Some people think that reputation is something that we all left behind in high school - the stuff of giggling girls in the corner whispering about that time you squirted ketchup all over yourself in the cafeteria.

However, much like the “most likely” labels assigned in yearbooks that are now collecting dust, the online reputation of your company portrays a powerful image to the world and, more importantly, your sales prospects.

So let's start off with some great statistics to build up the importance before we dive into how successful companies manage their online reputation.

Given all of the marketing strategies today that are effective at increasing leads and sales, why is online reputation management one of the most important for companies to pay attention to? It has to do largely with the availability and reach of peer-to-peer marketing (aka word of mouth) today. People can now get feedback and recommendations from fellow consumers via the Internet that they once only had access to in-person or within their own circle of family and friends.

And the vast majority of people have read your reviews or at least came across your company's rating. These online reviews have become a critical part of any effective marketing plan and for good reason.

Far too many organizations wait until disaster strikes to make the investment necessary to build a positive online reputation. But there are very good reasons why you should take a proactive stance before a flurry of negative reviews surfaces or a customer complaint posted on one of your social channels turns off potential customers. It is much more difficult to mitigate damage than to prevent it. In fact, some negative content is nearly impossible to remove or override.

We get it. Your time is limited, consumer's inboxes are already very full, and there are so many different marketing channels to focus on. While it may seem tempting to forgo email marketing so that you can focus more on - say - social media or search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, our best quick tip for you is DON'T.

LinkedIn is, by the very nature of its design, a perfect social platform for fueling B2B lead generation efforts. Just not in the same manner you would traditionally do on platforms such as Google Ads or Instagram.

With LinkedIn, you are better off running paid campaigns for people to download an eBook, register for a webinar, offer a free product sample, or promote an event. It isn't about the hard sell on LinkedIn, it is about building relationships, educating and helping others succeed. Only when they start succeeding, will you on this platform.