You never get a second chance to make a first impression…
Now there’s an axiom you’ve likely heard so many times, the time it takes to go in one ear and out the other is nearly imperceptible. But for the sake of today’s discussion, please take a moment to let that sink in.
At Reputation Rhino, we let this sink in deep. So much so that the message of first impressions has permeated the roots of our thriving online reputation ecosystem; anchoring us securely into our core values to shape our mission and the success trajectory of our brand. Today, as the foremost leader in our industry and the most trusted online visibility experts, we are proud to say it has become self-evident.
Why should looking good online matter to you?
Research demonstrates that humans form an impression within the first 7 seconds of an encounter. This translates to forming an opinion about you, your character, and your motives before you are even aware!
And the most alarming part? Once that first impression is made, it is nearly impossible to undo…
Now before you take off on the rumination train, reliving every less-than-favorable first impression you’ve made to date, we invite you to work through this “perceived” predicament together.
First of all, what are people looking for online?
The number one thing people look for online is Relief. Relief in the form of distraction or relief in the form of a solution doesn’t make a whole lot of difference because in both scenarios, online is where people go to find it.
Whether they are actively seeking a solution to a known problem, or clever marketing is raising their unknown problem to the level of awareness, the natural human tendency is to seek relief. In other words, people are primarily in search of a feeling.
Allow yourself to imagine you’re a new business owner who just received a scathing review on Yelp. You live in a small town and most small businesses fail within the first 6 months so you were relying heavily on positive online reviews to back your business.
Upon discovering the review, your initial shock quickly turns into full-fledged panic mode.
Desperate, you turn to google and query “how to remove a negative review”. You scroll straight past the ads in an attempt to connect with a real person who has encountered this imminent PR nightmare and effectively dismantled the ticking time bomb…
Then you spot it. There on page one is a link that immediately captures your attention. Ironically, it’s a review site. Who knew the solution could potentially arrive in the same form as the problem?
Just adjacent to the 5-star rating you read…“EXPERTLY HANDLED A NEGATIVE REVIEW FROM A DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE and SAVED MY BUSINESS!”
Your first sigh of relief…it’s possible. And where there is a possibility, there is hope.
Next, what do people require to form a positive online impression?
The formation of any impression, negative or positive, gets a bit more nuanced. If we continue along this harrowing storyline, we find you as the vulnerable small business owner hopeful that a solution exists…and yet acutely aware that your problem is far from solved. You’re skeptical, and rightfully so. You’ve just been burned by a review and you’re not about to let it happen again!
At this stage, you’re beginning to gather evidence that this one, unlike the review you suffered, is accurate and verifiable in some way.
So how do you go about proving it?!
There are several avenues you could take. You could comb through more reviews to further validate your initial experience, you could search them on social media to get a handle on how they present or you could go directly to the source with your next logical question:
“Who is this company that supposedly saves businesses from the backlash of negative reviews? And can they save mine?”
You land on the company’s homepage to find a sleek and professional interface adorned with real photos of real people just like you- all supporting that you have come to the right place to restore your now tarnished online reputation.
You begin to notice yourself breathing more uniformly as you relax further into the relief and begin to solidify this fundamental first impression as it seamlessly satisfies two other important requirements:
- Relevancy– is this product and/or service a match for my specific needs?
- Relatability– does the person(s) delivering the product and/or service understand me and my needs?
When an individual or business has provided initial Relief via optimized online visibility and also nailed these two, quintessential Rs, they’ve effectively commandeered your online first impression and you’re well on your way to developing a strong and lasting connection.
But there’s one more R word that is a crucial element for ongoing engagement. And that is…
- Reliability– is this product and/or service consistent in their delivery?
In other words, can I trust this product and/or service to meet my needs?
As the story often unfolds, our previously unassuming business owner received an unexpected and potentially catastrophic review online. In her frantic search for relief, she came across a glowing online review for an online reputation management company that controls, repairs, and maintains online visibility for its clients. Thankfully the superior SEO strategy at Reputation Rhino, one of its many tools used to boost online visibility, afforded her the opportunity to locate our company first!
And we wasted no time or effort establishing the necessary trust. Our ability to research, identify, and remedy misinformation or negative content and turn it into positive, image-enhancing content places our clients’ notches above their competitors and builds long-lasting satisfaction in client relationships.
Now that you know why looking good online matters, does your appearance pass the test?
If you’re at all unsure about how you fare, we encourage you to do your due diligence to ensure you’re fulfilling all the requirements for developing trust. Are you providing all the Rs?
Relief? Relevancy? Relatability? Reliability? If you have reviews, remarks, or content you’ve been ignoring in hopes that others would too, it’s time, to be honest with yourself. How comfortable are you really with having them included in your first impression?
If the answer is anything shy of “extremely comfortable”, we have developed an easy-to-follow, free guide for you to download today called “Online Reviews: The Ultimate Guide”
Inside you’ll find practical and helpful tips to make sure your brand reputation remains aligned with your vision, core mission, and values.
In closing, there is so much more than we have time here to impart on all that managing your online reputation truly entails. But the core message we hope to drive home is that whether you’re presenting your first impression or any thereafter…the better you look, the more confident people will be in what your brand can help them achieve.
The more positive your content and image are online, the greater trust and reliability your audience will feel toward your brand.
As your trusted experts in online visibility, we are uniquely poised to handle any of your individual or brand management needs.
Ready to look your best? Book an action plan call with the team at Reputation Rhino today!