Are you aware of any negative comments posted on social networking sites regarding your company? Do you even care if a client posts a complaint saying they are not happy with your product or service? If you don’t care then you probably shouldn’t be in business.

Monitoring your online reputation

Consistent and constant listening and engaging in conversations regarding your business or industry will ensure you are in tune with your consumers and your competitors and automatically will be aware of any negative comments that will affect your business. By monitoring social networks for mentions of your brand, services and products or your domain name will make certain you can respond in “real-time” and not let any negative comments viral out of control.

Top 3 free Social Media monitoring tools ~ by utilizing available tools it is possible to receive daily, weekly or monthly alerts of the keywords or domain names you are monitoring.

1. Google Alerts is probably the best free tool available.
2. Twitter – search keywords using Hootsuite, Tweetdeck or Seesmic
3. Google Reader

How to handle a complaint:

Are you pro-active? Are you monitoring the negative comments and handling them immediately?

• Was the complaint valid and have merit?
• By knowing whether the complaint is valid will allow you to handle it honestly. If you made a mistake be honest.
• Do your research – who is this client? Know who you are dealing with and if they have actually used your services or product so you can respond accurately.
• Respond positively using the same network and then request that they allow you to contact them directly.
• How are you going to fix the problem? Do you have a solution?
• How are you going to ensure this client is satisfied and will continue to use your services?

All of the above can take up a great deal of your time. By hiring a Virtual Assistant who specializes in Social Media and Online Management she can set up a tracking system, monitoring social networks and forums providing you with accurate information. She can work with you to determine what keywords and domain names should be monitored and what tools should be used that are relevant to your business. The systems for tracking your online reputation must be evaluated regularly and adjusted if needed.

Depending upon what role you wish your VA to take will depend upon the amount of involvement you personally want to have. By utilizing your VA’s talents and skills she can identify, track and evaluate potential problems, reporting regularly. It will be up to you to decide upon an action, have your VA respond or have her monitor the results of your response to the customer letting you know if anything further needs to be done.

Both positive and negative comments should be acknowledged.

Not only is it important that you respond to negative comments or complaints regarding your business but you need to respond to positive remarks and let your customers know their business is valued. By responding to your customers or clients comments or concerns will help to ensure your online reputation is excellent. Remember, by taking care of complaints in a positive manner turns problems into successes.