If you operate a remodeling business, reputation management should be a big deal. And it’s not just about building nice projects and collecting positive online reviews. Internet savvy prospects will scrutinize you and your business from multiple angles before they consider hiring you.
Granted, some things that shape your company’s image are largely outside of your control. For instance, if you don’t respond to an Angie’s List inquiry fast enough, the unhappy homeowner might flame you online. Ask nicely and Angie’s will remove F grades for price and quality if the person didn’t actually hire you. But they won’t take down the other F grades that drag down your star scores.
Remodelers can build images
Make it easy for every happy client to post at least one positive review so the five-star favorables outweigh the occasional, almost unavoidable shamers. That’s a key service Content Craftsmen provides its clients.
Also build your business appeal by being careful not to unnecessarily sabotage your professional image in your personal life. One can argue that people should only care about how a person does business, but again it’s totally outside of your control how people form their opinions and decide where to spend their money.
Assume that some people will Google your name and your company name and your key management team (try it yourself). Whether they spot something they don’t like on your official website or a personal Facebook page or Twitter feed makes little difference.
Free Speech Comes with a Price
As a career journalist, I’m all for free speech and being true to one’s beliefs. Just understand that about half the people who buy remodeling services might differ with your most passionate positions. That goes for views on political parties, the courts, Congress, the President, Russia, the environment, the wall, immigration, religion, foreign policy, equal rights and social justice. The worst part is that you will never know how much business you miss. You won’t get calls from some on the other side or have any idea what they share with family and friends.
I’m not suggesting people will hire incompetent remodelers just because they share their views. But if it is close, they may favor the person who is most like them on politics, religion, ethnicity, hobbies, age and personality.
3 Tactics to Guard your Reputation
If you are okay with selling only to people who think and act like you, go ahead and post whatever you want online and make everything public. Then accept the positive and negative consequences. However, if your business growth strategy is built on appealing to a broader audience, you have three options:
- Make your social media posts private so only approved contacts see them, not strangers and prospective clients.
- Remove any references to your company on your personal profiles to create some professional separation.
- Remove polarizing posts from your personal social media platforms and avoid sharing those views in business settings.
Content Craftsmen’s goal is to help clients avoid pitfalls, grow their businesses and operate efficiently so they can enjoy life. The simplest advice is to keep it positive. And on that note, meet our first grandchild, Liam. The only negative is that he lives 1,300 miles away. Can’t wait to see him next month. He’ll be eight months.
