Adding your business to Apple Maps is a great way to improve your local SEO efforts and drive sales. The app’s growing user base makes it essential for businesses to maintain accurate listings that enhance their reputation and bring more customers.
Did you know that up to 110 million people in the United States use Apple Maps? The mapping platform has been growing in popularity amongst businesses ever since the launch of Apple Business Connect.
Adding an Apple Maps business listing helps companies dominate local search and drive conversions. As a result, you need to make sure that you have an updated business profile on Apple Maps to tap into a growing user base.
How Apple Maps Can Drive Value For Your Business
Apple Maps is an increasingly relevant part of the customer journey for individuals in the Apple ecosystem. It has established itself as a reliable application with advanced features like three-dimensional views and augmented reality (AR). The popularity of Car Play has further increased Maps usage, making it a significant part of many customers’ daily lives.
Businesses that don’t have a presence on Apple Maps have an opportunity to boost their visibility. If you have multiple locations around the world, claiming and optimizing your local listings on Maps is essential.
The Difference Between Apple Maps and Google Maps
Google Maps has long been the dominant wayfinding solution for individuals and businesses alike. It integrates directly with Google’s Business Profile to enable businesses to manage their listings and respond to user reviews.
Apple Maps is the wayfinding solution of choice for users within the Apple ecosystem. Launched in 2012, its popularity initially suffered due to a glitch that would disrupt navigation. However, Apple Maps has since turned a corner and improved its technology to the point of being a robust solution.
Unlike its Google counterpart, Apple Maps started by relying on third-party sources of data. For example, it pulled reviews from sites like Yelp, FourSquare, and TripAdvisor. As a result, businesses couldn’t manage reviews directly on Maps. Customers also struggled to access all the information they needed in one place, leading to customer friction.
Another downside of relying on third-party sites is limited control over data quality. For example, inaccurate data from FourSquare could potentially affect Apple Maps users. Google Maps prevents this issue by centralizing user-generated data, from reviews to new locations, which businesses and customers can access in one place.
Apple eventually followed suit by launching Apple Business Connect last year. The free tool allows businesses to manage their profiles and connect with customers directly on Apple Maps.
Businesses can upload photos, present special offers, and invite users to book reservations from Maps. It also encourages user-generated content by letting customers upload photos and provide thumbs up/thumbs down ratings.
These developments provide businesses an opportunity to optimize their listings for millions of Maps users.
How to Add Business to Apple Maps
Adding your business to Apple Maps will help enhance your local SEO efforts. With Maps attracting 500 million monthly users, you can connect with a significant pool of potential customers.
Follow these steps to add your business to Apple Maps:
Create an Apple ID. You can do so by creating an Apple Account. If you have previously used Business Connect, you can use the same ID to manage your current business.
Go to Apple Business Connect. Sign in to Business Connect with your Apple ID. This is where you will create, claim, and update your business listing for displaying on Maps.
Select your business type. You will be prompted to select from Small Business, Enterprise, or Third-Party Partner.
Type your business name in the search bar. It’s likely that your business is already listed. If so, simply search for the name, and you will be presented with a dropdown of possible matches. But, if you don’t find your business name in the list, click “Add a new location with this name” and follow the remaining steps.
Set your location. This is where you will enter or edit your address details. You can use Apple’s location pin and drag it to the exact spot for greater accuracy.
Provide the necessary business details. You will be prompted to add information like your business category, default language, and website. You will also be asked to set your business hours and provide details on company ownership and phone number.
Get verified. In this step, you will review and confirm your business information. Apple will send you a text code on the business phone number you provided. Within four to five days, you will receive an email confirming that your business is verified.
After completing these steps, you can start optimizing your profile on Maps to attract and convert prospects.
Best Strategies to Manage Your Business on Apple Maps
The following strategies will help you gain more customers and enhance your reputation through Apple Maps:
Include relevant information.
Leverage Showcases to promote offerings.
Track and respond to reviews.
Use keywords to boost SEO.
Optimize for Siri.
Automate the process.
Include Accurate and Up-to-Date Information
Your business hours could change due to the holidays. Maybe you’ve moved to a new location over the past week. Perhaps one of your international branches is closed for the time being. Reflecting these changes in your listings is key for customer loyalty, as it builds transparency and trust.
Therefore, when you first create your listing, add as much relevant information as possible. With Business Connect, you can include website URLs, contact details, business hours, and address information. Ensure these details are consistent with changes in your operation and business schedule.
Leverage Showcases to Promote Offerings
Showcases is an Apple Maps feature that lets you present special offers to your customers on your listing. For example, if you have a cafe, you can use this feature to showcase new menu items for the fall season. A clothes retailer could mention a flat 40% discount on its place card.
If you’re already running a promotional campaign on your social media channels, you can boost your efforts by displaying those offers on your Maps listing. This will increase your likelihood of engaging and attracting your target customers.
Track and Respond to Reviews
Your Apple Maps place card features reviews from sites like Yelp. It also allows customers to rate your business directly on your listing with a thumbs up/thumbs down. The new system lets individuals rate various aspects of your business, too. For example, a restaurant could receive a “thumbs up” on food quality but a “thumbs down” on speed of service.
As a result, there is a good amount of user-generated data that can impact your brand reputation. Monitoring these reviews is essential for tracking customer feedback and crafting a prompt response. In fact, responding to feedback within 24-48 hours boosts retention by 8.5%.
The right software can help if you’re struggling to keep up with reviews coming from various sources. InMoment’s reputation management software provides an accurate and reliable way to monitor and connect review data. You can also set automated alerts for reviews so that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to retain a customer.
Use Keywords to Boost SEO
Incorporating keywords in your listings helps you rank well in your category and reach the right customers. You can start by conducting keyword research to determine relevant keywords for your audience and competition.
You can leverage InMoment’s competitor analysis software to see where you rank in your local search. This analysis will show you what seems to be working for your competition and what keywords you could include in your listings.
It’s crucial to avoid keyword stuffing, though. You want to incorporate as many high-volume, low-competition keywords as possible while maintaining a natural flow. This approach keeps your content concise and appealing. It helps your business rank effectively while maintaining a professional and authentic voice.
Optimize for Siri
Voice assistants like Siri are gaining popularity due to their convenience and ease of use. In fact, more than half of Internet users in the U.S. are projected to use a voice assistant by 2026.
To optimize for Siri, businesses must ensure that their listings on Apple Maps are accurate, complete, and keyword-rich. Siri pulls information from Maps, so specific keywords in your profile will boost your chances of appearing in relevant voice search results.
For example, if you own a coffee shop, including terms like “coffee,” “cafe,” “breakfast,” and “brunch” in your listing can help Siri recognize your business for related queries.
It’s also important to focus on brand reputation management, as positive reviews improve your chances of appearing on Siri search results. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews results in more foot traffic and queries.
Automate the Process
Managing multiple listings on Apple Maps can be difficult and time-consuming. Each location must have accurate contact information, work hours, and regional offerings. Any changes need to be reflected in your listings right away to avoid confusing customers.
Automation can simplify this process with real-time listing updates. For example, consider a chain of restaurants that needs to update its holiday hours across seven locations. Performing this task manually would be ineffective, with a higher likelihood of errors.
InMoment’s local listings management software can help you by automatically syncing listing information on Maps. It provides a dashboard through which you can easily make bulk updates to details like business hours and contact information.
Automating routine updates will help free up time that you can redirect toward activities like marketing and service improvement. It also supports brand consistency by ensuring uniform information across all regions.
Discover how InMoment Can Help You Manage Your Business on Apple Maps
Creating and optimizing your business profile on Apple Maps will help you connect with more customers and collect actionable feedback. InMoment’s listings management solution lets you automatically update your listings with accurate information. As a result, you boost your online visibility, decrease ad spend, and increase conversions from your listings. Schedule a reputation management demo today to see how you can rank higher in local search!
References
Local SEO Guide. How Many People Actually Use Apple Maps? (https://www.localseoguide.com/how-many-people-actually-use-apple-maps). Accessed 10/31/2024.
Cult of Mac. Today in Apple history: Apple fixes ‘life-threatening’ Maps glitch (https://www.cultofmac.com/news/life-threatening-apple-maps-error). Accessed 10/31/2024.
eMarketer. How big is the voice assistant market? (https://www.emarketer.com/content/how-big-voice-assistant-market). Accessed 10/31/2024.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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In today’s digital-first marketplace, consumers rely heavily on online reviews and ratings when making purchasing decisions. Trust in these reviews is paramount, and a single misleading or deceptive review can jeopardize that trust.
Recognizing the crucial role online reviews play, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently announced stronger regulations to combat deceptive practices involving reviews and endorsements. These rules, which recently took effect, are designed to ensure transparency, fairness, and trust in online reviews, making it more important than ever for businesses to comply.
It’s essential for businesses to understand the FTC’s guidelines and why adhering to them is not only a legal obligation but also a pathway to building sustainable trust and customer loyalty.
The FTC’s Updated Regulations on Reviews and Endorsements
In August 2024, the FTC finalized new rules targeting fake reviews, deceptive endorsements, and manipulation of customer feedback. These rules prohibit a range of activities including:
Fake or False Reviews: Businesses are banned from creating or disseminating reviews that misrepresent the reviewer’s identity, such as AI-generated reviews or testimonials from individuals who did not actually use the product. For example, companies cannot post fake positive reviews or purchase them from third parties.
Incentivized Reviews: Offering compensation or incentives for positive reviews or specific sentiments is illegal. Even offering incentives for a neutral or negative review, if the intent is to sway sentiment, is also prohibited.
Insider Reviews: Reviews from employees or company insiders must include clear and conspicuous disclosures of their relationship to the business. This ensures that consumers understand the potential bias in such reviews.
Review Suppression: Companies are not allowed to suppress negative reviews, whether through threats, legal action, or by selectively displaying only favorable reviews on their platforms.
Manipulating Social Media Indicators: Purchasing fake social media likes, followers, or views to falsely inflate a company’s reputation is also prohibited.
The FTC has made it clear that violating these rules could lead to steep penalties, including fines of up to $51,744 per violation. But for companies, the real damage can go beyond financial penalties—violations can severely erode customer trust and damage long-term brand reputation.
Why Trust in Reviews Matters More Than Ever
At its core, the purpose of reviews and ratings is to create trust between businesses and potential customers. Even the SEO benefits of high ratings and review volume only exist because search engines like Google see value in prioritizing businesses that have established this positive relationship.
In fact, Google recently announced it would impose restrictions on businesses that engage in fake engagement. Consumers depend on these reviews to provide an honest reflection of the product or service they are considering and when this trust is violated, it has ripple effects that can go far beyond a single purchase decision.
While the monetary fines imposed by the FTC are significant, the long-term damage to customer relationships and brand loyalty is much more alarming. Violating customer trust can take years to recover from, if at all. But in an era where reviews and ratings impact the bottom line so significantly, what is a business to do if its online reviews are not up to par?
The Struggle for Positive Reviews is Real—But Deception Isn’t the Solution
Businesses often struggle to gather a substantial number of positive reviews. Human nature dictates that consumers are often motivated to leave a review after an extreme experience. Regrettably, the threshold for an extreme experience tends to be highly positive or moderately negative. This means that businesses might feel that their current reviews don’t accurately reflect the quality of their products or services, as many satisfied customers do not leave reviews.
It’s understandable that businesses might feel tempted to manipulate reviews to offset the negative ones or to create a more favorable impression. But violating the FTC’s rules is not the solution.
The Ethical, Sustainable Path to Positive Reviews
Step 1 – Ask for Reviews: Instead of resorting to fake or incentivized reviews, businesses should focus on proactive engagement with customers to encourage honest feedback. There are tools available that allow businesses to easily solicit reviews from their broader base of customers. By making it easier for satisfied customers to leave feedback, businesses can ensure that their review profiles more accurately reflect their true service levels. Research shows that just by asking for reviews a business can improve their star rating.
Step 2 – Respond to Reviews: 94% of consumers say that a bad review has convinced them to avoid a business, but 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews. The truth is that negative experiences reflected in reviews sometimes happen for valid and entirely explainable reasons. Respond to reviews to provide the necessary context and empathy. And because 53% of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week, it’s important for businesses to respond in a timely manner.
Step 3: Leverage the Voice of the Customer to Improve your Product: Reviews provide businesses with deeper insights into their business, helping identify what they’re doing well and where they might improve—even at the individual location level- as well as feedback left for their top competitors. Collecting customer feedback allows businesses to address concerns, improve their services, and naturally generate more positive feedback from satisfied customers.
Beyond public reviews, businesses can directly survey their customers as well as monitoring social media to capture broader Voice of the Customer (VOC) elements. By combining these methods, companies can address pain points before they even surface in public reviews, ensuring a more proactive and holistic approach to customer satisfaction.
Conclusion: Ethical Reviews Are the Path to Long-Term Success
In a landscape where consumers are increasingly reliant on online reviews, businesses that prioritize transparency and authenticity will ultimately succeed. Violating FTC rules on fake or incentivized reviews may offer short-term gains, but the long-term consequences—both financial and reputational—are far more damaging.
For businesses, the key to gathering positive reviews is not manipulation but engagement. With the right tools, companies can ethically and effectively manage their online reputation. By fostering genuine customer satisfaction, businesses can ensure that their reviews reflect the high quality of their services—without the need for deception.
As the FTC continues to crack down on deceptive practices, businesses have a clear choice: embrace transparency and ethical practices or risk facing severe penalties. The smart choice is clear, and with the right approach, it doesn’t have to be an onerous task.
References
The Verge. Google Maps is cracking down on fake reviews (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/26/24254882/google-maps-removing-fake-business-reviews-warning-message). Accessed 10/31/24.
National Strategic Group. Why Would They Write That?! The Psychology of Customer Reviews (https://www.nationalstrategic.com/why-would-they-write-that-the-psychology-of-customer-reviews/#:~:text=Surprising%20Consumer%20Behavior,to%20sound%20smarter). Accessed 10/31/24.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Fake reviews, often written by paid individuals, bots, or competitors, misrepresent genuine customer experiences and can mislead consumers. Spotting them involves looking for overly positive or negative language, vague descriptions, and suspicious reviewer profiles.
Fake reviews are an escalating problem for both consumers and businesses. Nearly 30% of online reviews are now estimated to be fake, and this figure keeps rising. As consumers grow more aware of this issue, they’re becoming increasingly cautious about purchasing products or services.
In fact, over 50% of consumers say they wouldn’t buy a product if they suspected the reviews were fake. Businesses can report fake reviews on platforms like Google and to the FTC, and using tools like InMoment’s Reputation Management can help gather authentic reviews and strengthen customer trust.
What is Considered a Fake Review?
A fake review is any review that is misleading, fabricated, or incentivized in a way that doesn’t represent a genuine customer experience. These can include reviews written by paid individuals, ai-generated reviews, or even disgruntled competitors looking to harm a business’s reputation.
Where do Fake Reviews Come From?
Fake reviews originate from various sources. Some businesses might pay for positive reviews to boost their products or competitors might post negative reviews to undermine other businesses.
Automated systems, often referred to as bots, can also be programmed to flood review platforms with misleading feedback. Additionally, incentivized reviews, where customers are given free products or discounts in exchange for positive reviews, are increasingly common.
How to Spot Fake Reviews?
Spotting fake reviews can be challenging, as they often blend in with genuine feedback. Inauthentic reviews—whether excessively positive or sharply critical—can distort a business’s real value and lead to misguided decisions. Here are some quick tips to help you identify fake reviews:
Overly positive or negative language: Authentic reviews tend to be more balanced. Be cautious of reviews that are excessively enthusiastic or intensely negative, as they may be less trustworthy.
Generic descriptions: Watch for vague language that lacks specifics about the product, service, or experience. Genuine reviewers typically mention specific features, benefits, or issues they encountered.
Reviewer history: Check the reviewer’s profile age and activity. Fake profiles are often newly created, with little review history or reviews across unrelated categories.
Consistent monitoring: Regularly review customer feedback to catch suspicious patterns early. Set up alerts or schedules to keep track of any sudden changes that could indicate fake activity.
Fake Review Checker
Several tools are available for detecting fake reviews, such as Fakespot and ReviewMeta, which analyze reviews for patterns that may indicate inauthentic behavior. These tools can be helpful for evaluating the credibility of product reviews on platforms like Amazon, but they are less effective for location-based reviews found on platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, or TripAdvisor.
This is a limitation for businesses interested in managing their local reputation, as location-based reviews significantly impact consumer trust and search rankings. While tools tailored specifically for location reviews are less common, review management software can help you monitor your customer feedback and address fake reviews at a location level.
How to Report a Fake Review?
Many review platforms allow users to report reviews they suspect are fake, though the process can vary by site. When reporting, it’s helpful to gather as much information as possible to support your claim. Supporting evidence can include specifics like unusual language patterns, repeated phrases across multiple reviews, or timing patterns that seem out of the ordinary.
Businesses also have an additional avenue for reporting fake reviews: they can file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC takes consumer and business reports seriously as part of its mission to protect against misleading practices.
How to Report a Fake Review on Google?
With 57.5% of all online reviews appearing on Google, knowing how to report a fake review is essential. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you attempt removal if you suspect a review is inauthentic:
Sign in to your Google account and go to Manage Your Business Profile.
Open the profile for the business you’d like to manage.
On the left-hand menu, select Reviews.
Locate the review you want to report, then click Flag as inappropriate.
Once flagged, Google will review the report. If the review is found to violate Google’s policies, it may be removed. To check the review’s status, you can visit the support page or contact Google support if no action has been taken within a few days
Are Fake Reviews Illegal?
Yes, fake reviews can be illegal in many jurisdictions. In the U.S., for instance, the FTC has clear guidelines against deceptive practices, which include posting or commissioning fake reviews. The FTC considers fake reviews a violation of the FTC Act, as they mislead consumers and distort fair competition. Companies found guilty of such practices can face substantial fines and other penalties.
The Risk of Faking Your Reviews
Posting or encouraging fake reviews carries significant risks beyond potential fines. For example, fake reviews can damage a brand’s credibility if customers suspect or uncover them. Once trust is lost, it’s hard to regain, and a company’s reputation may suffer in the long term. Search engines also have algorithms that detect suspicious review activity, so the risk of detection is high.
It’s far better to invest in strategies that organically boost positive customer reviews and ratings. Reliable, honest feedback is always more valuable and sustainable for business growth.
Boost Authentic Positive Reviews With InMoment
InMoment can help you get more authentic reviews and elevate your customer experience. Our Reputation Management solution empowers brands to grow their positive review base, all while staying compliant with FTC guidelines to protect brand reputation and foster long-term trust.
With InMoment, you can request reviews and even automate your solicitation workflows, saving valuable time while maximizing results. Review and keyword alerts enable your team to quickly address issues and spot reviews that might be fake.
Additionally, InMoment’s Integrated CX approach combines reviews with other valuable experience signals, such as survey data, competitor insights, call center data, and more. This unified perspective uncovers actionable insights for operational improvements that help you enhance customer experiences, leading naturally to more 5-star reviews.
Say “no” to fake reviews with InMoment! Schedule a call with us today to learn how to get more real reviews and boost your reputation.
References
Invesp. The State of Fake Reviews – Statistics and Trends [2025] (https://www.invespcro.com/blog/fake-reviews-statistics/). Accessed 10/31/24.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Reviews and ratings are the biggest drivers of spending for diners. By managing your restaurant’s reputation, you can generate more positive reviews to attract more diners, boost revenue, and stand out from the competition.
When you’re thinking of ordering takeout, or planning a date at a fancy restaurant, what’s the first thing you look at? Online reviews are the most trusted source of information for most people interacting with a restaurant for the first time. This is where restaurant reputation management can be the difference between a new client and a lost opportunity.
What is Restaurant Reputation Management?
Restaurant reputation management is the process of monitoring, responding to, and addressing feedback from various sources. Customers love talking about their experiences, especially if they had an exceptionally good or bad time. They share their thoughts on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram or through review platforms such as Yelp and Google reviews.
The average customer sentiment across the online space contributes to the restaurant’s reputation. The more positive reviews a restaurant receives, the better the public perceives it. On the flip side, nothing affects business like negative feedback. In fact, 22% of customers will not dine at a restaurant after reading a single negative review!
To assess the current state of your restaurant’s reputation, get your personalized reputation score today! The score is calculated based on customer reviews, response rate, response time, and more. It allows you to see your overall brand health and current reputation standing.
How Reputation Management Impacts A Restaurant
Reputation management impacts a restaurant in terms of public opinion and business metrics. When you consciously manage your restaurant’s reputation, you can better control how people perceive your business. Perception is important in the digital age, where word-of-mouth spreads faster and is more impactful than ever before.
The value of customer feedback and reviews is evident from the following statistics:
46% of diners, representing 79 million customers, say that positive online reviews made them more likely to visit a restaurant. (PYMNTS)
Reviews and ratings, with a share of 39%, are the biggest drivers of customer purchase and spending. (InMoment)
39% of diners are extremely likely to leave a positive review after a good dining experience. (PYMNTS)
Bad online reviews and negative feedback from friends are among the top two reasons diners avoid certain restaurants. (TouchBistro)
33% of customers say they will not choose a restaurant with an average three-star rating on review sites. (ReviewTrackers)
Reviews and ratings, with a share of 42%, are the most popular way customers interact with brands. (InMoment)
Therefore, the data suggests that online reviews are a huge factor in customers’ visiting or avoiding a restaurant. More negative reviews lead to fewer customers, which has an adverse effect on revenue, profit, and business growth.
When you think about the competitive nature of the restaurant industry, it’s clear that online reputation management is crucial for survival.
Benefits of Restaurant Reputation Management
Reputation management helps restaurants improve diner trust and business performance. Here are some of the key benefits:
It helps restaurants attract more customers. Positive reviews and a strong online presence can draw new customers. Meanwhile, effective reputation management minimizes the impact of negative feedback.
It results in increased revenue. A better reputation leads to more bookings and higher diner demand. These improvements drive sales and revenue.
It boosts customer trust and loyalty. Responding to reviews and addressing customer concerns builds trust. As a result, customers are more likely to stay loyal to your brand and even advocate for it.
It improves a restaurant’s brand image. Proactively managing your restaurant’s reputation enhances your brand image and makes your business more appealing to potential customers.
It gives restaurants a competitive advantage. In a crowded market, a well-managed reputation helps differentiate your restaurant from competitors.
Curious about the ROI you could achieve with InMoment’s reputation management software? Try the ROI calculator below and see the impact for yourself!
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Restaurant Reputation Management Best Practices
You can’t ignore online conversations around your business. Regardless of the sentiment, it’s important to monitor and respond to reviews. The following five best practices will help you overcome challenges and provide positive customer experiences:
Monitor Online Reviews
Online reviews are a key aspect of restaurant reputation management. After all, 94% of diners choose restaurants based on online reviews. The last thing you want is to miss out on prospects simply because you haven’t been tracking your reviews.
By monitoring online reviews, you get a clearer picture of public sentiment toward your restaurant. It’s easier to plan and prioritize once you understand the general opinion around your services.
Are diners mostly satisfied with your food quality, ambiance, and wait times? What are the most common complaints, if any? Do people believe you have done enough to address these complaints? These are the kinds of questions you can answer by analyzing customer reviews.
Once you have the answers, you can set about making the necessary adjustments. Negative customer feedback highlights areas for improvement that you should prioritize. Positive feedback helps you boost your marketing efforts and showcase your restaurant in a positive light.
The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant with over 105 locations, realized the importance of diner feedback. Through its partnership with InMoment, it collected real-time feedback and analyzed it for deep insights into customer behavior. As a result, the restaurant improved the “speed of service” metric by 47%. It also significantly reduced time and risk in introducing new menu items.
Ask for and Respond to Reviews
Monitoring reviews is important, but it’s not enough. The next step is to address the online feedback and respond to it the right way.
Getting your review response strategy right can give you a significant competitive edge. Leaders in the restaurant industry have a response rate of 94%, while the average is 61%. Similarly, leaders have a response rate of 1.21 days, roughly half the industry average of 2.66 days.
So, how do you come up with the best possible response? It’s important to avoid sounding too general. Customers expect an empathetic reply to their feedback instead of something that feels automated. Address the feedback directly, explain why the issue occurred, and suggest specific solutions. Conclude with a note of thanks to show the customer that you always value their opinion.
Your work isn’t done with that initial response. Once you’ve made the necessary adjustments, it’s crucial to follow up with the customer. The resulting feedback loop will help you better understand your customer. Meanwhile, the customer will appreciate the follow-up and feel better about you as a brand.
As important as it is, providing a tailored response to every review can be challenging. This is where InMoment’s reputation management software can help you win over your customers. It allows you to leverage generative AI to create responses that align with your brand’s voice guidelines. As a result, you can create and close feedback loops with ease. You also save valuable time that you can invest in other parts of your operation.
Be Active on Social Media
You can’t underestimate the importance of social media marketing for reputation management. Over 40% of diners look up a restaurant on social media before making a decision. This is because platforms like Facebook and Instagram host a ton of content from influencers and regular consumers alike.
Much of this content comprises reviews and opinions, including those on dining experiences. If your restaurant is receiving a lot of praise or criticism on social media, you need to tune in!
Start with your social media profile and look at the interactions with your recent posts. Then, search for your restaurant to see what comes up. It could be tags from food vloggers on their Stories or a post from a recent customer.
All the content related to your brand will give you a better idea of the current public sentiment. You can then craft meaningful responses where applicable to show that you’re listening and taking opinions into account.
Track Competitors’ Reputation
It’s no secret that the competition in the restaurant space is brutal. With so many trends and viral concepts emerging daily, it’s important to stay up-to-date so you don’t fall behind the pack.
Think about your biggest competitors and analyze their profiles. What are they doing right, and what mistakes are they making? What kind of reviews do they get from diners? Is there an opportunity for you to differentiate your offerings from theirs?
The insights you get from competitor analysis will help you find unique ways to win over customers to your tables.
Showcase Customer Testimonials
Positive customer testimonials are powerful marketing tools. Sharing glowing reviews or success stories builds trust and improves your brand equity. It also encourages potential customers to try your restaurant.
To showcase your strengths, highlight real experiences from happy diners through written testimonials, video reviews, or social media shoutouts.
Tips for Managing Restaurant Reputation
The following tips will help you manage your restaurant reputation for diner satisfaction and business outcomes:
Build a Consistent Experience
A restaurant experience is never just about the food. Diners want to feel welcome and comfortable throughout their journey with your restaurant.
Even if your food quality is top-notch, diners could still have mixed or negative feelings if they had to wait too long. Or, maybe they have a pleasant time talking to your staff on call, but their in-person interactions end up being the opposite.
It’s important to deliver a consistently positive customer experience across all touchpoints. From the food quality to service and ambiance, each aspect of your restaurant should satisfy customer expectations. Work with your staff across all departments to ensure everyone follows a customer-centric approach.
Develop a Crisis Management Plan
Sometimes, issues tend to crop up when you least expect it. From a diner complaint going viral to getting your account hacked, restaurants can face any number of unexpected challenges. With a crisis management plan, you can minimize the fallout from these situations.
Start by establishing communication protocols and training your staff on them. Every member needs to know the what, where, who, and how of communication during a crisis. As a result, your team will be prepared to respond when such situations arise.
Assign responsibilities so that everyone knows their role during a crisis. For example, if the CEO is occupied with a PR crisis, someone capable should be on standby to run the ship until the situation is resolved.
The goal is to manage the situation before it gets out of hand. This helps you stay in control and reduce the impact on public perception. It also allows you to turn a bad situation into an opportunity to show your dedication to customer service.
Create Location Pages
If your restaurant has multiple locations, it’s good practice to have specific location pages on your website. These pages help you connect with diners in specific regions and address their concerns.
Additionally, they contribute to local SEO, making it easier for customers to find your restaurant. Include information like hours, menus, and contact details for each location.
As a result, your business performs better across all regions. You will also be able to boost your visibility online, which brings more foot traffic through your doors.
Train Employees
Training employees to provide excellent customer service makes a huge difference. Ensure your staff understands the importance of consistency, attentiveness, and hospitality.
Regular training sessions keep staff updated on any new protocols, menu changes, or customer service strategies. This ensures they’re always prepared to offer top-tier service.
Well-trained staff can turn first-time diners into loyal customers by creating a welcoming and memorable experience.
Host Special Events
Special events and promotions are a great way to drive customer interest and boost your reputation. They help you engage the local community and show them that you’re more than just a place to dine.
For example, you could host a monthly cooking class for a reasonable fee, with a portion of the proceeds going to a local charity. An event like this helps you generate public interest in your brand, as customers love creative events that contribute to a good cause.
Features to Look For in Restaurant Reputation Management Software
Investing in the right software for restaurant reputation management simplifies the process for you and helps you boost your brand. Here are the key features to look for when choosing the right tool:
Review Monitoring and Aggregation
Diners provide reviews across the online space, from sites like Yelp to social media like Instagram. Your software should enable you to track each piece of incoming feedback so that you can respond to it swiftly and maintain your reputation.
InMoment’s review management platform helps you monitor and connect all your review data in the most accurate and reliable way possible. As a result, you don’t miss out on any insights and can prioritize your responses accordingly.
Automated Alerts
Reputation management is all about receiving feedback and acting quickly. Therefore, the right software should send automated alerts to inform you of real-time customer activity. The sooner you’re aware of a review, the quicker you can process and respond to it for effective management.
Sentiment Analysis
Tracking what your customers are saying is not enough. You need to quantify their experiences to help you better understand their overall sentiment and how you can help them. You can accomplish this with sentiment analysis, a technique that helps you capture meaning and emotion from textual reviews.
InMoment’s sentiment analysis features empower you to gain insight into every piece of feedback you receive. The platform leverages industry-recognized metrics and real-time intelligence gathering to help you better understand customer opinion.
By removing guesswork from the process, the right software can save you valuable hours with analytical insights into customer behavior.
Review Response Templates
Not sure about the right response for diner satisfaction and issue resolution? A good reputation management software can solve this headache with review response templates. These templates can help you generate quick and effective responses to feedback while reflecting your unique brand voice.
Social Media Management
Without managing your social media presence, you’re at risk of missing out on vital insights. Your software of choice should help you track customer interactions across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.
InMoment enables social media management for businesses with content scheduling and curation. It also leverages AI and sentiment analysis to track keywords and brand mentions so that you can stay on top of conversations around your restaurant.
Competitor Comparison
Understanding how your competitors are performing is key to staying competitive. Look for software that includes competitor comparison tools, which allow you to monitor their reviews, ratings, and feedback.
InMoment’s reputation management platform gives you access to competitor analysis software to capture key insights for staying ahead of the pack. It helps you identify competitors, see how you rank against them, and set alerts to stay informed on performance changes. As a result, you stay in the loop and can refine strategy where necessary.
Local Listings Management
Inaccurate and inconsistent business information across your listings can turn away customers. For example, a change in business hours or branch location that is not reflected in your listings will confuse diners. This can hurt your credibility as a brand. Therefore, your software should help you manage your listings to boost visibility and attract more customers.
InMoment’s local listings management software lets you decrease ad spend by making the most of your local listings. The tool gives you insight into your local reputation by offering ROI-specific insights from your Google Maps listings. You can use the information to increase your influence, outrank competitors, and create relevant Google posts to drive organic sales.
Survey Tools
Surveys are tried-and-tested means of feedback collection that can help you better understand your diners. The right software should feature survey design tools to help you gather consistent insights.
InMoment’s XI Platform gives you the ability to build surveys from scratch or choose from pre-built templates. As a result, you collect actionable feedback quicker, which helps you improve diner satisfaction.
Integration with Reservation Systems
Your reputation management software should integrate seamlessly with your reservation or point-of-sale systems. This feature allows you to link reviews directly to specific customer interactions. It also enables automated survey requests that you can send once a reservation is complete. Therefore, you can seamlessly collect feedback and determine areas for improvement.
Review Generation
Review generation tools boost your online reputation by requesting feedback from satisfied diners. The software you choose should allow you to send requests that prompt customers to leave reviews after their dining experience. Since the process is automated, you can request and collect reviews with ease to enhance ratings and credibility.
Improve Restaurant Reputation Management with InMoment
Your restaurant could have the best chefs and attention to detail when it comes to food. But, without robust reputation management, you’ll struggle to differentiate yourself and keep diners coming through your doors.
With InMoment, you get access to award-winning reputation management software that helps you consistently win over customers and boost your brand. Schedule a demo today to see how you can stand out and stay ahead!
References
WOWAPPS. How Restaurant Reviews Impact People’s Decisions (https://www.wowapps.com/how-restaurant-reviews-impact-peoples-decisions). Accessed 10/21/2024.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Your online reputation as a doctor plays a crucial role in attracting new patients and building trust. Managing reviews, maintaining accurate listings, and engaging with patients online are key strategies to ensure a positive digital presence and continued practice growth.
Your online reputation as a doctor can influence how patients perceive you before they even step foot in your office. We’ve all been there—checking reviews, browsing social media profiles, and searching Google to find the right healthcare provider. It’s no different for your patients. A well-managed online presence isn’t just about avoiding bad reviews; it’s about proactively building trust and attracting new patients.
But how do you stay on top of it all when your focus is on patient care?
What is Online Reputation Management for Doctors?
Online reputation management for doctors is the process of monitoring and controlling what patients see when they search for you or your practice online. It includes managing patient reviews, ensuring the accuracy of your online listings, engaging with patients on social media, and maintaining high visibility in search results.
In a nutshell, reputation management is about shaping the narrative around your practice. A well-executed strategy helps you promote positive reviews, address negative feedback in a constructive way, and ensure that potential patients see you as a trusted and reliable healthcare provider.
Why is doctor reputation management so important?
Your online presence can influence whether patients choose your practice over the competition. With an estimated 94% of healthcare patients saying they use online reviews as a first step in choosing a doctor, having a solid strategy for managing your digital reputation can significantly impact your success.
What are the Key Factors that Shape a Doctor’s Online Reputation?
Several factors come together to form a doctor’s online reputation, and understanding these elements can help you actively shape how you’re perceived online. Let’s break them down:
Patient Reviews: Online reviews are a critical component of your reputation. Patients often rely on reviews when selecting a healthcare provider, and negative comments can significantly affect a doctor’s ability to attract new patients. The key is not just to collect positive reviews but also to respond appropriately to negative ones.
Accurate Online Listings: Ensuring that your practice’s contact details, office hours, and services are correct on platforms like Google, Healthgrades, or Yelp is essential. Inconsistent or outdated information can confuse potential patients and harm your credibility.
Social Media Presence: While not every doctor is active on social media, having a presence where you can engage with patients and share health-related information builds trust. Patients appreciate transparency and accessibility, and social media offers a direct line of communication.
Search Engine Visibility: When someone searches for a doctor in your specialty, how often does your name come up? Optimizing your website and listings for local SEO ensures you’re easy to find when patients are researching their options.
Each of these factors plays a role in how current and future patients view your practice online, so it’s important to maintain them.
Why Is Doctor Review Management So Important?
If there’s one thing that can make or break your online reputation, it’s patient reviews. Doctor review management involves monitoring, collecting, and responding to reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp, Healthgrades, and other healthcare-specific sites.
So why is this so important? Because today’s patients trust online reviews almost as much as personal recommendations. When a patient leaves a review, it becomes part of your digital footprint. Good reviews act as endorsements for your practice, but bad reviews can raise red flags for prospective patients.
What makes review management essential is how you handle these reviews—particularly the negative ones. When done correctly, responding to patient concerns in a thoughtful and timely manner shows that you care about their experience. This can help diffuse the impact of a negative review and even turn a frustrated patient into a loyal one.
Failing to engage with reviews, on the other hand, can signal to patients that their feedback doesn’t matter. This can not only damage your online reputation but also affect patient retention and satisfaction.
What Are the Benefits of Doctor Reputation Management?
Investing in reputation management for doctors offers a variety of benefits that can directly impact your practice’s growth, patient retention, and overall success. Let’s look at some of the key advantages:
Attracting New Patients: A strong online reputation helps you stand out from the competition. Patients searching for a new healthcare provider will often choose the one with the most positive reviews and well-maintained online presence.
Building Patient Trust: Trust is essential in healthcare. A doctor with a reputation for responding to patient concerns and maintaining professionalism online will inspire confidence in prospective patients.
Improving Patient Retention: Reputation management isn’t just about attracting new patients—it’s also about keeping the ones you have. When patients see that their feedback is taken seriously, they’re more likely to stay loyal to your practice.
Enhancing Professional Credibility: Your online reputation can establish you as a leading provider in your field. A combination of positive reviews, accurate listings, and patient engagement builds your credibility both with patients and within the medical community.
Competitive Edge: Effectively managing your online reputation offers valuable insights into patient experiences, helping you identify opportunities to improve the customer experience in healthcare services you provide.
By focusing on these benefits, you can strengthen your practice’s foundation and continue to grow your patient base in a sustainable way.
How to Manage Your Doctor Reputation: Tips for Success
Managing your online reputation doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some straightforward tips to help you stay on top of it:
Respond to All Reviews: Acknowledge both positive and negative reviews. For positive ones, thank the patient for their feedback. For negative reviews, respond professionally, address the issue, and offer to discuss it privately.
Keep Your Listings Updated: Ensure that your practice information is accurate across all platforms. This includes your address, phone number, office hours, and services offered. Inconsistent details can hurt your credibility.
Ask for Reviews: Don’t be afraid to ask satisfied patients to leave reviews. Happy patients are often willing to share their positive experiences but might need a gentle reminder.
Engage on Social Media: While it’s not necessary to be constantly active, responding to patient comments or questions on social media shows that you’re accessible and care about your patients outside of the exam room.
Monitor Regularly: Make sure you’re regularly checking review sites, social media, and your business listings for new feedback. Staying on top of what’s being said about you online is essential for proactive management.
Use Data: Use analytics tools to track patient sentiment and monitor trends in your reviews. This can help you identify areas where your practice is excelling or where improvements might be needed.
Features to Look for in Doctor Reputation Management Software
Choosing the right reputation management software can streamline the entire process and make it much more manageable. Here are some features to consider when selecting a tool:
Real-Time Review Monitoring: Look for software that tracks reviews from multiple platforms in real-time, so you never miss a new review.
Automated Review Requests: A tool that can automatically prompt satisfied patients to leave reviews can help you build a steady stream of positive feedback.
Response Automation: Some platforms offer response templates or AI-driven tools that help you quickly and professionally address reviews.
Analytics & Reporting: Software that provides insights into review trends, patient sentiment, and overall performance can help you adjust your strategy accordingly.
Listings Management: Ensure the tool helps you keep your practice’s information consistent across online directories. This reduces the risk of patients finding outdated or incorrect details about your practice.
By using the right software, you can make reputation management a seamless part of your practice’s daily operations, freeing up more time for patient care.
InMoment’s 2024 Healthcare Reputation Benchmarks Report offers an in-depth look at the current state of online reviews for medical practices and how these reviews reflect the patient experiences people expect. The benchmarks serve as a valuable resource for healthcare providers aiming to assess their online reputation, set goals, make informed decisions, and enhance the overall patient experience.
Improve Online Reputation Management for Doctors with InMoment
At InMoment, we know just how critical it is for doctors to maintain a strong, positive online presence. That’s why we’ve developed advanced reputation management solutions designed specifically for healthcare providers. Our tools allow you to monitor patient feedback, respond to reviews, and optimize your online listings—all while saving you time.
With InMoment, you’ll get access to everything you need to manage your reputation effectively, from automated review requests to detailed analytics on patient sentiment. Let us help you strengthen your practice’s reputation, attract new patients, and continue delivering the exceptional care your patients expect.
Ready to take control of your online reputation? Get started today with a reputation demo.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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AI-generated reviews, created by models like ChatGPT, mimic authentic feedback but can deceive both consumers and AI detectors. As the use of AI reviews increases, brands must prioritize authentic Voice of the Customer (VoC) insights by gathering data from diverse sources to improve customer experiences.
What Are AI-Generated Reviews?
AI-generated reviews are written by artificial intelligence models, like ChatGPT, or algorithms instead of the customers. These AI tools analyze existing review data to produce new, human-like content that mimics genuine customer feedback.
In some cases, companies use AI-generated reviews as a quick way to boost their brand’s star rating and review volume on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook and fill in the gaps where customer feedback is sparse. In its August 14, 2024 ruling, the Federal Trade Commission classifies these reviews as fake or misleading and warns businesses against using them to deceive consumers.
There are also cases where customers use AI tools to help structure or finalize their own reviews. This approach can make it easier to articulate thoughts but should still reflect the reviewer’s true experience.
Different Types of AI-Generated Reviews
There are different types of AI-generated reviews that businesses and customers can create:
Reviews based on existing customer feedback: These reviews can be tailored to highlight particular aspects of the products or services aligned with previous online reviews.
Customer AI-generated reviews: Consumers may use AI tools to quickly draft their reviews in order to save time and ensure their feedback is well-structured.
Reviews generated from company input: AI is used to craft reviews that feel authentic and align with the company’s messaging, but are not based on actual customer feedback.
How Are These AI Reviews Generated?
AI-generated reviews that are based on existing customer feedback are created using models, like ChatGPT-4, which are trained on large datasets of real feedback. By analyzing patterns in existing reviews, these models generate new, human-like content.
In some cases, customers use AI tools to help structure or polish their own reviews, though the core experience remains relatively genuine. However, with the emergence of new tools, companies can also easily create AI-generated reviews with basic product information including:
Product name
Details about the product
Highlight the benefits and advantages of the product
Companies can also input desired ratings, and the AI tool crafts a review that mimics authentic feedback. With the power of these AI tools, companies can efficiently generate large volumes of positive reviews, even though they are not based on real experiences.
Popular Free AI-Generated Review Tools You Should Avoid
There are many popular AI-generated review tools available, but many come with ads, limitations, and premium upgrades. More importantly, most of these tools produce fake reviews, which can harm your company’s reputation and brand as the FTC has announced to ban fake online reviews. Using advanced tools to detect AI-generated reviews, the FTC is cracking down on violators who could face significant penalties and fines.
ToolBaz
ToolBaz’s AI Review Generator claims to create fake reviews that look real. The tool automatically generates reviews for your product or service by either scraping review sites or using natural language processing to craft fake reviews.
Editpad+
Editpad offers a free review generator that allows you to input a description of your product or service which creates an unbiased review. The tool also allows you to choose the level of creativity and tone.
Scalenut
Scalenute’s Online Review Generator allows you to pick from several AI-generated reviews based on the information you provide including the product name, product description, what you like about the product, and the tone.
Typli
Typli’s Review Generator provides a field that allows you to enter your review, whether it’s for a product, person, or business. You’re limited to 500 characters but can upgrade to their premium service.
A Better Way to Capture Online Reviews
Get authentic reviews. InMoment’s reputation management software helps increase both the volume and quality of customer feedback, providing businesses with more actionable insights. Clients like Rural King have seen a rise in online reviews, particularly ratings between 4 and 5 stars. To get started, check your reputation score and see where your business currently stands.
Why Are AI-Generated Reviews Bad for Businesses?
As large language models (LLMs) and generative AI evolve, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to truly understand customer sentiment and identify ways to improve their experiences.
A recent study by Yale School of Management professor Balázs Kovács, published on April 14, 2024, reveals that AI-generated reviews can easily pass the Turing test, deceiving both human readers and AI detectors. In the study, Kovács conducted two experiments with participants from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.
The first experiment had participants read a mix of real Yelp reviews and AI-generated reviews from ChatGPT-4. Shockingly, they only correctly identified the source 50% of the time. In the second experiment, AI created all the reviews, and the results were even more striking—64% of participants mistook AI-generated reviews for human-written ones.
Even advanced AI detectors designed to differentiate between AI and human-written content were frequently tricked, highlighting the risks of relying on AI reviews in today’s landscape.
How to Uncover Authentic VoC Insights to Improve Experiences?
In the era of advanced language models, relying solely on reviews to understand needs and measure customer satisfaction is no longer sufficient. To gain a deeper understanding of the Voice of the Customer, brands must gather and integrate customer experience data from multiple sources, including reviews, contact center calls and chats, social, surveys, customer interactions, agent performance, operational metrics, and more.
InMoment empowers you to capture and connect unstructured and structured experience data in every format, at every stage of the customer journey—all in one place.
Through our Integrated CX approach your brand can uncover authentic insights from VoC data, helping you focus on key areas that will drive the greatest impact for both your customers and your business.
Experience the transformative capabilities firsthand by exploring our demo.
References
Springer. The Turing test of online reviews: Can we tell the difference between human-written and GPT-4-written online reviews? (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-024-09729-3) Accessed 10/14/2024
CBS News. FTC bans phony online reviews, seeks to deter AI-generated fakes. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ftc-bans-phony-online-reviews-ai-generated-fakes/) Accessed 10/14/2024.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Social media management is the process of maintaining your organization’s social media profiles across different platforms. It is an important component of modern marketing that will help you capitalize on the social media habits of your consumers.
Did you know that 63.7% of the global population uses social media? And over one in four users are using social media to either find things to purchase or find inspiration for things to do and buy. Social media usage is growing every year, and the rate at which consumers are using social media to interact with brands is increasing with it. To make sure your brand can benefit from the use of social media, you need to implement social media management.
What is Social Media Management?
Social media management is the process of creating, managing, and reporting on content posted on various social media platforms. It includes activities that build and maintain your brand reputation such as creating posts, responding to users who engage with your content, and creating a social media strategy that will influence your business’s main metrics.
Why is Social Media Management Important?
Social media management is important because social media is one of the main ways that consumers interact with your brand. InMoment research found that 70% of emerging consumers purchased a new product through a social signal. If you do not prioritize social media management, you could be missing out on a large source of customer acquisition.
Social media management is also one of the biggest factors in online reputation management. Your organization’s social media profiles are one of the key building blocks of your brand reputation. Managing social media for your organization gives you a direct influence in monitoring and altering the reputation of your brand.
What Are the Benefits of Social Media Management?
A recent study of social media marketers worldwide found that there were five main benefits of social media marketing and effective social media management. These benefits, ranked in order of agreement are:
Increased brand awareness
Increased traffic
Lead generation
Customer loyalty
Revenue growth
These benefits represent the importance of social media marketing and the need for dedicated social media management. Let’s dive deeper into the benefits of business social media management:
Increased Brand Awareness
Social media and content management can lead to increased brand awareness. 56% of marketers agree that social media has improved their brand exposure in less than 12 months, and 77% agree that social media has improved their brand awareness after one to two years. The biggest sources for increased awareness were TikTok and YouTube. These statistics prove that social media management is vital in increasing the rate at which consumers interact with your brand for the first time.
Increased Traffic
Effective social media management will do more than build brand awareness, it has the power to bring consumers to you. The majority of marketing leaders agree that business social media management has improved their traffic with the most popular platforms driving that traffic being Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Lead Generation
Data shows that the longer you manage your social media, the more likely you are to generate leads via social media. Only 44% of businesses agree that social media generates leads after less than 12 months of social media management, but that number jumps to 66% after three years. To start generating leads from social media, you need to begin implementing social media and content management as soon as possible.
Customer Loyalty
Through continued business social media management, you will increase your customer loyalty and build a customer base that is actively engaged with your business. The majority of businesses that have been utilizing social media for more than one year agreed that it has improved their customer loyalty.
Revenue Growth
In the same way, you can realize more leads and more loyal customers through business social media management, you can also attribute revenue growth to your social media management efforts. The majority of business leaders agree that using social media for more than three years has had a positive impact on their revenue.
How Much Does Social Media Management Cost?
Your social media management budget will vary depending on the industry you are in. For example, the average business will spend 14.9% of their marketing budget on social media. However, industries such as communications and media allocated 23.9% of their budgets to social media, while the banking and finance industry allocated an average of 9.7% of their marketing budgets to social media. This view represents a top-level view of social media as it relates to an entire organization. However, social media management entails other things that require a budget.
Business social media management requires fees that include, but are not limited to:
Platform management
Advertising
Social media employee salaries
Social Media Management Platform Pricing
Social media management platforms are often one of the first steps teams take when they are beginning to take social media management seriously. These platforms allow users to manage multiple social media profiles in one place.
The three highest-rated social media management platforms have an average monthly cost of $479.33 and an average annual cost of $5,752. These prices represent the averages for team pricing options which include multiple access for multiple team members, post-scheduling ability, and reporting capabilities.
Social Media Advertising Spend
The majority of businesses spend less than $5,000 on social media advertising per month. 24% say they spend between $100 and $1,000. And 28% say they spend between $1,001 and $5,000.
The average amount spent on advertising per user, also known as cost per acquisition, over the last three years, is $37.74 and is expected to grow to $40.88 by 2027.
Social Media Employee Salaries
You can’t succeed in business social media management by only having a platform and money set aside for advertising, you need people actively managing those campaigns and platforms. There are two main categories of social media personnel: in-house and outsourced.
In-House
In-house refers to social media personnel employed by your organization. This may include a Social Media Manager, a Social Media Specialist, or a combination of the two. These employees have an average annual salary of $53,837, or $4,486 per month.
Outsource
Outsourced social media talent typically refers to a contractor who manages your social media accounts for a set amount of time, or a creator who is paid per post. This does not include agencies that spearhead the social media management process for your organization.
Choosing the Best Social Media Management Tools for Your Business
While these costs provide a general overview of the cost of social media management, but the final costs are dependent on the plans or packages your organization chooses. Some platforms will charge a monthly subscription fee, while others have a variable fee for the number of accounts, users, or posts. While cost is an important factor, it is not the only factor. It is up to the stakeholders of your organization to determine which solution is best for your business.
Some customer experience solutions, such as InMoment, offer social media management as an add-on to your customer experience management platform. This helps give you a more holistic view of the end-to-end customer experience. For many businesses, this can result in cost savings as it keeps you from purchasing and managing another platform.
How To Manage Social Media
Social media management may seem complex and intense, but having a plan to refer to ensures that you stay on track and that all your decisions are made with a specific objective in mind. If you are just getting started with social media management or are looking to improve your current processes, here are some steps to make sure that your business social media management is the best it can be:
Define Your Goals and Objectives
Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting sales, your social media management goals should revolve around business objectives. When setting goals, set specific and measurable goals that can be easily tracked. Some examples might include:
Increase engagement rate by 20% in three months
Drive 1,000 visitors to our website via social channels in one month
Generate $25,000 in sales from social media channels over the next six months
Identify the Best Platforms For Your Brand
After setting your goals, you need to choose the best platforms to manage for your organization. Depending on the size of your social media management team, you may only be able to manage a certain number of accounts, so it is important to know which social channels to prioritize.
To know which channels to prioritize, you need to understand your customers, target audience, and business type so you can align your chosen social media channels with those interests.
For example, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are the most popular social media platforms for B2C brands. Conversely, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram are the most popular social media platforms for B2B organizations.
Create A Social Media Strategy
Once you have decided on your platforms, you’ll want to make a social media strategy to succeed on those platforms. This will include defining content themes, posting frequency, and creating a content calendar.
You’ll also want to ensure that your social media strategy aligns with your overall customer experience strategy. This is important to create a seamless experience across all touchpoints. By aligning both strategies, you can ensure that the tone, messaging, and responsiveness on social media reflect the same values and quality standards that customers encounter throughout their journey with your brand.
Engage with Audience
It is important to set aside time for audience engagement when conducting social media management. 88% of consumers expect an organization to respond on social media within two business days.
When engaging with your audience, be prepared. Knowing how to respond a Google reviews, or reviews from similar sites is important to maintain the integrity of your brand and make sure the feedback loop is closed properly.
Monitor and Analyze
One of the biggest pillars of success in social media management is tracking performance. Depending on what goals you set at the beginning of your social media management journey, you can track different metrics such as engagement rate, click-through rate, or conversion rate.
92% of marketers are concerned about the ROI of social media to one extent or the other. This makes it extremely crucial to the success of your business social media management initiatives to be able to track the performance of social and how they relate to customer experience ROI and overall business objectives.
10 Social Media Management Tips
Creating a social media management strategy is only the beginning of the journey. In order to succeed, you’ll have to navigate the ins-and-outs of social media. Here are some tips that any brand can use to improve the results of their social media management:
1. Utilize Influencers
Influencer marketing is an increasingly popular and effective tool to implement into your social media strategy. The majority of organizations already leverage influencers in their social media marketing, and 50% of those organizations say they are going to increase their investment in influencer marketing.
There is no need to worry about wasting budget when it comes to influencer marketing, because micro influencers seem to be the most successful. 62% of influencers that drove a consumer to make a purchase had under 10k followers.
2. Plan Content in Advance
A well-thought-out content calendar is the backbone of a successful social media strategy. Planning your posts in advance ensures you maintain consistency, avoid last-minute rushes, and cover key holidays, events, or promotional periods.
3. Leverage Social Media Analytics
Successful social media management can be achieved by regularly reviewing your social media analytics. You can use social media management software to take a detailed look at engagement, reach, and other metrics to help you understand what types of content resonate with your audience. You can use this data to refine your content, find optimal times to post and adjust your overall approach.
4. Stay on Top of Trends
Social media platforms are constantly evolving. What is popular one week will fall flat the next, and a new trend can overtake a platform overnight. In order to stay relevant and fresh, keep an eye on trending hashtags, viral content, and what influencers are posting.
With social media trends, time is of the essence. To make sure you don’t fall behind, consider creating a separate workflow for these pieces of content that reflects their urgency. These posts should be created quickly and only have to be approved by one or two key stakeholders before posting them the day of or following day.
5. Run Contests and Giveaways
Over 92% of businesses run social media giveaways, with almost a third of them doing it at least once a month. Running social media contests and giveaways are great for boosting engagement and expanding your reach. Of the businesses that run social media giveaways, the three most common benefits are increased followers, increased brand awareness, and increased engagement.
6. Use High-Quality Visuals
Having high-quality visuals in your posts is essential to help capture the attention of consumers on crowded social media feeds. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are highly visual, so the quality of your visuals can influence whether or not a user engages with your content.
High-quality visuals don’t just relate to visual clarity, they relate to what is being promoted in the visuals as well. Depending on your industry, your customers are not going to want specific, jargon-filled visuals on their feed. Focus on creating simple, clear visuals that entice a consumer to engage with you and take the next step in the customer journey.
7. Post Consistently, but Don’t Overdo It
Posting frequency can be a touchy subject in business social media management. You need to post a certain amount in order to be seen, but overposting can lead to social media fatigue among your audience. This can negatively impact engagement or worse, it may even result in a loss of followers. The best posting frequency will also vary by platform. For example, the ideal number of posts for Instagram Stories is two times per day, while the ideal number of posts for Pinterest is just once a week.
In order to find the frequency that makes the most sense for your business, you will need to understand the resources of your social media management team and the type of content that performs best for your business. This will help you decide how often you can produce quality content for social media.
8. Repurpose Content Across Platforms
In order to maximize the effectiveness and resources of your social media management efforts, it is important to learn how to repurpose your content across different social media platforms. For example, short-form videos can be posted on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. If a LinkedIn post that links to a guide performs well, consider hosting a webinar around that guide.
Different platforms have different nuances, so it is important to tailor the content to each platform’s format and niches. But, reusing content can save time and extend the life of your best-performing content.
9. Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is any business-specific content that is not posted by the business itself. This can be in the form of an online review, social media post, or photo posted by a user with no affiliation to your organization. UGC is an extremely valuable asset, as 86% of consumers stated they are more likely to trust a brand that published UGC.
To capitalize on this, encourage your customers to share photos, videos, or testimonials related to your business. Then, repost that UGC on your accounts to engage your audience and showcase success stories. This not only creates a sense of community but also provides authentic social proof that can influence potential customers.
10. Be Flexible
As you probably already know, social media is not a “one-and-done” type of tool. The social media environment is constantly changing, as will your business’s social media management strategies. Be sure that you have a system in place to regularly evaluate your performance against your goals and be prepared to adjust your tactics accordingly.
Features to Look For in Social Media Management Software
Business social media management can be difficult to do without a dedicated social media management software for your business to utilize. Social media management software will increase your effectiveness and success. When evaluating which software to choose, keep these key features in mind:
Multi-Platform Management
Multi-platform management allows you to manage different social media platforms in one place. This is crucial for effective social media management as it decreases the amount of time you have to go into an individual platform for a certain task.
Content Scheduling
Part of successful social media and content management is content scheduling. You want to choose a software that gives you the ability to plan and schedule posts in advance across different platforms. This feature also allows you to upload and schedule multiple posts at once, which can help you with time management and ensure that you still have time for other important things like reporting and community management.
Content Curation
Creating content, especially for social media, can be hard. It is difficult to consistently come up with content ideas to post. That is why a content curation feature in a social media management software can be a game-changer.
Content curation features provide content ideas based on trending topics or relevant news that relates to your audience. This can help keep your content fresh and make sure that you are always on top of the latest trends, whether they are across social media or in your industry.
Hashtag Management
Similar to content curation, hashtag management will recommend trending hashtags based on your content to help increase the visibility of your posts. For example, if you are in the real estate business, you would like to know that the hashtags #homesforsale and #firsttimehomebuyer have 13.8 million and 6.4 million posts, respectively.
Similarly, you’ll want to make sure that you have the ability to track which hashtags perform the best on your social media platforms so that you can improve future social posts.
Social Listening
Social listening might be one of the most important features in modern business social media management platforms. Social listening leverages AI and sentiment analysis to track keywords, brand mentions, and more to help you stay aware of what consumers are saying about your organization or industry.
Social listening tools help you understand what customers are saying, how they are saying it, and when they are saying it. Being able to properly identify customer sentiment will help you create more targeted content and drive engagement.
Collaboration and User Permissions
For social media management teams, the ability to control permissions based on roles can be important to make sure that all content goes through the correct approval process and stays within brand guidelines.
For example, a social media specialist can create three Instagram posts for the upcoming week and upload them to the social media management platform. However, before they can be officially scheduled, the social media manager must approve them.
Integration Capabilities
Obviously, your chosen social media management platform should integrate smoothly with all major social media platforms. But, you should also be able to implement other integrations that give you all the necessary data needed to effectively manage your social media.
For example, integrations with Google My Business, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Salesforce could help you respond to reviews, create content, and offer customer support all in one place.
Paid Advertising Management
Not all of your postings will be organic social posts, so you want to choose a social media management platform that tracks paid social campaigns across platforms like Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and more. Monitoring ad analytics in one place, rather than accessing each platform individually to track spend, impressions, and click-through rates, will help you avoid duplicate efforts and give you insights into the ROI of your paid social campaigns.
Analytics and Reporting
A critical feature of social media management software is the ability to report on the success of your efforts. Look for software that provides detailed analytics on engagement, reach, clicks, follower growth, and other KPIs.
The ability to generate and customize reports for specific platforms, campaigns, or time frames is essential for tracking ROI. Make sure your chosen social media management platform can export reports into formats like PDF, CSV, or Excel for sharing with stakeholders.
Security and Compliance
Social media is a sensitive channel because everything that appears on your organization’s social media pages directly impacts your reputation and your brand equity. One mispost could cause damage to your brand that takes months or even years to recover from. Because of this, it is important to choose a social media management platform that utilizes security tools such as two-factor authentication to protect your account from unauthorized access. You will also want to ensure that your software complies with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR, particularly if your audience is international.
Improve Your Social Media Management with InMoment
With InMoment’s reputation management software, you get access to social media management tools through our partnership with Hootsuite. Hootsuite’s industry-leading platform gives you access to content scheduling, social listening, social media analytics, and much more. Those tools combined with InMoment’s ability to track ratings and reviews across multiple sites, manage your local business listings, and close the loop with customers will set your organization up for continued success. To see what else InMoment can do for your business, schedule a personalized demo today!
References
Social Media Examiner. 2024 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. (https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2024/). Accessed 9/24/2024.
The CMO Survey. Emerging Digital, Social, and Political Trends. (https://cmosurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/The_CMO_Survey-Highlights_and_Insights_Report-February-2021.pdf). Accessed 9/24/2024.
G2. Best Social Media Management Tools. (https://www.g2.com/categories/social-media-mgmt). Accessed 9/24/2024.
WebFX. How Much Does Social Media Marketing Cost in 2024? (https://www.webfx.com/social-media/pricing/how-much-does-social-media-marketing-cost/). Accessed 9/24/2024.
Statista. Social media advertising spending per internet user worldwide from 2017 to 2027. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/325160/social-media-ad-spend-user/). Accessed 9/24/2024.
Statista. Most used social media platforms among business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) marketers worldwide as of January 2024. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/259382/social-media-platforms-used-by-b2b-and-b2c-marketers-worldwide/). Accessed 9/25/2024.
Sprout Social. The 2023 Sprout Social Index™ Report. (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/index/). Accessed 9/25/2024.
Hootsuite. Social Trends 2024. (https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends). Accessed 9/25/2024.
Realtyna. Real Estate Hashtags 2024 Guide. (https://realtyna.com/blog/real-estate-hashtags/). Accessed 9/26/2024.
HubSpot. 2024 State of Marketing. (https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing). Accessed 9/27/2024.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Your dental practice’s reputation is everything. In today's digital world, a few online reviews can make or break your patient flow. Discover how dental reputation management can ensure your practice stands out for all the right reasons, and learn the tips to protect and elevate your online presence.
Imagine this: A potential patient searches for a dentist in your area, and your practice pops up—along with a handful of reviews. At that moment, your online reputation is either drawing them in or driving them away. Dental reputation management is more than just keeping an eye on patient reviews; it’s about shaping how your practice is perceived across the web.
Research by InMoment shows that customers are unlikely to trust businesses with an average rating below 4 stars. In fact, up to 94% of people say a negative review or social media comment has deterred them from visiting a business. Conversely, positive reviews and high ratings can strengthen a business’s reputation, helping to attract and retain customers while building consumer trust.
From Google ratings to social media conversations and even local business listings, every interaction leaves a lasting impression. With the right strategy, you can build trust, boost your online presence, and turn clicks into booked appointments, all while staying ahead of the competition.
What is Dental Reputation Management?
Dental reputation management is the ongoing process of monitoring, improving, and maintaining the public perception of your dental practice. It encompasses everything from patient reviews on Google to social media interactions and even local business listings.
Reputation management helps ensure your practice is viewed positively by both current and prospective patients, which is critical for maintaining a competitive edge in your local market. With the right strategy in place, your practice can strengthen its online presence, improve patient trust, and ultimately drive more appointments through the door.
To get a snapshot of your current online reputation, get a personalized reputation scorecard today:
Why is Dental Reputation Management Important?
In the digital era, your practice’s online reputation is often the first impression patients have. With most patients researching dental practices online before booking an appointment, having a solid reputation management strategy in place is essential.
Positive reviews and well-managed online listings contribute to increased visibility, trustworthiness, and patient loyalty. Negative feedback, on the other hand, can significantly damage your reputation and cause potential patients to seek dental care elsewhere. That’s why managing online reputation should be a top priority for any modern dental practice looking to grow.
Benefits of Dental Reputation Management
A strong reputation management strategy offers several benefits that directly impact your practice’s growth:
Increased Patient Trust: Positive reviews from satisfied patients build trust and credibility, helping new patients feel confident in choosing your practice.
Improved Local SEO: Managing your online reputation boosts your practice’s presence in local search results, helping you rank higher for “dentist near me” and other key phrases.
Higher Patient Retention: By responding to patient feedback and addressing concerns, your practice can improve patient satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates.
Boosted Referrals: Satisfied patients are more likely to recommend your services to family and friends, organically growing your practice.
Enhanced Brand Perception: Proactively managing your online presence ensures your brand is represented positively, giving you more control over how you’re perceived.
Reputation management for dentists not only benefits the practice in terms of patient satisfaction but also helps strengthen your local business listings, making it easier for potential patients to find and trust you.
Challenges of Dental Reputation Management
Managing your dental practice’s reputation isn’t always easy, and there are a few common hurdles most practices face.
Negative Reviews Bad reviews happen to everyone—even top-rated dentists—but how you handle them is what really counts. Responding quickly and professionally shows that you care, turning negative feedback into an opportunity to win patients over.
Inaccurate Business Information Another tricky challenge is inconsistent information across platforms. If your hours or contact details are outdated, it can confuse potential patients and hurt your credibility. Then there’s the issue of engagement—many practices let online feedback go unanswered, which can make patients feel ignored and damage your reputation over time.
Significant Effort to Manage Lastly, keeping up with everything—reviews, social media, business listings—takes time. Without the right system, it can quickly become overwhelming, especially for smaller practices. Staying proactive and organized is the key to tackling these challenges and keeping your practice’s reputation in great shape.
How to Improve Your Dental Practice Reputation Management
Improving your dental reputation management starts with building a patient-centric approach. Here are a few strategies to elevate your reputation:
Monitor Reviews Regularly: Keep track of dental reviews on Google, Yelp, and other platforms. Make it a habit to respond to both positive and negative feedback.
Encourage Positive Reviews: Ask satisfied patients to leave reviews. A simple reminder during or after their visit can lead to an influx of positive feedback.
Keep Your Information Up-to-Date: Ensure your practice’s name, address, and contact information are consistent across all online platforms and directories.
Engage with Patients Online: Responding to comments and questions on social media, review sites, and knowing how to respond to reviews shows that you value patient input and care about their feedback.
Use a Reputation Management Tool: Streamline the process by using reputation management software to monitor feedback and track reviews across multiple platforms.
Do You Need A Dental Reputation Management Service?
If managing your reputation feels overwhelming, you might benefit from a professional dental reputation management service. These services help you monitor reviews, maintain your online listings, and respond to patient feedback efficiently.
A reputation management service like InMoment’s can save you time, improve your online presence, and ensure that negative feedback is addressed promptly—before it affects your practice’s reputation.
Features to Look For in Dental Reputation Management Software
Choosing the right software to manage your dental practice’s reputation is essential for streamlining the process and maintaining a positive online presence. Here’s what you should prioritize when selecting the right tool:
Review Monitoring: Your software should allow you to track patient reviews across multiple platforms like Google, Yelp, and social media in real-time. This keeps you aware of feedback as it comes in, giving you a chance to respond promptly and keep your reputation in check.
Automated Review Requests: Encouraging happy patients to leave reviews can dramatically boost your ratings. Look for software that automates review requests, sending timely prompts to satisfied patients, so you don’t miss the opportunity to collect positive feedback.
Response Automation: Manually responding to every review can be time-consuming, especially for a busy practice. Software like InMoment’s includes customizable templates or AI-generated responses to help you reply quickly and professionally to feedback—without losing the personal touch.
Analytics & Reporting: To truly understand the health of your reputation, you need more than just reviews. The right software should offer detailed analytics, providing insights into patient sentiment, review trends, and overall performance. This data helps you identify areas of improvement and track your progress over time.
Listings Management: Inconsistent or outdated information across directories can hurt your credibility and confuse potential patients. A reputation management tool should help ensure your practice’s details—like hours, address, and contact info—are accurate and up-to-date across all online platforms.
By investing in software with these key features, you’ll not only stay on top of your practice’s online reputation but also simplify the process, freeing up more time to focus on providing excellent patient care.
Dental Reputation Management with InMoment
At InMoment, we know that a strong online reputation is key to thriving in today’s competitive dental industry. Our cutting-edge reputation management software and solutions make it easy for you to keep track of patient feedback, enhance your online presence, and ensure your practice information is always accurate across platforms.
With our tools doing the heavy lifting—monitoring reviews, boosting ratings, and optimizing listings—you can stay focused on what truly matters: delivering excellent patient care. Let us help you build a reputation that not only attracts new patients but also keeps them coming back. Stand out, stay ahead, and let your reputation shine.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Local business listings play a vital role in driving organic revenue by improving your online brand visibility. Ensure new customers can find your business online by maintaining complete and recent listings’ information across the web and optimize your listings performance.
In today’s digital age, local business listings have become a cornerstone for brands looking to attract customers locally. These listings are essential for boosting your online presence and ensuring potential customers can easily find you. But what exactly are local business listings, and how can brands leverage them as part of their acquisition strategy? In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know, from the benefits of having a local business listing to best practices in managing and optimizing them at scale.
What Are Local Business Listings?
Local business listings are online entries that provide essential information about your business, such as the name, address, and phone number, also known as NAP. These listings appear in various online directories, search engines, and platforms, allowing customers to discover and connect with your local business. Common platforms where these listings appear include Google My Business, Apple Maps, Yelp, Bing Places, and Facebook.
These listings often include additional details such as business hours, services offered, customer reviews, and images, helping potential buyers get a comprehensive view of your business. Essentially, a local business listing serves as your brand’s digital footprint in the local online marketplace.
Why Are Local Business Listings Important?
First and foremost, local business listings help increase your online brand visibility, making it easier for potential customers to find you. 97% of consumers search online to find a local business. When your business information appears in local search results, it directly impacts the likelihood of attracting new customers who are actively searching for the products or services you offer.
Moreover, accurate and consistent listings across various platforms boost your credibility and trustworthiness. If your business details are correct and match across all platforms, it signals to both customers and search engines that your business is legitimate and reliable. Inconsistent information, on the other hand, can lead to confusion, a decline in search rank, and missed revenue opportunities.
What Are the Benefits of Local Business Listings?
Local business listings provide a multitude of advantages that can significantly boost your business’s online presence and organic pipeline.
Improved local SEO: Local business listings contribute to your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, especially in local searches. The more accurate and consistent your listings are, the higher your chances of ranking well in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Increased traffic and sales: With higher online visibility, your local brand is more likely to generate more website visitors, calls, and foot traffic, leading to increased sales and revenue.
Decrease ad spend: When you optimize and manage your local business listings, they rank higher in search results. Increased organic traffic can reduce the need for expensive advertising campaigns and save your business money.
Outrank your competition: Being visible in local search gives you a significant edge over your competitors who may not have optimized their listings, helping you stand out and attract more customers.
Trust and Credibility: A well-maintained local listing with positive ratings, flattering reviews, and accurate information boosts your brand reputation and instills confidence in potential customers.
In summary, local business listings are a powerful tool for boosting your online presence, driving organic traffic, and building trust with potential customers, all while providing a competitive edge and reducing marketing costs.
How to Create a Local Business Listing?
Creating a local business listing is a straightforward process, but it requires careful attention to detail to ensure that you include complete and accurate information that will boost your search results.
Focus on the directory: Instead of spending efforts on trying to get listed everywhere possible, focus on the directories that matter the most. According to local SEO statistics, roughly 75% of new business is influenced by only a handful of business review sites and directories: Google, Facebook, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Apple Maps, and Bing Maps.
Additional Tip: When managing local listings, it’s essential to prioritize directories that rank highly in “near me” search results. To identify these directories, start by conducting a “near me” search related to your business. For example, a Google search for “hotel near me” might highlight top directories like Tripadvisor, Yelp, and Foursquare. This is a great way to increase the chances that people will find your business.
Ensure NAP consistency: Your business name, physical address, and phone number should be the same across all your business citations. This will inform search engines that your business is trustworthy and boost your rankings.
Provide as Many Details as Possible: Supply as much business information as possible, such as business description, category, operating hours, website, services offered, and high-quality images, to give potential customers a complete view of your business.
Maintain positive ratings and a steady stream of positive reviews: Regularly encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and promptly address any negative feedback to build and sustain a strong online reputation.
The Importance of Local Business Listing Management
Once your listings are created, managing them is crucial. Regularly updating your listings ensures that all information remains accurate, which is essential for maintaining customer trust and improving your local SEO. This management also involves responding to customer reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value customer feedback and are actively engaged with your audience.
Ignoring your listings can result in outdated information, negative customer experiences, and a drop in search engine rankings. Therefore, local business listing management should be an ongoing task for any business looking to maintain a strong local presence and increase organic revenue.
How to Optimize Your Local Business Listings
Optimized local business listings are key to improving your local search rankings and attracting new customers to your business. According to Google, customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Google local business listing. When looking to optimize your business listings, focus on:
Consistency: Ensure that your business information is consistent across all platforms. Inconsistencies can confuse customers and harm your local SEO efforts.
Accuracy: Verify your locations and provide as much information about your business as possible. Update your hours of operation regularly, including special hours for holidays and events.
High-quality images: Add professional photos of your business, products, or services to tell a story and make your listing more attractive. Appealing pictures will show shoppers that your business offers what they’re searching for.
Manage your reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews after their visit. High-quality, positive reviews from your customers can improve your brand visibility in search. As part of your review management strategy, ensure that you are responding to their feedback right away, showing appreciation and care.
Utilize listings management software: Take advantage of listings management software to maintain and optimize your listings performance. For brands with multiple locations, managing their business information across the web is almost impossible and it bares a high chance of making a mistake that will cost them a drop in ranking.
Listing management software like InMoment allows multi-location brands to achieve accuracy and consistency in their listings at scale, rank higher in local searches, and generate more location visits.
How to Measure and Improve Your Local Business Listing Performance
Measuring the performance of your local business listings is key to increasing their positive impact on your revenue. By monitoring key metrics, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your listings for better online visibility and customer engagement.
Traffic increases & customer actions: Keep a close watch on how customers interact with your listings. Monitor clicks, phone calls, and requests for directions to gauge interest and engagement. Analyze any spikes in website traffic or foot traffic to your physical location that can be directly linked to your listings. This helps in understanding how effective your listings management is, alongside your reputation management efforts, in driving potential customers to your business.
Local search rank: Track your local brand position in search results for specific keywords. Higher visibility means more potential customers discovering your business, leading to increased opportunities for conversion. Use tools, like InMoment’s Reputation Management Software, to monitor your rankings and track keywords that are driving traffic to your listings.
Review scores: Your average review ratings and the volume of reviews provide insight into customer satisfaction and the reputation of your brand. Keeping an eye on these metrics such as your reputation score, helps in identifying areas for improvement and allows you to further boost your listings performance.
Listings data in sync: Ensure all relevant information, such as business hours, address, and contact details, are up-to-date and consistent across all platforms. Regularly audit and update your business information, especially if there are business hour changes during the holidays to maintain a reliable online presence.
Improve Your Local Listings With InMoment
It’s clear that your local business listings have a direct impact on your organic revenue. Managing them to improve online brand visibility is crucial for attracting new customers. However, overseeing multiple locations can be challenging, making it easy to lose track of updates and consistency, which can result in a drop in your search rankings.
Ensure new customers can find your brand online by utilizing InMoment’s local listings management software to maintain complete and recent listings’ information across the web. Automatically push real-time changes, update business hours, add photos to your Google Business Profile, create relevant Google posts, ask and respond to reviews to gain more online visibility, increase organic sales, and decrease your ad spend.
References
safari digital. 19 Local SEO Statistics That Matter in 2024. (https://www.safaridigital.com.au/blog/local-seo-statistics/) Accessed 8/19/24.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.
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Reputation management is just as important for lawyers and law firms as it is for any other industry. Good lawyer reputation management can lead to increased client trust and improved public perception.
A lawyer’s reputation is one of their most valuable assets. With clients increasingly turning to online resources to evaluate potential legal representation, lawyer reputation management and law firm reputation management have become more crucial than ever. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a larger firm, managing your online presence can significantly impact your success.
What is Lawyer Reputation Management?
Lawyer reputation management involves the strategic process of monitoring, influencing, and enhancing a lawyer’s public perception. This involves online reputation management practices such as managing platforms such as review sites, legal directories, and social media.
Law Firm Reputation Management is Just As Important
While the reputation of an individual lawyer of a layer is important, law firm reputation management is equally essential. Law firm reputation management focuses on the collective reputation of the entire law firm. It involves managing the firm’s brand, and ensuring that the public, clients, and the media perceive the firm as a trustworthy and competent entity.
Effective management of the firm’s brand builds credibility and trust, which are crucial for attracting new clients, retaining existing ones, and maintaining strong relationships with business partners and the community.
By focusing on the reputation of the entire firm, you ensure that every member of your team contributes to a unified, positive public image, reinforcing the firm’s standing as a leading legal authority. If you’d like to see where your law firm stands for reputation management compared to industry leaders, look at our legal reputation report!
The Importance of Online Reputation for Lawyers
One of the main reasons that a good online reputation for lawyers is important is because 90% of consumers look at reviews before contacting a lawyer or law firm. This means that your reviews, ratings, and the content available about your firm across the internet play a significant role in shaping perceptions before you even have the chance to speak with a prospective client.
For many clients, legal issues are often personal, stressful, and potentially life-changing. They need a lawyer they can trust to guide them through these challenging situations. When clients browse online reviews and testimonials, they seek reassurance that your firm has a track record of professionalism, reliability, and success.
Positive reviews and a strong reputation offer social proof, helping to alleviate anxieties about choosing the right legal representation. The more credible and trustworthy your online reputation, the more likely potential clients are to engage with your services.
The Benefits of Lawyer Reputation Management
A good reputation in the legal field is worth its weight in gold. While upholding a good reputation is as difficult as getting one on in the first place, you will realize many benefits. Here are some key benefits of lawyer reputation management:
Attracting New Clients
A strong, positive reputation is one of the most effective tools for attracting new clients. When potential clients search for legal services online, they often read Google reviews, visit attorney websites, and browse social media profiles before making a decision.
If your online presence reflects a consistently positive image—through favorable reviews, professional content, and client testimonials—it builds trust and increases the likelihood that they will choose your services over a competitor’s. Effective law firm reputation management ensures that potential clients encounter positive and trustworthy information about your firm at every touchpoint.
Building Trust and Credibility
Trust is at the heart of the attorney-client relationship. Clients seek out lawyers who are not only skilled in their practice areas but who also have a reputation for integrity, reliability, and client-centered service.
By managing your law firm reputation, you can emphasize your firm’s values, highlight successes, and showcase the positive experiences of past clients. The more credible and trustworthy your firm appears the more likely clients are to feel confident in hiring you for their legal needs. Consistently managing your online presence helps to reinforce this trust and establish your firm as a reliable choice.
Differentiating Yourself from Competitors
The legal field is competitive, and clients often have many options when it comes to choosing a lawyer. Effective law firm reputation management can help your firm stand out in a crowded marketplace. By promoting your unique strengths—whether it’s a track record of success, a particular area of expertise, or exceptional client service—you can differentiate yourself from other firms.
The benefits of lawyer reputation management go far beyond just attracting new clients—it’s about building trust, differentiating yourself from competitors, and ensuring long-term success. By proactively managing your legal reputation, you create a positive and enduring image that instills confidence in potential clients, strengthens relationships with current ones, and protects your professional standing.
Legal Reputation Management Strategies
Managing your legal reputation will require a proactive approach that encompasses everything from reviews to public relations. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your reputation management strategies cover every aspect of your business.
1. Monitor Online Reviews
Monitoring and managing the reviews that you or your firm gets is one of the most important parts of reputation management. Knowing how to react, such as how to respond to Google reviews, is also just as important. As a matter of fact, industry leaders respond to reviews almost 8 times faster than the rest of the legal industry. This shows that you value client feedback and are committed to improvement.
2. Create Quality Content
Creating quality content is a great way to establish yourself or your firm as experts in your area or in your specific discipline. This can build client trust and drive more people to seek out your services when they are in need. Here are some ideas of content you could create:
Legal Guides and How-Tos: Write comprehensive guides on common legal issues that potential clients might face. For example, a post titled “How to File for Divorce in [Your State]” can attract clients looking for information and position the firm as an expert in family law.
Dedicated Help Section: Create a section on your website where clients can access resources like downloadable forms, legal checklists, or links to important legal information. This demonstrates that your firm is client-centric and committed to helping.
Achievements and Awards: Issue press releases about significant firm achievements, such as awards, new hires, or major case wins. This helps to build credibility and public awareness.
Creating content that will be useful to prospective clients and current clients is a great way to increase your brand equity and overall reputation.
3. Utilize Local SEO
Did you know that 92% of people looking to hire a lawyer or law firm used Google as their primary source? To drive those people to your website, you will need a strong local SEO presence to make sure your law firm ranks well on search engines. Local SEO focuses on optimizing your online presence to appear in local search results when people in your geographical area search for legal services.
The legal industry is highly location-specific. Clients typically seek lawyers in their immediate area due to convenience and the need for attorneys well-versed in local laws and regulations. When someone searches for “personal injury lawyer near me” or “best family lawyer in [city],” Google’s algorithm prioritizes delivering geographically relevant results. If your firm isn’t optimized for local SEO, you risk missing out on these critical opportunities.
Local SEO helps your firm appear in the top positions for these local search queries, increasing your visibility to nearby potential clients. This means more traffic to your website, more leads, and ultimately, more clients walking through your door.
4. Engage with Social Media
While it may not be common for law firms to do, the importance of social media marketing cannot be understated. With more people using social media to research products, services, and even professionals like lawyers, maintaining an active presence can help you attract potential clients and network with industry professionals. Do your best to actively engage with your audience on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
When utilized strategically, social media allows law firms to humanize their brand, share valuable insights, and engage with the community in a way that fosters long-term relationships. The more consistently you engage, the more opportunities you create to stay top-of-mind when potential clients need legal services.
5. Hire Professional PR Services
Lawyers and law firms often find themselves in the spotlight, whether for high-profile cases, contentious legal decisions, or public disputes. This exposure makes the legal industry particularly vulnerable to negative media coverage, which can quickly damage a firm’s reputation and credibility. This is exactly why having a PR team can be so valuable for law firm reputation management.
PR professionals specialize in managing your public image and ensuring that your firm is consistently portrayed in a positive light while minimizing the risk of bad press. They can also proactively craft strategic messaging that highlights your firm’s successes and contributions to the community. Additionally, they act as a buffer between you and the media, carefully managing communications and ensuring that sensitive issues are handled with care to prevent further negative coverage.
REPORT
Legal Services Reputation Benchmarks Report 2024
InMoment’s 2024 Legal Services Online Reputation Benchmarks Report provides a top-level view of the state of reviews today for the legal industry — and how these reviews reflect the experiences clients want to have. The benchmarks serve as a valuable tool for organizations looking to assess their reputational performance, set goals, make informed decisions, and drive continuous customer experience improvement.
Improve Your Lawyer Reputation Management with InMoment
InMoment’s platform can help you set up, manage, and improve your lawyer reputation management strategies. If you are ready to see what InMoment can do for you, schedule a reputation management demo today!
References
ilawyermarketing. What digital sources do consumers use to conduct research on law firms in 2024? (https://www.ilawyermarketing.com/what-digital-sources-do-consumers-use-to-conduct-research-on-law-firms-in-2024/). Accessed 8/13/2024.
InMoment’s Online Reputation Benchmarks Report examines in greater detail exclusive reviews and ratings data of companies in key industries and verticals, with the goal of helping organizations discover strategic approaches to online reputation and review management as well as customer experience improvement.