Customers come and go. Products and services change. Even the brand itself will change over time. When it comes to running a long-lived successful business, there’s one thing that trumps all of those elements. Reputation lives on. Building a strong reputation isn’t about making more sales, it’s about creating a business image that’s worth remembering.

Values

A business that proudly wears and genuinely supports values, rather than espousing them when it’s convenient, gets to take more than the moral high ground. Many businesses, publications, and influencers care a lot about corporate social responsibility. There are even awards for those who really take it. One way to really demonstrate those values outside of your day-to-day operations is through cause marketing. Use your resources and your platform to pair with a charity or organisation that is truly in line with not just company culture but your beliefs.

Reach

Naturally, you’re not going to build much of a reputation without working to ensure that your business has some real reach. Using digital marketing to reach your audience and build an online presence is becoming more and more important nowadays, as more people use the internet to research businesses and find products or information they’re looking for. But don’t neglect the real world, either. There’s still a lot of attention paid to things like trade shows and conferences. It takes time and some investment, but work on improving the reach of the business to make sure your reputation actually has some broad impact.

Echo

You can aim to create a certain kind of reputation all you like. It’s not really going to be your image unless others are supporting it in their own voices. Besides developing a product and building a brand around certain values, make sure your business actually takes some time in building a community. The kind of marketing mentioned above is a start, but you have to make sure it goes beyond sending out a one-way message. Spend more time replying to people through your social media channels. Start marketing campaigns that involve engagement from your audience. Find influencers and chances for publication to get airtime on platforms besides your own.

Honesty

Honesty is more than just a ‘true North’ sort of good that most people can appreciate. It also ensures some consistency, so people aren’t constantly hearing your brand and your business engaged in hypocrisy. Having values you truly plan on sticking to is only the start of being honest in business. Admitting to faults both internally and externally is important. When you mess up and act against your principles, intentionally or accidentally, address it. Make clear the steps you’re taking to fix it and, if you can, make public the changes that help you do that. People can forgive mistakes. They can’t forgive a business that seems to have no problem deviating from its supposed values.

A good reputation is going to open plenty of doors for your business. It’s going to convince more people to convert to customers. It’s going to attract more employees. It’s going to create a fanbase out of a target market. The next time you’re faced with a hard decision, forget the bottom line for once and consider what’s best for your reputation.

Websites by Masterhouse

Masterhouse Media is an innovative digital consulting agency from Vancouver, BC specializing in web development and mobile apps. Masterhouse is best known for launching the popular Internet portal Clubvibes.com in 1999, one of the first social media platforms on the Internet. The company is currently focused on building digital strategies and premium websites for clients. Find out more at masterhouse.net