Again, the terms are related but by no means identical, and it is helpful to explain some of the distinctions. We have defined content marketing many times over, so we’ll keep it brief for today: Content marketing is selling without selling. It’s establishing the value, authority, and character of your brand through the creation and publication of creative, informative, not-directly-promotional content.
Online reputation management is a bit more technical, but essentially it encompasses efforts to control what online search engines and social networks say about you. By leveraging the tools of online reputation management (ORM), companies and public figures are theoretically able to make sure that there is only good, positive information posted about them on the first few pages of Google and Bing; that negative or unwanted online listings are purged from the search engine results pages, or at the very least made difficult to find; that embarrassing images or news stories are suppressed; and that online reviews are all positive, public complaints kept quiet.
Which Do You Need?
Now the question is, which of these different (but somewhat overlapping) toolsets do you need for your business? Truthfully, it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re pretty single-minded about addressing negative online reviews or eliminating an unwanted listing from the first page of your Google search results, then contacting an online reputation management firm might make the most sense.
With that said, if your aim is to more generally build goodwill toward your company—to establish your brand as a desirable and authoritative one, a brand of choice among consumers—then content marketing is the more flexible, versatile, effective, and affordable solution. As we’ve noted before, content marketing is all about telling the story of your company, and the aim is always to craft a narrative that places your company in the best possible light, all while building trust among your customers and clients and expanding your reach on social media sites and search engines.
Some specific benefits of content marketing—which overlap with and sometimes even exceed those of online reputation management—include:
- Cultivating consumer trust
- Positioning your company as an industry authority
- Casting your company as one that can offer true value to its customers
- Building a robust, active, positive presence on social media
- Populating search engines with brand-enhancing information about your brand
- Encouraging consumer loyalty
- Turning your customers into advocates for your brand
If any of that sounds like something you’d like to make happen for your business, a free content marketing consultation could be just the thing. Contact us today to learn more: Visit grammarchic.net or call 804-831-7444.
Amanda E. Clark founded Grammar Chic in 2008. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and holds degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and English. She launched Grammar Chic after freelancing for several years while simultaneously leading marketing and advertising initiatives for several Fortune 500 companies.