We’re always looking ahead for what marketers and businesses will need to be successful. In 2017 that includes a foolproof strategy to manage online customer reviews and brand sentiment. Brands can no longer take a passive approach to managing their online reputation – in fact 88% of customers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. That’s why DAC is rolling out two brand new products that aim to solve two critical pieces in the reputation management equation.

The first product to launch is Review Solicitation, which helps marketers generate positive reviews on third–party sites including Google, Yelp and Facebook. Most businesses understand that they should aim to increase the number of online reviews for their products and services, but find it time consuming and difficult. Review Solicitation makes it easy for brands to enjoy the benefits of a strong online reputation – from boosting SEO, to assuring potential customers of the quality of their product or service.

DAC’s proprietary technology targets consumers who have interacted with the brand to solicit positive reviews for third-party sites, through personalized and localized email campaigns. The result is glowing consumer reviews on the sites that matter most—including Google, Yelp and Facebook.

The second product we’re launching is Sentiment Analysis, which helps decipher the common themes surfacing in online reviews and breaking reviews down into more actionable buckets. Most review sites allow for a simple 1-to-5 star rating and while this does provide value, our product goes further—determining through proprietary software why a review is positive or negative. Sentiment Analysis indexes and analyzes each review and assigns a score based on four key factors: Product, Value, Customer Service, and Atmosphere. This gives marketers a much deeper understanding of consumer sentiment, allowing them to better understand and take action on what matters to their customers.

Online reputation and review management are pivotal components of a strong local digital strategy—90% of people say online reviews influence their purchase decisions. Marketers should be taking this task very seriously and arming themselves with the tools needed to be successful

Kyle Harris is a Product Manager at DAC. To learn more about our reputation management products, please get in touch!