Poor recommendations online can be damaging to businesses and can end up costing companies thousands of dollars in lost sales each year. One thing you need to realize as a business owner or as a marketer is that it is impossible to go onto other websites and “delete” negative reviews.

Although you cannot delete feedback left by others, you can manage the content that you put out to the public while also managing the positive reviews that your company has across the Internet. You can minimize the negative reviews by increasing positive reviews on more authoritative and trusted websites.

Finding and keeping up with reviews of your company can seem slightly overwhelming. The first thing you will need to do if you have not already is set up Google Alerts for your company’s name. By setting up Google Alerts, you will be notified immediately every time someone mentions you or your company’s name on the Internet. This keeps you ahead of the curve when dealing with brand management and reputation on the Internet from this day forward.

In addition, to view what people have said about you from yesterday and beyond, perform a quick Google search for “your company’s name reviews.” For example, when we searched “USAA reviews” one of the first reviews for USAA reviews.

In August 2010, Google began allowing companies to respond to consumer reviews on the company’s Google Places page. Being able to respond to these reviews does two things:

1. Allows you to improve relationships with existing customers and

2. Shows prospective customers that you value your customers and that you are working hard to make sure everyone is pleased with your products/services.

You’re asking yourself, “Okay, I can control reviews on Google, but how do I manage negative reviews on other sites?”

Though you cannot directly respond to negative reviews on other sites such as Yelp and Insiderpages, you can create an account and leave your own review under the original review. The number one thing when leaving a review in response to a negative post is to be transparent. Call out what you did wrong, address how you will fix it and leave a call-to-action for the unhappy customer. This will have the same impact as leaving a follow up comment on a Google Places page review.

You have taken care of dealing with negative reviews across the Internet. Now in order to minimize those reviews, you will need to maximize positive and honest reviews. Though it might take some time, it will be worth the effort.

Think and create a list of all of the customers in your list that you have had a positive experience with and who values your business and your services. This may be one time customers, repeat customers, family and friends. Email them and ask them to leave a review on every review site you come across, whether there are negative listings already or not. This should help you manage your online reputation.

Guest Author: Lauren Bradley is a Project Owner at Lift Division Consulting. Lauren has worked in online marketing and search marketing for three years.

It’s easy to find out who your Ideal Clients are, no matter what the economy is like. Here’s how.

How do I find ideal clients in this economy? That was a question one attendee asked in a recent panel I hosted, and it’s not the only time I’ve heard such a question. How can I survive in this economy? How can I convince people to buy in this economy? How can I make this work in this economy? The heartache and discouragement rise like a damp mist over the moors.

The answer comes in two parts:

1. Stop thinking about the economy. Now, I know that sounds over simplified because everyone these days is stewing over the economy, right? And it is true that some industries naturally falter in tough times. The fine dining business, for example, has been struggling. So, go ahead and take a look at what you’re doing. Is it valid when wallets are tight? Do people still need your coaching? Your advice? Your expertise? Fact is, people need more help in tough times than ever before. So, stop thinking about the economy and start thinking about your perfect prospect. Does he or she still need you? If yes, then move on to #2.
2. Are you clear on who your Ideal Clients are? That’s Square One in marketing. You need to know your Perfect Prospect no matter what economy you are in. Then you can focus on reaching them and only them. It will add so much power to your marketing that finding them won’t be a problem because they’ll find YOU.

Finding out who your ideal clients is is easier than you think. If you’re still stumped, think about the one person you love to work with and who gets tremendous value from your services. Start with them.

Guest Author: Still puzzled about who your perfect prospects are? Pick up your free assessment at http://LetsGetRealmarketing.com.  Award-winning author Rosey Dow is a casting director. She casts the missing clients who will take your business to the next level. That’s why she’s called The Prospect Profiler.

Many people use the word brand quite loosely. So let’s define what a brand is? For many people, a brand is just a logo with a unique identity and nothing else.

So let’s define what exactly a brand is and how we can use it to position ourselves in this crowded marketplace.

I was once talking to a brand expert and she said “Several decades ago, perhaps even centuries ago, if people wanted to buy flowers, they would just buy it from a vendor on the street. People were mostly commodity shoppers.”

Today, the market place is so crowded that almost everybody sells a similar commodity. How do you differentiate one from the other? It could be the exact same product but they could differ in quality and performance. So, now enter brands.

A brand to me is a reputation and also a personality. People buy based on reputation. If two people went to raise capital in the market one was Warren Buffet and the other was XYZ, most people would invest in Warren Buffet because Warren has built a reputation of being a wise businessman with a great track record in building multi-billion dollar companies. And, nobody has any idea who XYZ is.

I have also seen people being attracted to a personality. Most times, the business takes on the personality of the entrepreneur. Richard Branson and Donald Trump are great examples of attracting people to their personality.

So how do you build a brand?

#1 Find a target market.

Why is this so important? Because you can’t be everything to everybody. Are you going to cater your product to a high-end customer base or are you going to be an economy product who caters to price sensitive shoppers? Ferrari, the Italian car manufacturer caters to a very exclusive clientele and their entire image reflects that. If you own a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce, it’s a symbol of pride and success.

And, Toyota on the other hand caters to a more economy segment. More affordable, lesser maintenance costs and better mileage. Imagine if Ferrari and Rolls Royce were affordable to everybody, do you think the elite, high end customer would pay as much for it. I doubt it. Branding is also about intangibles and emotional factors that make people buy.

#2 What do you stand for?

This is so crucial when you are doing a branding exercise. Lot of successful entrepreneurs will tell you that “business is a movement.” The Mahatma Gandhis, the Nelson Mandelas and the Kennedys all became famous because they stood for something.

In the modern era, it’s the Beatles and the Madonnas. They all stand for something. Even if you don’t agree with it, there are still a movement that many people follow.

So what’s your movement? Identify your movement before you find that fan base.

#3 Be consistent

Once you are clear about what you stand for, every action you take has to be consistent with that image. If you are a high end brand, your communication, the way your employees dress, the way you communicate with your customers and your policies should reflect that.

And, finally let your personality stand out. I do believe every individual has an X-Factor in him. Love your personality, work on it and let it shine.

Happy Branding!

Guest Author: Vinil Ramdev is an entrepreneur, author and business consultant who helps business owners increase revenues and maximize profits. He is founder of StartUpGrowthExpert.com – a consulting firm that helps businesses increase revenues through powerful branding and focused strategies.