analyze mentions and, based on data, list the most talked about topics.

For example, Netflix’s users mostly talk about:

• Trending movies and shows,
• Zack Snyder’s sci-fi movie Rebel Moon that premiered on Netflix in two parts,
• Shah Rukh Khan’s film Jawan has become the highest-grossing Indian film on Netflix,
• Controversial portrayal of the British royal family in the final season of Netflix’s The Crown,
• Comparing streaming services, discussing exclusive content, and strategies to influence show renewals.

Each topic has a sentiment breakdown to help you judge whether it indicates positive or negative emotions. All you need to do is to find those topics that generate the most negative sentiment.

For Netflix, the most problematic topic is streaming service. It has the most negative sentiment among all topics.

Here you can see where people discuss about it:

03 Find negatively speaking influencers

Now that you know where and what topics have caused damage to your brand’s good name, it’s time to find the most influential profiles.

Influencers with a significant following shape public perception and can trigger a social media crisis. That’s why communication with them should be a part of your internet reputation repair.

Engaging with influencers who speak negatively about your brand is an opportunity to address their concerns directly. Constructive engagement can lead to a resolution or clarification of misunderstandings.

Here, you can see a list of most active public profiles that talked negatively about Netflix:

And here’s a list of top public profiles that also negatively mentioned Netflix:

In summary, identifying and engaging with negatively speaking influencers is not just about addressing criticisms; it’s an opportunity to understand the broader market sentiment, improve brand perception, and turn critics into brand advocates.

How to communicate with influencers who negatively mentioned your brand? Tips

• Treat the influencer with respect, regardless of the nature of their comments. Approach the conversation professionally, reflecting your brand’s values.
• Before responding, fully understand the influencer’s concerns. Listen to their points and try to understand the context of their negative comments.
• Timeliness is key. Delayed responses can escalate the situation. However, ensure your response is well thought out and appropriate.
• Invite the influencer to continue the conversation in a more private setting, like via direct message, email, or a phone call. This can prevent the situation from escalating publicly and allow for candid dialogue.
• Address their concerns directly. If there are misunderstandings, clarify them respectfully. If the brand is at fault, admit it openly and discuss the steps you’re taking to rectify the issue.
• If appropriate, discuss how you can resolve the issue. In some cases, you might even propose collaboration or partnership opportunities that align with both your brand and the influencer’s interests. As a result, you can boost your business’s online reputation.
• After the initial conversation, make sure to follow up. Let them know if you’ve taken any actions based on their feedback. This shows commitment to continuous improvement.
• While it’s important to be empathetic and engaging, also maintain professional boundaries. Ensure that the conversation remains focused on resolving the issues at hand.

04 Track negative reviews

One of the most important online reputation repair strategies is paying attention to reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, Booking, App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot, etc.

Those websites have high influence scores and significantly impact customers’ perceptions. Reviews significantly influence consumer buying decisions. Many potential customers read reviews to assess the quality and reliability of a product or service before making a purchase.

Reviews serve as social proof of a brand’s quality and reliability. A mix of positive and negative reviews, with appropriate responses, can increase a brand’s credibility, showing transparency. Furthermore, Reviews can impact a brand’s visibility on search engines.

How a brand responds to negative reviews can significantly impact public perception. Professional and constructive responses can mitigate the impact of negative reviews.

You can view negative reviews as constructive feedback. Reviews are a great source of information on improving your product, service, or customer experience.

Check: Monitor App Store Reviews

05 Respond to the most popular negative mentions

Responding to negative mentions shows that a brand listens and cares about its customers’ opinions. This can significantly impact public perception and help maintain or rebuild a company’s online reputation.

Ignoring popular negative mentions can lead to an escalation of the issue, with more people joining in the criticism. Responding can help nip the problem in the bud.

How to find mentions that can cause a negative reputation? The best way is to use a tool that automatically detects and analyzes negative content on social media, new sites, blogs, and other online sources.

I filtered the data and found the most negative search results in my monitoring project:

Interestingly, most of those mentions come from TikTok, Reddit, Quora, and Medium.

How to respond to popular negative mentions? Tips

• Respond in a timely manner. The longer a negative mention goes unaddressed, the more it can escalate and harm your brand.
• If the criticism is valid, acknowledge the issue and offer a sincere apology. This demonstrates responsibility and empathy.
• Avoid generic responses. Tailor your reply to address the specific concerns raised. This shows that you are genuinely attentive to your customer’s feedback.
• Whenever possible, provide a solution to the problem or explain the steps your brand is taking to address the issue. 
• If the issue is complex, be honest about what you can and cannot do. Transparency builds trust, even in difficult situations.
• Always keep the tone of your response professional. Avoid defensive or confrontational language, as it can exacerbate the situation.
• Invite the person to continue the conversation in a private channel for detailed or sensitive issues.
• If you’ve promised to take action, follow up publicly once the issue has been resolved. This shows commitment to your word.
• After responding, keep an eye on how the situation evolves. Be ready to engage in further dialogue if necessary.

06 Address false information

Disinformation always hurts a company’s reputation online. That’s why addressing any false information that spreads on the internet is so important.

When responding to false information, it’s important to remain calm and professional. Reacting confrontationally can unintentionally draw more attention to false claims.

How to address false information? Tips

• Develop a response that clearly and factually counters the misinformation. Provide evidence and accurate information to refute the false claims.
• Disseminate your response through various channels where the misinformation has spread. This includes your website, social media platforms, press releases, and even direct customer communication.
• If the misinformation comes from a specific source (like an individual or an organization), consider engaging with them directly to request a retraction or correction.
• In cases where the false information is particularly damaging or defamatory, consider seeking legal advice to understand your options for formal recourse.
• Engage with influencers, brand advocates, or loyal customers who can help disseminate the correct information and support your brand’s message.
• Have a crisis communication plan in place for handling such situations more effectively in the future.
• Continuously monitor the situation to see how it evolves and whether the misinformation is being repeated or gaining traction. You can set up a monitoring project for this purpose. 

Here’s how Piwik PRO uses a Brand24 tool to fight false or deceptive content.

The team is responsible for monitoring the accuracy and currency of brand-related information, specifically the phrase ‘Piwik PRO.’ 

If the team comes across any misleading online mention, such as an outdated description of the product’s functionality, they take action to prevent any false content.

The company places great importance on complying with GDPR, privacy, and data security regulations. Misinformation about the platform’s data collection methods spreading on the web could negatively impact the product’s credibility in users’ eyes.

Read the case study: Piwik PRO’s Media Monitoring Strategy

07 Encourage positive reviews

Encouraging positive reviews is a key strategy implemented by online reputation management services.

Positive reviews enhance a brand’s reputation by showing potential customers that existing customers are satisfied and happy with their experiences.

They also can significantly influence buying decisions. Also, they serve as social proof, strengthening trustworthiness and positive brand reputation. 

How to encourage positive reviews? Tips

• Exceptional customer service can lead to satisfied customers who are more likely to leave positive reviews. 
• Use your social media platforms to encourage happy customers to share their positive experiences. Regularly engaging with your audience on these platforms can also foster a positive community.
• By actively responding to existing reviews, both positive and negative, you show that you value customer feedback. This can encourage others to leave their own reviews.
• Consider offering incentives for leaving a review, such as discounts on future purchases or entry into a contest. However, ensure this is done ethically and following the policies of the review platforms.
• Engage with customers after a service interaction to ensure they’re satisfied. This can also be an opportunity to encourage them to share their positive experience online.
• Simplify the review process. Provide direct links to review platforms and clear instructions on how to leave a review.

Tip: You can also use a reputation management tool to find happy customer testimonials. 

Conclusion

In the digital age, your brand’s online image is as crucial as the quality of your products or services. That’s why you should constantly monitor your brand online.

Here are some key tips on how to conduct online reputation repair:

• Track your brand’s Reputation Score and sentiment to detect reputation damage in the early stage.
• Analyze your brand’s emotions online to gain a deeper understanding of your customers’ perceptions.
• Use advanced online reputation management tools to find negative mentions and authors who speak about your company negatively. 
• Pay constant attention to online reviews. 
• Address false information professionally and calmly.
• Encourage your clients to leave flattering reviews to build a positive online presence. 

Want to repair your online reputation? Try the best online reputation tool!