Local Businesses: 3 tips to handle online complaints and manage your reputation

Afraid your social media presence could leave  your business vulnerable to criticism and negative reviews?

Well whether you like it or not, your customers are online. And they’re talking about you on sites like Yelp, MerchantCircle and even on Google itself.

From The New York Times Small Business section:

“Social media for business now is life or death,” said Dan Simons, a restaurateur in the Washington area who closely monitors these forums. “You could open a business and do everything right, but if you’re unaware of these social media you will perish. Social media can take a business and put a bullet in it.”

Happily, there is a big upside: referrals from happy clients are traditionally the best source of new business — and online forums are powerful word-of-mouth.

In today’s article, New York Time author, Kermit Pattison, offers small business owner 3 tips for Managing Your Small Business’s Online Reputation.

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Tagged as: internet marketing, local business, managing negative consumer reviews, marketing, online reputation, small business, social media, social networking