Facilitating Reputation Management Campaigns With Proper Communication
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Todd Bailey January 23, 2012
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Todd Bailey |
Todd Bailey is Vice President of Digital Strategy at WebiMax, a leading SEO company with 500+ clients and 150+ employees as well as Lead Contributor at SEOservices.com
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Todd Bailey
has written 21 articles for WebKnowHow. |
View all articles by Todd Bailey... |
Communication is central to just about everything we do, every day.
This we all know and are constantly reminded of when we find ourselves
in or witnessing common misunderstandings or failed conversations.
Nowhere is it more essential to have clear communication though than in
correspondence with clients regarding SEO,
reputation management, or other campaigns that a firm is managing.
Given the nature of reputation management, however, mutual understanding
here is paramount. Reputation management deals with the most important
stock a company or individual has being their brand image and
public-held perception, making it perhaps the most deserving campaign of
quality communication.
Communication is a multifaceted and dynamic process though that
requires both attention and proper planning. There are several essential
characteristics that client communication needs to hold in order to
forge the optimal client relationship, each with their own reasons for
relevance. These different categories are listed and explained below:
Quality, Concise & Clear
First and foremost, consultants at SEO firms need to deliver results; therefore the communication needs to reflect
this understanding. The substance of the conversations with the client
needs a high degree of quality; the information a consultant provides
needs to be relevant and insightful. Respect for client time is
important, and long-winded explanations lose the interest of clients and
can muddle understanding.
Make a conscious effort to be concise, offering more explanation when
necessary and appropriate. With a high technical understanding as well,
consultants cannot speak above the client in terms of industry
language, always bringing the subject matter down to the level of client
understanding. Clarity is further achieved by taking time to plan from
the perspective of the client exactly how information can most clearly
be expressed or presented.
Consistent Contact
Consistency is key, as reputation issues can arise at any time, and a
continuous contact schedule precludes gaps in communication when it may
be needed most. Thus, schedule a standing meeting or appointment to
communicate progress, provide feedback, and answer client questions and
concerns. If a standing meeting is not possible, then have a flexible
meeting time that runs a consistent period of time. Clients, to the
degree that their time allows, will appreciate a consultant establishing
a consistent means to discuss the particulars of the campaign with each
other.
If possible, having multiple channels to connect with clients can be
helpful to achieve high client satisfaction; via email, phone,
in-person, video-call, and a client collaboration platform. With this
said, consultants do not want to go overboard on contact, and proper
judgment and a perceptive ability to gauge client wants here is
required.
Transparency
Mutual respect and a transparent operation need to be established
from step one. Consultants need to show clients their work and the
results that are being achieved. Having a system in place where clients
can see the work being completed and any related analytics is essential.
There are many web platforms that allow this, and this functionality
alone facilitates greater transparency and builds client confidence.
In Sum
The true benefit of managing reviews in online reputation is
establishing long-term positive customer-client relationships. Customers
truly appreciate when they are accommodated to. Clients are no
different, and this underscores what is being achieved in the
communication between an SEO company and the client. As consultants, they want to deliver beyond client expectations. |