Event planners play a crucial role in making some of the biggest events of people’s lives memorable. Suffice it to say, people don’t take hiring an event planner lightly.

As an event planner, your reputation is everything. If you damage it, you could lose future business and even be blacklisted by potential clients.

That’s why it’s important to protect your reputation and take the necessary steps to improve it if needed. In this blog post, we will discuss a few tips for building and managing a strong reputation for event planners.

But, first what is reputation management?

Reputation management is the process of monitoring, controlling and improving your public image. It’s essentially what you do to ensure people have a positive perception of you and your business.

There are two main aspects to reputation management: online and offline. Online reputation management (ORM) is focused on managing your digital footprint, while offline reputation management is more about what people say about you in person.

But, it’s important to realize that online and offline reputation management are two sides of the same coin. The way you behave online will have a direct impact on how people perceive you offline, and vice versa.

Now that we know what reputation management is, let’s take a look at some things event planners can do to build strong reputations.

10 key reputation management tips for event planners

#1. Take stock of where you’re at

Before you can create an effective reputation management strategy for your event planning business, you need to know what kind of state your reputation is currently in.

There are a few different ways to do this.

One way is to set up Google Alerts for your business name and industry keywords. This will notify you whenever your business is mentioned online so you can keep tabs on what people are saying about you.

You can also search for your business name on social media, review sites, and other online platforms to get a sense of what people are saying.

Once you have an idea of where your reputation stands, you can start developing a strategy to improve it.

#2. Improve your customer experience

One of the best ways to improve your reputation is by improving your customer experience. After all, your customer service is the foundation of your reputation — online and off.

Put yourself in your clients’ shoes and ask yourself how you can make their event planning experience better. Then, take steps to implement those changes.

Make sure all of your communication is clear and concise, provide great customer service and go above and beyond to exceed your clients’ expectations. Here are a few more tips for improving your customer service experience:

• Train your staff on proper customer service etiquette
• Respond to all customer inquiries in a timely manner
• Take complaints and feedback seriously
• Resolve conflicts quickly and efficiently

When you provide a great customer experience, your clients will be more likely to leave positive reviews and recommend you to others.

#3. Ask for feedback and reviews

In order to improve your customer experience, you first need to understand it. But, that can be hard to do as an event planner and small business owner. You’re only privy to one side of the equation.

The most effective way to find out about your customer experience is to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth — your customers.

When you ask for feedback, make sure you give your clients an easy way to provide it. This could be through a survey or simply by requesting reviews on social media or review sites.

Pro tip: Use email marketing to get five-star reviews

The easiest way to collect more feedback and reviews about your event planning business is to send out an automated email requesting a review a few days after an event. This way, the event is still fresh in their minds.

In the email, ask if the client’s experience was positive or negative.

If they indicate that their experience was negative, direct them to an internal feedback form where they can provide details about their experience.

If they indicate that their experience was positive, direct them to a review site, like Top Rated Local®, where they can write a review.

#4. Listen carefully to feedback about your business

When you ask for feedback, make sure to listen carefully to what your clients have to say.

If a client gives you negative feedback about your business, don’t get defensive. Address the issue and try to resolve it as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget that there is always room for improvement, no matter how good your business is doing.

If you get positive feedback, make sure to thank the customer for their kind words.

It’s also important to listen to feedback that you didn’t ask for. This includes online reviews, social media comments and word-of-mouth recommendations.

By paying attention to this type of feedback, you can get an idea of how your business is doing overall and where you need to make improvements.

#5. Respond to your reviews — both good and bad

When you get a review, make sure to take the time to respond.

This shows your clients that you are paying attention to what they’re saying and that you care about their experience.

If you receive a positive review, thank the customer for their feedback and let them know that you appreciate their business.

If you receive a negative review, address the issue and try to resolve it. Never lash out at a customer in response to a bad review. This will only make things worse.

Getting a negative review can feel personal. Don’t respond right away if you’re upset about the review. Give yourself a few minutes to breathe and calm down, so that you can maintain a professional demeanor in your response.

Also, invite the client to discuss the matter further directly by giving them your phone number or email address. This way, you can avoid getting into a public argument and tarnishing your reputation further.

By responding to your reviews, you can show your clients that you’re listening and that you care about their experience.

#6. Develop a reputation management strategy

Reputation management is incredibly important for event planners. It needs to be a top priority in your business, and that means that you need a clear reputation management strategy.

You should have a clear reputation management strategy in place that outlines how you’re going to collect and respond to feedback, what you’re going to do with negative reviews, how you’re going to proactively manage your online reputation and who within your business will be responsible for managing your reputation.

This will help ensure that your business is always putting its best foot forward and that your clients are happy with the experience they had working with you.

#7. Use reputation management software

If you’re not using reputation management software, you’re missing out.

Reputation management software can help make managing your online reputation a lot easier. It automates the process of collecting and responding to feedback, making it easy for you to keep track of what’s being said about your business.

It also allows you to quickly address any negative reviews, which can help limit the damage that they do to your reputation.

An event planner’s reputation expands across the web, from their website to their social media profiles, review sites and beyond.

With reputation management software, you can monitor and manage all of your reviews from one place, saving you time and simplifying your reputation management strategy.

The Marketing 360® Reputation app provides you with everything you need to build a strong reputation. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with the rest of the Marketing 360 event planner marketing platform, including email marketing software.

#8. Take up real estate in the search results

When someone searches for your business name on Google or Bing, you want to control what comes up.

Make sure that your website is ranking in the top spot for your business name by optimizing your website and creating content on a regular basis in the form of blogs.

You can also control what appears in the search results by claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile and Bing Places for Business listings, as well as listings across any applicable local sites, directories and apps.

Plus, establish an active presence on any social media platforms you’re using to market your business by posting regularly on your profiles.

The better you optimize your website and listings, and the more content you create on your website and social media profiles, the more real estate you’ll control on the SERPS (search engine results pages).

This is important because it allows you to control the narrative around your business and ensure that potential clients are seeing the best possible version of your business when they search for you online.

#9. Manage your social media presence

Social media is a powerful tool for event planners. It allows you to connect with potential clients, build relationships and promote your business.

But it also carries the risk of damaging your reputation if you’re not careful.

That’s why it’s so important to manage your social media presence carefully.

Be sure to post regularly on your profiles, but also be sure to monitor what’s being said about you and respond quickly to any negative comments or reviews.

Pro tip: Train your team on acceptable social media etiquette

Your team is an extension of your brand on social media. Make sure they know what is and isn’t acceptable to post on social media, as well as how to engage with clients. This will help ensure that your social media presence is always positive and professional.

#10. Monitor your online reputation regularly

The best way to manage your reputation is to monitor it regularly.

Set up alerts for your business name across the web and keep track of what’s being said about you.

This will help you quickly address any negative reviews or comments before they have a chance to damage your reputation.

Regular monitoring also allows you to track your progress over time and see how your reputation management efforts are affecting your online presence.

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Whether you take an active role in managing it or not, your event planning business’s reputation is out there, affecting how prospective clients see you.

Take control of your reputation with Marketing 360’s reputation management software. Learn more and see our plans and pricing.