Reputation Defender Vs. Broadly: Compare Two Top-Rated ORMs
In today’s post, you’re going to compare Reputation Defender and Broadly, two top-rated ORMs, and conclude which one fits your needs best.
What’s different about this comparison article is we included a few other areas not commonly discussed. This will add some depth and help you align more with the provider that feels best for you.
We’ll still discuss the common features, benefits, quality, and some pricing information. But the highlight is a refreshing approach to the detailed review and core focus on why each company does what it does and how it helps you.
Broadly Overview
Broadly is a reputation management service that aids businesses in increasing their digital visibility and crafting an improved image. They’ve been in love with small business reputation management since 2014.
They give clients a suite of resources to assist in monitoring reviews, addressing customer remarks, running social media accounts, and refining website material, among other things.
Many customers rave about insights into how they can perceive the business through analytics and reporting features.
Just recently acquired by Vendasta, their workflows, and features might begin to change for this well-known customer engagement platform. But as of now, they are stable and show no signs of losing their customer-first approach.
Broadly provides an effective platform for managing online reputation, but what they offer is very different from ReputationDefender, even though they play in the same sandbox, so to speak.
Let’s dive deeper into both.
Broadly Marketing Philosophy
Broadly lives for the small business owner and focuses on the customer experience. They want every small business owner to feel special, so they provide the best service they can, which in turn leads to loyalty.
Clients They Serve
Broadly caters to a very specific group of local businesses. Their online reputation management services are primarily focused around:
● Automotive
● Home
● Pet
● Law
● Dental
Depending on what your needs are, they can help you put together a strategy and campaign to begin creating a better online presence within the five industries listed above.
Services
Broadly has a suite of services that can either assist in reviving a failing small business reputation or build one for a new local business owner.
These services help with building up your local business environment to run smoothly as well as build a better online reputation for your business.
These services include:
● Review management
● Webchat
● Inbox
● Teams
● Payments
● Campaign
● Dashboard
● Website
These features don’t fall under your traditional reputation management activities. That’s because this entire platform builds, maintains, and grows a local business’s reputation. Keep that in mind.
Helpful Resources
When it comes to offering knowledge on using the software and growing your reputation online, the Broadly blog is extensive.
However, there are no case studies or webinar links to review. So, if you don’t like reading or sifting through blogs to learn how things are done, you will have a tough time learning how things work in the specific reputation management software dashboards available.
We would have liked to see a knowledge base or quick guides that answer questions easily.
But they do have a great customer service rating because you can call, email, or live chat during business hours.
Pricing Details
Pricing is not available without you signing up for free and giving your email. You can sign up with Google for the free plan. You do also get a free trial with any paid plan.
There’s no option to get a demo or just call or chat for a quote. This is something that can frustrate many visitors. Many review sites say Broadly is affordable, but custom quotes depending on your business, employee size, and more must be a factor.
Expertise & Awards
In the local business arena for reputation marketing, Broadly excels. They were recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies.
They also won the Built-In Best Places To Work award, signaling they have a great work culture and promote a positive work environment.
Who’s Broadly the Best Fit for?
Broadly is suitable for the new or established local small business owner who wants to use specific business tools that increase or maintain online reputation. If you want to lead with customer service and foster a work environment that focuses on feedback and communication while simplifying your workflows (which later on improves online reputation through review management), Broadly can be a great fit.
But it’s not for you if you need to address specific areas of content affecting your business or personal reputation.
The software doesn’t create content to minimize negative search results. It’s not crisis management software.
Though it keeps you informed of reviews and allows you to instantly address negative reviews, Broadly’s primary focus is on business reputation management.
So, if you have a direct attack on your privacy or your good name (for example, negative comments on social media), Broadly won’t be able to create a customized plan to help you control search results or improve your social media presence with a new content campaign to overshadow the onslaught.
ReputationDefender Overview
ReputationDefender is an online reputation management service and was the first on the scene in this ORM space. They have been managing reputations for more than 16 years now.
They help individuals, working professionals, and business owners protect and build their online reputations.
Protecting your digital privacy is also a top priority, and since Reputation Defender is backed by the well-known cybersafety brand Norton, new innovations and best practices for digital privacy and security continue to be perfected.
With several different solutions available, including a comprehensive suite of online reputation management tools, there are no surprises when keeping track of, controlling, and enhancing your online presence.
Reputation Defender Marketing Philosophy
Reputation Defender focuses on helping individuals, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and large companies to improve or build a better online reputation.
They believe “everyone should have the right to be represented fairly,” and they have a comprehensive marketing philosophy that they use when working with people.
Reputation Defender’s main goal is to build trust with everyone and to deliver truthful information about what will be done to help you and how—even if it’s information you don’t want to hear.
They believe it’s better to say if their solutions are not a good fit than to create false hope about something that can’t be done.
For those interested in continuing through the process, the company establishes credibility and sets the tone for those who may be unfamiliar with the concept of managing or repairing one’s online reputation.
Clients They Serve
In short, ReputationDefender can help anyone looking to improve their online reputation. Whether you’re a working professional trying to improve your image online for a career move or a small business that wants to gain more authority from local searches and increase online sales because of better reviews, they can help.
In fact, there are incredible customer stories about how ReputationDefender did what other providers couldn’t do.
Not typical, but some clients saw results in as little as 30 days.
Executives, large companies, and regular, everyday people get help. You receive empathetic and well-thought-out content that presents you in a caring way.
This helps to ensure that your future will no longer be affected by negative search results or personal information being shared online without your permission.
Services
Whatever challenges you face regarding your online reputation, there is a solution available that will support your needs and is tailored just for you.
Here are some of the core services ReputationDefender provides:
● Search Results
● Personal Branding
● Online Reviews
● Digital Privacy
● Executive Protection
● VIP Services
Each service provides specific workflows that can be customized to fit your needs. All campaigns and content creation are approved by you before moving forward.
The biggest thing to remember is every business and individual has an online reputation; whether you choose to control it or not can be your biggest advantage or disadvantage.
Helpful Resources
If you’d like to become a specialist in online reputation management (ORM), the resource center and self-help materials available for free on the ReputationDefender website can help.
It’s very extensive and shows their generosity and commitment to providing valuable information to those curious about this necessary service.
Resources include:
● Blogs
● Ebooks & Case Studies
● Online Guides
● Reputation Report Cards
These are just a few to get you started. Head over to the company’s self-help section for more details and downloadable content.
Pricing Details
This is where ReputationDefender really shines. They have pricing clearly explained on all but one service they provide. VIP Services are custom and need more details about your needs before a price can be given.
But pricing for the other five services is conveniently available at the bottom of each of those service pages.
- Search Results
- Personal Branding
- Online Reviews
- Digital Privacy
- Executive Protection
This kind of transparency about pricing is uncommon when you compare it to other online reputation management providers that usually have you set up a call or demo first.
According to a study done by WebFX, “Businesses may pay anywhere from $500 to $10,000 per month for reputation management services.” This is a general number not exclusive to ReputationDefender.
What’s really nice is ReputationDefender has clear pricing packages so you don’t have to hold your breath waiting to find out what you will have to pay. You are able to put together a budget quickly to begin your journey with repairing or crafting your online reputation as you see fit.
One thing, it’s not cheap. We tell you this upfront because we want you to come into this with a realistic attitude about this type of service.
But consider this, if it was lower cost would you trust it, given the importance of your reputation and managing it in a custom way?
Expertise & Awards
ReputationDefender has no shortage of accolades pointing toward their quality and expertise.
The first is their overall Trustpilot rating of 4.8 as of April 2023. This is excellent.
The next highlight of social proof can be found directly on their website, but we’ll list it here for your convenience:
● American Business Awards “Stevie’s” Customer Service Department of the Year—2017, 2019, 2020, 2021
● World Economic Forum Global Growth Company
● TechAmerica’s 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year: Founder Michael Fertik
● Privacy by Design Ambassador: Founder Michael Fertik
● World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer
● Gartner Cool Vendor
● Harvard University Innovation Lab Expert-in-Residence: Founder Michael Fertik
It’s hard to argue that a company that paved the way for online reputation management and is still around with even better innovations and results shouldn’t be considered a leader in the industry.
Who’s ReputationDefender the Best Fit for?
ReputationDefender is best for job seekers, working professionals, executives, and business owners (large or small), who want to control what search engines find about them and who want better digital privacy.
In addition, this provider is great if you’re looking for a full-service reputation management company focused on more than just your business. That’s because they help you use social media as a tool to improve the customer experience while also helping you gain more visibility through customer engagement and content.
If you are someone who wants long-term online reputation management, needs to put out fires popping up all over the internet about you, or sees the value in reputation management because you recognize it’s a preventive service as well that can pave a positive path for teens and young adults, ReputationDefender might be your ideal solution.
What Are the Cons of Reputation Defender?
Yes, ReputationDefender is awesome. It offers several features, such as monitoring search engine results, managing reviews on popular websites, and creating positive content.
But what are some of the problems you might face and how can you know what to look out for?
The good news is we found when dealing with them, most people feel and confirm they are upfront about their processes. So, if you ask, they’ll explain it.
They also won’t accept just anyone as a customer. This means you have to be a good fit as a client and fall within the company’s moral compass, so to speak.
This sometimes rubs people the wrong way, but we find it refreshing. It’s honest, and that’s what makes them stand out so much more than providers that tell you whatever you want to hear.
Some things considered cons include:
No negative content removal service
The company does not offer services such as removing negative content from the internet altogether (personal information, yes), which may be necessary for some businesses that have suffered significant damage due to bad publicity or false accusations online.
There are some companies that offer this as a service and even guarantee removals.
We’d like to be fully transparent here. These guarantees should be viewed as giant red flags. It’s misleading to claim that you can remove all negative content from the internet. The internet is a big place, and there are freedom-of-speech laws that come into play depending on your country and laws.
Be very careful when being promised things like this. Ask for examples, and if your specific situation has been handled successfully in the past with the company you’re requesting this service from.
Amount of time to see results
Many reviews we’ve seen say things take too long. And, depending on what you are trying to suppress or remove, that might be the case. Most results will take longer than one to three months.
Certain circumstances can take a year, especially if the content is on a high-traffic site that regularly updates its content. Our suggestion is to ask about the time frame for seeing results and being clear and OK about what that looks like.
With realistic expectations, you won’t feel your hard-earned money is being wasted.
What Are the Cons of Broadly?
Broadly is a platform for managing online reputations, providing businesses with various tools to monitor and shape their digital image. It allows users to monitor and respond to customer reviews, track sentiment across multiple review sites, create custom surveys for customers and even analyze competitor performance.
But they’re not perfect for everyone. So, what are some cons to consider and look out for?
Not a full-fledged online reputation management provider
They help with small-business reputation management. However, they don’t create content about individuals or executives to help protect their reputation or suppress negative comments or reviews about them.
It’s exclusive to your business. Since you run a business and are interacting with customers regularly, there is an opportunity for someone to say something on another website or forum that you can address but not suppress with a proven strategy.
Limited to small business
Services are difficult to scale, and as your brand grows you will have to move on to a provider that can manage the size of your growing business and provide additional services that meet your needs.
Lack of a la carte services and inconsistent feature functionality
For example, if you only want to manage reviews and don’t need the other services offered, you still have to pay for the full plan. There are also complaints regarding features and a lack of support after signing on.
Comparing ReputationDefender & Broadly
Both ORM tools provide an array of capabilities that can assist in preserving your online visibility and cultivating a more favorable reputation. However, there are certain distinctions between the two that should be considered when selecting which is most suitable for your needs.
ReputationDefender focuses on monitoring online reputations for individuals and businesses, as well as providing personalized content-creation services for clients who need help crafting blog posts and other types of content to help improve their digital reputation.
They also create content specific to helping working professionals in industries like law enforcement, lawyers, celebrities, and more.
Broadly takes a slightly different approach by offering automated customer feedback surveys in addition to traditional ORM services such as review monitoring and response management.
This allows businesses to quickly collect valuable insights from customers about their experiences with the company’s products or services—information that can then be used to improve operations and enhance customer satisfaction levels overall.
Additionally, Broadly provides an array of marketing solutions, including website design/development, SEO optimization, social media campaigns, and more—all designed to boost visibility across multiple channels while helping maintain a positive public image at all times.
The Key Takeaway:
Comparing ReputationDefender and Broadly has revealed that both offer effective online reputation management services for businesses.
But it’s your approach that matters most. Do you need a full suite of marketing, web design, and SEO optimization, or do you need to build or maintain a personal, small business, or corporate image online for a lifetime?
Broadly is specific to certain small-business industries. ReputationDefender is an online reputation global juggernaut.
All the information you need to make an informed decision about both ORMs is now yours.
Conclusion
In brief, how you control your online reputation matters. Not doing anything about it is still doing something.
Ultimately, when deciding between ReputationDefender vs. Broadly for online reputation management services, be sure to consider all aspects before making a decision.
For long-term reputation management for a wider array of situations, we find ReputationDefender to be the superior option based on solutions, size, reviews, vision, and flexibility.
If you need help taking control of your online reputation, call or message Reputation Defender today. Their advanced digital solutions provide a comprehensive approach to protecting and managing your online presence easily.
