The issue of trust can arise when it comes to completing a transaction online, with a particular (selling a used object, apartment rental) or a business (e-commerce).
According to some sociologists, digital trust depends primarily on the level of sociability concerning the actors. A user will trust an online service where the number of users is high and especially there are responsive and consistent opinions and discussions. It’s the same for an individual, in which more confidence is with stronger connectivity within the social network. This connectivity will value authority in case of conflict with respect to a single individual in a social network.
Less obviously, the trust is determined by the level of sociability as other factors such as the level of transaction security or data encryption. For example, a user of a social media share personal data easily without worrying about access privileges, and use by this social media. More generally, one can make the connection with the phenomenon of “thick trust” which shows the irenic appearance of Internet in the collective imagination.
e–Marketing
E-marketing or Internet marketing is used to manage a web presence and a report to the user and to the communities it represents. The challenge here is to disseminate a consistent image of brand and company regardless of the communication media. Internet becomes a lever for action since information is the raw material that constitutes this new medium. It allows everyone to communicate quickly and cheaply. Internet is becoming a must for businesses and marketing services because according to a 2009 study from the journal E-Marketer, the web is twice as influential as television, while traditional media are the key providers of web communication. Brand image and reputation are at the heart of the marketing problem. Indeed, brands are becoming increasingly important in the financial valuation of companies, according to the 2008 study of Uxbridge, the importance of the mark in relation to total assets increased from 53 % to 61% in six years.
Professions for online reputation
With the advent of this concept, a new business was born, community management, essential for contact with the communities of potential consumers. Three types of players exist in the sphere of online reputationmarketing: the pure player (agents specialized in e-reputation), the advertising agency that developed offerings for online reputation, and finally developers of software helping to onlinereputation management.
Since the transition to Web 2.0, with the growing and almost uncontrollable influence of internet buzz, a whole community of site audit/consulting has developed. It is now easy to be able to buy Facebook friends or “Likes” to artificially inflate the page of the company, association or profile. This in the obviousaim to increase its visibility on the internet and launch marketing and advertising campaigns. Other sites offer personalized support to rebuild the image, protect privacy, and try to make disappear some pages on the internet (removal of links, drowning, etc). This is to manage the negative side generated by the race for Internet fame, which, however, is undeniably more complicated to control. The problems of persistent internet memory and veracity of information circulating remain major obstacles to complete control of the e-reputation. Finally, it is impossible to talk about online reputation not to mention “googleisations” which are the source of a very important business: the placing on the internet in order to increase traffic to the site (Google Adwords is the best, more evocative example). This is the second facet of the business of e-reputation, organized by giants, who did not leave much room for new ones in the sector.
Insurance of online reputation
In 2009, a French insurer launches insurance products for businesses, and since 2011, several insurers, combined with e-reputationagencies, offer a variety of insurance products to individuals, covering a portion of the risks in the context of life, with several exclusions. AXA launches in January 2012 integral family protection insurance offering e-reputation, identity theft, fraudulent use of payment means … This insurance policy will be criticized in particular for exclusion clauses. According to the formulas, these products allow cleaning the net, via a collaboration with specialized agencies, or a legal insurance to complain. In England, the business market would attract the greed of insurers who develop numerous offers, according to a commercial site for the profession.
Marketing and communication strategies
Consumer power has increased dramatically, as evidence the consideration of consumer reviews, forums and the use of digital social networks by companies that understand that having a Facebookprofile they get closer to their target, create link and thus loyalty. These new tools allow companies to play it both ways: individual (customization) and collective (community brand).
The challenge for companies is to communicate coherently at the corporate communications and marketing communications, which could be separated before. Thus the line between public relations management and customer relationship disappears with the Internet.
We observe two main types of strategies:
- The strategy of influence: it targets prescribers, “those who are the group’s opinion”; it must also control the distribution channels and know which one is addressed; finally, the “sounding” is an essential element of this strategy.
- The strategy of gathering information: it is to implement monitoring tools and benchmarks and to be present on social networks.
Translated from Wikipedia
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