8 Steps to Protecting Your Franchise’s Online Reputation

by Michelle Hummel

What’s the first thing you do when you are considering hiring someone for a service? Or purchasing a product from a company? You look the company up online. And that’s exactly what the customers of your franchise are doing, too. When they Google your name or your franchise’s name in the search bar, do you know what they will find?

The first step in protecting your online reputation is understanding what’s already out there about your franchise and then playing defense. Here are the eight steps we recommend you take that will protect your franchise’s online reputation.

… create a reminder in your calendar to check your online reputation once a month. “

Step 1: Google Yourself

Play the part of your customer and do a Google search on your franchise’s name. If you find anything negative, contact the site directly to request it be removed. You may not get a response, but it’s important to try. Then create a reminder in your calendar to check your online reputation once a month.

Step 2: Set Alerts

There are a number of monitoring tools out there that will alert you if your name is mentioned online. Google Alert, Mention, Tweetdeck and Wholinks2me are just a few you may want to look into. Create keyword monitoring for your franchise and any product names so you can track mentions and conversations of your brand.

Step 3: Register Your Name as a Domain

Purchasing your name (JaneSmith.com for example) is one of the biggest moves you can make to protect your online reputation. This ensures no one else will buy it and use it against you by building an unfavorable or damaging website on it.

Step 4: Be Active on Social Media

Part of establishing your franchise reputation online is through a strong social media presence. Be on as many as you can, including common platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, but also non-traditional sites like Quora, Slideshare and Reddit.

Step 5: Publish Valuable Content

Publish valuable content on your website, social media channels and your blog on a regular basis. Focus on topics that your readers would find helpful and that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.

Step 6: Remove Tags

If a friend or family member tags you in a photo on social media and it’s questionable whether it’s appropriate, ask them to un-tag you.

Step 7: Be Mindful of What You Post

The content you publish online is the “face” of your franchise, so even relaxed or funny comments on social media could show your franchise in the wrong light. Make sure you have a set of expectations for your franchise and your team about what is appropriate to post and when.

Step 8: Manage Reviews

Consumers trust online reviews, so be sure to ask your satisfied customers to leave your franchise a good review. This will give you a foundation should an angry customer or disgruntled employee leave a bad one.

Michelle is the CEO and Founder of Web Strategy Plus, a full-service digital marketing agency, where her team of experts specializes in helping franchise owners develop websites, SEO and Social Media Strategies. A published author of three books in her series, “The Social Media Magnet: Everything You Need to Know to Attract Customers with Social Media.” She also holds a valuable Internet Marketing Degree and provides training to help individuals acquire Social Media Management Certification through Web Media University. Contact Michelle at michelle@webstrategyplus.com.