The phrased reputation management and online reputation repair are popping up more and more among companies and business leaders around the world. It has become a well-known fact that the public’s perception of a brand can make or break the future of the company. For this reason, there is no question about whether or not brand reputation is important.

However, there is still quite a bit of confusion regarding what is actually involved in reputation repair. You might be wondering how to go about it, if hiring a professional agency is necessary, or maybe you have absolutely no knowledge on the matter. Lucky for you, we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked question on reputation repair and management to get you started.

First of all, what is reputation repair and management?

Reputation repair and management is exactly as it sounds; it is the practice of promoting a brand’s reputation. It can also be used to promote a personal reputation in terms of professional career. There are 3 major aspects to promoting a reputation, both for a company and for an individual: building, maintenance (or management), and repair.

For new companies starting from the bottom up, it is important to spend some time building up a reputation so that your target audience is aware of your existence. Once your rep has been built, maintenance or management is required to ensure all things continue on smoothly. If God forbid something happens to tarnish your reputation, repair strategies need to be implemented.

What are the first steps involved in reputation repair?

The first step of the entire process is to gain a full understanding of your current image. Do people seem to like your product/service/overall brand? Is there any negative feedback from customers that seems to be recurring? You must take a thorough look at all of your selling platforms, social media accounts, and google search results in order to develop the proper strategies.

If you hire a professional agency, they will perform what’s called an online audit. This means that they will gather as much data as possible using several analytic tools. They’ll be able to find out everything, including your overall website traffic, how long people are actually staying on your site, and how they are finding you in the first place.

Will the results be immediate?

Once you have created a plan – like whether you need to hire an SEO specialist or a social media marketer – it is time to carry it out. Unfortunately, the results won’t show up that same day, that same week, and probably not even that same month. There is no quick fix for reputation management, especially if you’re more on the repair side of things. Results are likely to show between 3 to 6 months.

Is it necessary to continue paying for a reputation agency once the job has been completed?

This really depends. The main factor is the size of your company and the sales volume you experience. If you are running a major operation, it is a good idea to keep a reputation management agent on staff to ensure that your image remains untarnished. If you’re running a small business, however, it is not as necessary – but it is still necessary to perform the proper maintenance techniques on your own.