Mastering Online Reputation Management (ORM)

Module 1: Introduction to ORM (Online Reputation Management)

Objective: Understand what ORM is, why it matters, and its impact on personal and brand reputation.

Topics Covered:

• What is ORM?

• Importance of ORM in today’s digital world

• Difference between Personal ORM vs Brand ORM

• Platforms where ORM matters (Google, social media, review sites, etc.)

Examples:

• A customer leaves a 1-star review on Zomato: How the restaurant’s reply can affect future sales.

• A freelance designer with good LinkedIn recommendations vs one with none.

Activity: Google yourself or your brand and analyze the first page of results.

Module 2: How to Do ORM Consistently

Objective: Learn a repeatable ORM strategy that keeps your brand image positive and responsive.

Topics Covered:

• Building ORM into your weekly marketing plan

• Setting up Google Alerts for your brand

• Creating positive content (blogs, social posts, testimonials)

• How to respond to negative reviews or comments effectively

• Tools for ORM: Google My Business, Trustpilot, Canva (for creating visuals), etc.

Examples:

• Template for responding to negative reviews politely

• Weekly ORM checklist (monitor reviews, post one blog, check alerts)

Activity: Create your weekly ORM plan (includes tools, posting schedule, and response template)

Module 3: Social Listening – The Secret Superpower

Objective: Learn to monitor online conversations and trends to better manage your brand’s perception.

Topics Covered:

• What is Social Listening?

• Difference between social listening and social monitoring

• Tools for social listening: BrandMentions, Mention, Hootsuite, Google Alerts (basic)

• What to track: Brand name, competitor mentions, industry keywords

• How to use this data to improve customer service and PR

Examples:

• A clothing brand noticing people complaining about size issues on Twitter → creates a sizing guide post.

• Social listening helping a café create a new menu item based on customer cravings.

Activity: Set up one free tool (Google Alerts or Mention) to monitor your brand or niche.

Module 4: The PESO Model in ORM

Objective: Learn how to use different media types to shape and control your reputation.

Topics Covered:

• What is PESO: Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media

• How each media type contributes to ORM

• Which type is most controllable and which is most influential

Breakdown:

• Paid: Google Ads, social media ads → e.g., run an ad with positive customer testimonials

• Earned: Media coverage, influencer shout-outs → e.g., getting a blogger to write about you

• Shared: Social media engagement → e.g., managing comments, shares

• Owned: Your blog, website, YouTube channel → e.g., publishing your story and mission

Example:

• A brand uses:

  • Paid Instagram ads to boost testimonials

  • Earned media from an article in Times of India

  • Shared posts on Twitter with trending hashtags

  • Owned blog explaining their ethical sourcing

Activity: Identify one tactic from each PESO category you can use for your own brand.

Final Wrap-Up + Bonus Tips

• Summary of all modules

• Importance of being proactive, not reactive

• Bonus: How to build your ORM portfolio if you're a freelancer or agency

Final Task: Build your basic ORM Strategy Document (includes:

• Goals

• Tools

• Weekly actions

• PESO media plan)

Task Needs to be Finished:

1. "The jeans tore in just 2 days. Worst quality ever. Total waste of money!"

2. "I ordered 34 size, but you sent me 30. How can someone even wear this? Are you serious?"

3. "Color started fading after one wash. Looks like I bought second-hand jeans."

4. "Material is so thin, feels like paper. Not stretchable at all. Totally fake claims."

5. "These jeans made me itch so bad. Maybe bad fabric? Please stop fooling customers."

6. "Your model wears cool jeans, but I got something totally different. This is cheating!"

7. "Worst fitting jeans ever. I looked like a clown. Never buying again."

8. "Zip was broken. Button was loose. Are these even new jeans?"

9. "Why does it smell so bad? Even after washing, the smell didn’t go."

10. "Customer care doesn’t reply. I want refund for these useless jeans!"

T-Shirt Reviews:

11. "T-shirt looks so cheap in real. Nothing like the pictures. Big disappointment!"

12. "Stitching came off in just one wear. What kind of joke product is this?"

13. "I ordered black, got grey. And it’s not even the same design. What’s going on?"

14. "Cloth is so rough. My skin got rashes. Never felt this bad wearing a t-shirt."

15. "Size is too small. Even kids won’t fit into this. Stop lying about size charts."

16. "Colors faded like watercolors in one wash. Not even worth ₹100."

17. "You guys are just running ads and sending poor quality clothes. Scam alert!"

18. "Logo started peeling off in a week. Are these even real products or just made for show?"

19. "Neck got loose in two days. Looks like I’ve worn this for 5 years. Cheap quality."

20. "I trusted your brand, but got cheated. T-shirt looks like local street market stuff."