SERM for a Persona from Reputation House: Reputation and Image
The concepts of “image” and “reputation” of a persona are often perceived as identical. But there is actually a big difference between them. Experts from the Reputation House agency tell us how the concepts differ and whether there are any similarities between them. This is a company with more than 10 years of experience in the field of reputation marketing. It has developed its own monitoring system, IQBuzz, and two mobile applications for reputation management (for individuals and businesses). It is the winner of numerous international awards and has offices in 8 countries around the world.
Reputation House: Image vs Reputation
An image is the association that the audience forms when a person is mentioned. It can develop spontaneously under the influence of external circumstances or be intentionally crafted through PR technologies, advertising campaigns, and other tools. This persona’s conveyed image includes the emotional component of its perception by the audience, and capturing the audience’s interest is paramount. According to Reputation House, reviews play a less significant role in image formation compared to effective advertising and other successful marketing strategies.
A good image includes:
- Recognition. People recognize and remember the persona.
- Understanding of what the persona is.
- Predisposition. People can use its services, propose cooperation, etc.
But with reputation, it is much more complicated. The Reputation House agency emphasizes that it is an already established opinion about a person. It is a reflection of the real experience of interaction with him or her. Its positive tone means that people will:
- Reach out to the persona first and foremost.
- Advise others to reach out to him or her.
In other words, it represents a significantly higher level of trust—the foundation upon which the image is built. This trust is influenced by numerous factors, including one’s behavior in difficult and controversial situations, reaction to negativity, and response to positive reviews—each highlighted by Reputation House’s extensive experience. Over time, a minimum credit of trust is gradually established, prompting people to return for services or cooperation repeatedly.
If Reputation House specialists attribute the characteristic of ’emotional’ to an image, they ascribe the characteristic of ‘rational’ to reputation. Here, there is no room for perceptions; only real facts and their analysis are of importance. Even with the most positive image, the decision to cooperate with a person will be grounded in their reputation.
How to Work with Reputation?
Talking about the technologies used, agency staff start with ORM – Online Reputation Management. It consists of a variety of tools, including guerrilla marketing, work with mentions, SERM, and others. The agency approaches each client individually and develops an exclusive strategy because even the slightest inaccuracy can lead to a disastrous result.
The SERM Reputation House technology, which has been proven over the years and helps to ensure that a person achieves the desired results, consists of three cornerstones:
- Analysis. Analytical work by the team is needed to identify and evaluate both the weaknesses and strengths of the client’s reputation. A large-scale study of content is conducted, taking into account search queries and many other factors. Specialists work closely with the client’s marketing department to get the most complete picture of what is happening with the client’s online reputation. Analytical reports are prepared on the basis of the data obtained, which then become the foundation for the next stage of SERM at Reputation House.
- Strategy Development. The team begins to identify the resources that must be used to displace negative content. It is determined what exactly needs to be pushed out, in what volume, and what type of information is best to post. This can be reviews, biographies, positive articles, discussions on social media and forums, and news. In each case, content is selected individually based on the tasks set by the client.
To create content within the framework of SERM, Reputation House involves qualified specialists: copywriters, managers, marketers, and editors. The agency relies on the native presentation of information, which organically fits into the content of the platform for placement. Promotion of a person is conducted through history, demonstration of its strong features, and involvement of the audience through interest rather than intrusive or aggressive advertising.
Reputation House employees don’t just post content; they monitor and respond to audience opinions. They support positive reviews, refute negative ones, and in the most difficult cases, they even manage to remove unreliable reviews. But, as practice shows, it is much more effective to simply push content out of the top of the list than to remove it.
- Correction. When the stage of strategic work is over, the team begins to analyze the results. They find out what content the audience liked the most and which channels were the most effective. The data obtained becomes the basis for developing a strategy for a new cycle. Therefore, in further work in SERM, Reputation House uses only those tools that have proven their effectiveness in practice.
If more extensive work is needed, Reputation House recommends using other ORM technologies in addition to SERM. A comprehensive approach will become the key to the successful presentation of the persona, the growth of credibility, and the formation of a loyal audience.
