Tips for Managing Your Public Image

Brand yourself before others do. This is vital if you want to control the narrative of your business and ensure customers know what to expect when they work with you.

1. Evaluate your branding with a critical eye. Be honest with yourself about how your visual branding appears. Share your branding with a friend who will be honest with you. You can also post your social media or website to a public forum and ask for fresh eyes to give honest feedback.

2. Monitor your online reviews monthly. Checking online reviews gives you a pulse for how your customers view you. It’s a great chance to see what people like and don’t like. If you find negative reviews, it’s an opportunity to show any future readers how professional you are with a well thought out response. Be sure to check job sites as well to see what current and previous employees have said so you can address any areas of concern.

3. Compare your website, social media accounts and storefront to make sure your logos, colors, fonts, and the language you use all align. Make sure you are presenting your business consistently and clearly across all platforms so customers can get to know you and recognize your business.

4. Cut out the fluff. You may have a lot of favorite facts about your business that you love to share. But you have to ask yourself, “do customers care about this?” It may seem harsh but customers don’t have an attachment to your business the way you do. They want to know what products/services you offer, prices, locations, etc. If they learn to love your business the way you do, they will love to hear that funny story about how you named your products but until then make sure you communicate the things that really matter first and foremost.

5. If you have employees, do an anonymous survey to get a feel for how they view your business. Their opinions are invaluable and since they work the front line, they often have insights that you might be missing. They can give helpful feedback about customer perceptions and offer solutions based on experience and a real understanding of the issues at hand.

Do you have a pulse on what the public thinks of your business?