Repair Reputation Damage
Removing and Suppressing Negative Mentions and Reviews
Phase 3 of online reputation management is to repair the damages caused by negative mentions & reviews.
How 360 Crue Performs Online Reputation Repair
When the results of an online reputation audit (Phase 1.) show overal sentiment to be negative, the first order of operation outlined in the online reputation strategy (Phase 2.) is to begin the process of repairing the damages done by negative mentions and reviews. Below are the steps we take to complete a comprehensive reputation repair*:
1. Assessment and Diagnosis
- Reputation Audit
- Identify and document all negative content (search results, reviews, articles, social media)
- Evaluate visibility, ranking, and impact of harmful content
- Sentiment Analysis
- Assess public perception across platforms
- Use tools to measure sentiment trends and keyword associations
- Root Cause Identification
- Determine if the damage stems from:
- Customer complaints or service failures
- Negative media coverage
- SEO attacks or smear campaigns
- Employee or internal issues
- Determine if the damage stems from:
- Risk Analysis
- Estimate impact on business goals, revenue, trust, and recruitment
- Prioritize issues by severity and urgency
2. Strategic Response Planning
- Define Repair Goals
- Suppress or remove harmful content
- Restore trust with key audiences
- Improve search results and sentiment
- Crisis Communication Planning
- Draft public statements, FAQs, and press responses if needed
- Decide if a public apology, correction, or silence is most appropriate
- Stakeholder Coordination
- Involve legal, PR, marketing, and executive teams
- Assign roles and responsibilities for response
3. Content and Visibility Management
- Create Positive Content
- Publish blog posts, videos, case studies, media coverage, and thought leadership
- Focus on SEO-optimized content to push down negative search results
- Website & Profile Optimization
- Strengthen brand’s owned assets (website, social media profiles, business listings)
- Ensure all platforms present a unified, professional image
- Engage Third-Party Media
- Submit press releases or guest articles to credible sources
- Use PR outreach to generate new positive coverage
4. Review and Feedback Recovery
- Manage Online Reviews
- Respond tactfully to negative reviews (acknowledge, apologize, offer solutions)
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive feedback
- Report Policy Violations
- Flag or request removal of defamatory or false content (Google, review sites, forums)
- Reputation Monitoring Setup
- Use monitoring tools to track new mentions, reviews, and changes in sentiment
5. Long-Term Trust Rebuilding
- Engage With Your Community
- Demonstrate transparency and authenticity via social and content channels
- Participate in forums, events, and conversations related to your industry
- Build Strategic Alliances
- Collaborate with influencers, customers, or partners to reinforce brand credibility
- Improve Internal Operations
- Address the internal causes of reputation damage (customer service, HR, compliance)
- Train staff on brand messaging and online behavior
6. Measurement and Continuous Improvement
- Track Recovery Metrics
- SERP (Search Engine Results Page) visibility improvement
- Sentiment score changes
- Review ratings and customer feedback trends
- Monthly Reporting
- Monitor progress against benchmarks
- Update stakeholders with progress and strategy adjustments
- Refine ORM Strategy
- Shift from reactive repair to proactive reputation management
- Invest in long-term brand reputation development
* 360 Crue may change the tools and methods used as deemed necessary or sufficient given the specifics of each case.