Why online reputation management is vital for successful brands

A key skillset for communicators who are trying to grow and expand their offerings is online reputation management, which includes everything from social media to user-generated content like reviews.

These are powerful, as evidenced by a recent IMRG and StoryStream study which reported that reviews helped drive 73% of responders to make purchases.

Keeping abreast of what’s being said about you is as important as getting stories planted in the news — and in some cases, even more. It can help you identify an issue before it’s a crisis or help root out amazing stories that should make their way into your pitches and brand journalism.

Scott Baradell, who owns the public relations firm Idea Grove in Dallas, said brand monitoring is key to serving clients.