Last Updated on February 16, 2022 by Bright Past
The terms public relations (PR) and online reputation management (ORM) are often used interchangeably by many people. This is due to the misconception that they mean the same thing. On the contrary, ORM and PR are different subjects and should be treated differently.
When it comes to PR the primary role is the overall public image management. PR firms work hard to ensure that the public relates well with their company. They come in and provide solutions that can strengthen clients’ confidence in the products and services offered. ORM on the other hand is more of a background approach.
While ORM does most of what PR does, ORM plays in the background. With ORM, the aim is to provide a good company image without getting noticed. To learn more about management reputation companies, keep on reading.
What Are Internet Reputation Services?
Internet reputation services are mostly provided by online reputation management services providers. These service providers work with brands that want to boost their online presence and showcase their best foot first. In this case, the ORM company mainly focuses on delivering a well-managed reputation.
The content that shows up when an individual search for your brand name is the concern for an ORM. These service providers focus on reputation management news and other aspects that may lead to a bad image online. With that said, ORM and PR have their similarities and differences.
Core Functions of Public Relations Firms
To fully understand the differences between ORM and PR, it is crucial to look at each of the two disciplines independently. In the simplest terms, PR refers to the overall management of the public interaction between a brand and its customers. Their roles include image protection and damage control among others.
Below are the key functions played by PR management reputation companies:
Public Image Assessment
The first role played by PR firms once assigned the role of reputation control is to assess the level of damage. By assessing company image, PR firms may carry out surveys and interviews. This way, they get to learn what the public thinks about the brand in question.
This reputation management news is vital in helping the PR agent to come up with custom-made solutions for each brand.
Promotional Campaigns
Once the PR establishes the image status of a brand, the next step is to set up campaign strategies that may help repair broken relations. Promotion campaigns come in different forms and serve different purposes. There are reputation management news strategies that focus on building brand names among others.
Media Relations
The other function of management reputation companies is to deal with media outlets. They produce all types of reputation management news content, including print and broadcast media publications. They also communicate with the media on behalf of the company to ensure that the right information is sent out.
Branding
The overall efforts made by PR firms target at clean up your internet reputation as well as making a good image in the public. The cumulative outcome of these efforts is what is known as branding. At the end of the day, reputation management news helps the public learn about the good side of your brand.
After reputation management campaigns, the public should be more interested in dealing with your brand. The PR team’s job is to make people talk about the benefits of relating with your brand as opposed to the negatives. Good PR job will help weed out all the negative content and replace it with positivity.
Social Media Campaigns
Carrying out social media campaigns is a role that can be played by both PR and ORM. This area is where most PR firms opt to let ORM experts take over. Social media campaigns may be seen as a simple strategy but only experienced ORM experts know what works and how to make it work for the best.
Social media campaigns can help you clean up your internet reputation by targeting known customers and addressing any of their concerns about your brand. The social media campaign can also be used to publicize the brand name, improve company image or dispel myths about a brand or product.
Press Releases
The other key function played by PR firms is strategically released news content. Reputation management news should be released at the right time and in the right manner. Without proper management of what type of news is given out, a brand might easily find itself sinking in the mud.
PR professionals work with media departments to see that all news regarding products, brand name, and management are released at the right time and in a correct manner.
Core Functions of Online Reputation Management Firms
Online reputation management firms on the other hand are more of background online players that facilitate the work of PR providers. Even so, the roles played by ORM are very different from those played by PR firms. In some way, ORM experts offer technical input into reputation management.
Apart from the control of reputation management news, ORM experts ensure that the brand is noticeable, without necessarily having to create direct ads for brand publicity. They also ensure that the best information about a brand is seen, without having to tell anyone what they’re doing.
Below are the key functions played by ORM experts:
Search Engine Optimization and Marketing
One of the top functions performed by ORM companies is search engine optimization and marketing. This is an area that is very critical to the operations of all companies that most PR firms cannot perform well. SEO is at the heart of online visibility and does help clean up your internet reputation.
When SEO-optimized content is used, those looking for information about your brand will stumble upon the positive content created by your ORM team as opposed to meeting negative comments or content.
Development of Controllable Web Properties
The ORM team also plays a key role in the creation of controllable web assets. These assets are key in determining the interaction of the online community with a brand. Such assets include websites, social media pages, mobile applications, and others. These properties are used to clean up your internet reputation.
One of the most difficult tasks that PR firms cannot perform well is online reputation management. Most PR firms succeed in the management of reputation in other areas but often fall short when it comes to the control and management of online content.
Content Creation and Management
The role played by ORM experts in terms of content creation can never be underestimated. The internet can make or break a business in a matter of minutes. This is the reason why a strong ORM team that controls what is seen and what is said online must be established.
With the right ORM experts, the content created can help clean up your internet reputation. In their internet reputation services, ORM experts create various types of content that can be used to manage reputation. For instance, the content published on blogs and websites must be clean and well thought out.
The duty of the ORM team is to ensure that they play the primary role of determining how the content is created. This content is combined with other tools of ORM such as SEO and targeted marketing. In the long run, the content should overshadow any negative content already available online or on other platforms.
Re-Targeting of Content
Although PR firms may engage in social media marketing, in most cases they may fail to leverage the secrets known by ORM marketers. The beauty of ORM services is that they are based on well-researched skills and techniques. Those who offer such services know what it takes to get the right customers.
Through the use of targeted and retargeting campaigns, ORM experts can deliver content to the right clients. In other words, they use tools that help them track down particular customers who may need specific types of information. For instance, customers who complain about your response rate can be targeted.
Through targeted campaigns, it is easy for ORM experts to clean up your internet reputation and provide confidence among customers. Those who have issues with the brand or brand products can be specifically targeted with confidence messages. Such branding messages change perceptions.
The Best Services That Clean Up Your Internet Reputation
If you are looking for services that clean up your internet reputation, the best solution is to go for ORM instead of PR firms. The beauty of online reputation management firms is that they all work towards the creation of a positive online image for your brand. They can manage content as well as reviews.
Bright Past stands out as one of the leaders in the area of online reputation management. We guarantee the best ORM services for both small and large companies that want to stand out as leaders in their industries. If you are interested in our services, fill out our contact form and we will get back to you.