When charter, private and public schools and heads of schools contend daily with online negativity, they may come to see their reputations as a liability to be managed – not an asset to be marketed. But have no doubt – reputation is a valuable commodity that can be used to your advantage. Don’t do yourself a disservice by not treating it with care.

Let Stakeholders Sell for You

Where reputation management focuses on counteracting or suppressing negative content online – bad reviews and other poor feedback – reputation management for private schools accentuates the positive and uses it as a sales tool. Studies reflect that more than 72 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so there’s a wealth of untapped potential in the word of your existing customers. Managing your reputation is essential and can secure customers you’d have lost otherwise – but management for private schools your reputation actually can make your company money.

Schools can spend thousands or more on a sales force and strategy to spread the word about what they offer. Meanwhile, they may overlook that their satisfied customers are their best brand ambassadors. ReputationSimple, the leader in the emerging reputation management for private schools industry, can help you harness the power of your happy clients.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

With so many choices, the slightest difference can sway an online searcher away from one option and toward another. Reputation management for private schools gives you and your company the edge that tilts the scale in your favor.

A steady stream of great reviews can propel your public, charter or private school to the next level. How do you get them? Simply ask. When you provide your stakeholders a great service or exceptional outcome, don’t hesitate to solicit feedback. You and your staff should never miss an opportunity to get a top rating.

The next step is to create channels where those you’ve served can share their thoughts. Any interaction you have with a client in person or online is a chance to bolster your profile, build brand awareness and strengthen your reputation. Request reviews wherever possible from your satisfied stakeholders; it’s as important and effective as any sales effort you employ.

Spread the Word On the Web

Once the five-star reviews start coming in online, play them up wherever and whenever possible. They should appear prominently on all social media platforms, your website and everywhere you have a presence online. A huge amount of five-star ratings won’t mean much if they aren’t visible to the right people. Industry-specific review sites, such as Facebook, Google Local, Yellow Pages and others, also shouldn’t be neglected.

That’s where ReputationSimple can be your guide and ally — parlaying that positive buzz into more business. As you garner more praise online, and online searchers see it front and center, you’ll foster the trust that keeps your existing customers coming back and generates more activity. Good reviews will power the engine of your management for private schools campaign. When you consistently provide top-tier goods or services, you should reap the benefit of a stellar reputation.

Building a Lasting Rapport with Stakeholders

Reputation management for private schools is all about establishing a solid, long-term relationship with members of the community. It is the process of earning esteem through exceptional service – and then promoting what you have accomplished. Most of your potential students – research shows as much as 80 percent – won’t feel confident with a schools unless it has received at least 10 five-star reviews online. With little else to go on to distinguish one school from another in an online search, consumers need a quick, simple and visible way to prove you deserve their trust over someone else. A track record of positive write-ups tells would-be new students that others trust you – and they should, too.

The institutions that master reputation management for private schools not only build a stakeholder base, but they develop a strategy to increase that base – and make it self-perpetuating. As the leader in the reputation management for private schools field, ReputationSimple can customize a plan that will put you ahead of the other community options for public, private or charter schools, attract new enrollment and keep your existing stakeholders loyal over time.

Think Big

In today’s hyper-connected climate, reputation often is the difference between success and failure. Where at one time, one student or parent might influence dozens of people with their opinion of a school, now they are able to reach and persuade hundreds or even thousands of online searchers. Word of mouth has become digital, and each consumer has exponentially greater influence – which can be good or bad news for your school. The choice is yours.