| p>When you search your name or your company | | | | blogs, forums, news websites, and anything else that is |
| name on Google, what do you see? Do you know | | | | related to the industry. Many times the feedback and |
| how these results are affecting your reputation or the | | | | conversations found on these websites can help |
| reputation of your company? | | | | improve a product or service. It is also an easy way to |
| The key to effective online reputation management is | | | | interact with other people about the company. |
| to be pro-active and monitor situations before they | | | | 9. Images, Audio, and Video - Text content is not the |
| become a problem. Online attacks against individuals, | | | | only medium in which information is shared online. |
| organizations and brands can contribute to damages | | | | Popular websites like YouTube, Flicker, and PodZinger |
| surpassing billions of dollars each year. The most cost- | | | | host a wealth of information in video, audio, and image |
| effective solution is to prevent these problems before | | | | formats. This type of content should also be monitored. |
| they develop.o Search engine users rarely go beyond | | | | 10. Competitors - There are two types of competitors |
| the first 3 pages of search results.o The first 3 pages | | | | which should be tracked: brick and mortar competitors |
| of a search engine receive 90% of all search traffic.o | | | | and online competitors. Online competition can differ |
| The top 10 results receive nearly 80% more traffic | | | | drastically from traditional competition. Be sure to |
| than those in positions 11-30 achieve. | | | | monitor everything that is being tracked for your own |
| In today's society, bad word of mouth can spread | | | | company including company name, products, key |
| exponentially online. With so much advertising and | | | | employees, etc. |
| media endorsements, people are looking online for | | | | Step Two: Defending Against Attacks |
| reviews and recommendations from their peers to | | | | Potential customers, future employees, and even |
| help with purchasing decisions in almost every industry. | | | | family or friends have the ability to come across |
| Potential customers, future employers, and members | | | | negative information in search engine results. Pages |
| of the media are now turning to Google, Yahoo, and | | | | from message boards, blogs and other websites can |
| Bing for information about you or your business, | | | | appear in search engine results. The pages influence |
| causing these search engines to become "reputation | | | | the public perception of a person or a company's |
| engines". Angry customers, ex-employees, consumer | | | | brand. The best method to prevent against attacks is |
| activists and competitors are all capable of spreading | | | | to take a preventative approach to reputation |
| negative information online. The effect of this negative | | | | management. The following tips will help to get you |
| information can lead to problems with sales, investors, | | | | started. |
| image, and overall reputation. In fact, in a survey from | | | | A Guide to Reputation Management Techniques |
| Execunet.com, it was found that 83% of recruiters | | | | 1. Monitor Online Conversation - Tracking all mentions |
| used search engines to find information about | | | | of yourself, your brand, your products and your |
| candidates and 43% of those recruiters eliminated a | | | | company ensures you will to be alerted when |
| candidate based on negative results in search engines. | | | | situations arise. By doing this you are able to provide |
| In other words, these results can cause severe | | | | timely responses and extinguish small flames before |
| damage to you or your brand. In these situations | | | | they lead to forest fires. Tips of what to track are |
| threatening lawsuits simply do not work. In fact, they | | | | provided in Step One. |
| can make matters worse, especially if perceived to be | | | | 2. Dominate Search Engine Results - Dominating |
| vengeful or brought with "intent to harm" the poster. | | | | search engine results is an effective way to reduce |
| Even when you are right! | | | | the visibility of negative information. Of course, this is |
| Negative information can be posted about you or your | | | | not deleting listings from major search engines or |
| business in many places on the internet including blogs, | | | | covering up bad things you may have done. Instead it |
| forums, customer review websites, and through | | | | is a form of marketing which should be used to |
| images, video and audio content. The most damaging | | | | portray yourself or company in the best possible way. |
| aspect is all websites that host this content are | | | | The first step to dominating the search engine results |
| indexable by search engines and the pages can easily | | | | is to create information which can appear in the listings. |
| appear in the results when someone searches | | | | 3. Create & Promote Positive Information - |
| keywords related to you or your business. | | | | Creating and promoting information online can help to |
| As a business owner, C-suite executive, celebrity, or | | | | provide more visibility to positive information and less |
| public figure, maintaining your reputation is vital. If you | | | | visibility to negative information. The positive information |
| come across negative publicity, it is important not to | | | | that is created will have a chance to compete for |
| overreact or make rash decisions as these can | | | | search engine rankings and can influence the |
| backfire if they are not thought out or planned | | | | impression of you or your company. Some types of |
| thoroughly. | | | | content which can be created (and ranked in search |
| So How Do You Preemptively Manage Your | | | | engines) are social networking profiles like Linkedin, |
| Reputation Online? | | | | Twitter, or Facebook, pictures from Flickr.com, a |
| Although most "repair" solutions will require a | | | | company website, press releases, and more. |
| customized campaign, when being preemptive, | | | | 4. Consistently Build Relationships - Building positive |
| professionals normally take a two step approach to | | | | relationships is like building a small army to defend a |
| online reputation management. The first step is to | | | | company's brand. The more people who have had a |
| monitor online conversation and determine the sources | | | | positive experience with the company the more |
| of negative or unwanted information. Step two | | | | positive information will appear online (and without |
| involves promoting positive or neutral information while | | | | much effort). |
| decreasing the visibility of negative information. Each | | | | 5. Interact Online - There are several ways to interact |
| client is unique and due to the sensitivity of many of | | | | with others online. For example, participating in online |
| the situations our clients come to us with, we have to | | | | communities and forums or building and regularly |
| handle each project differently...and confidentially. | | | | updating a blog can be successful ways to get to build |
| Step One: Monitor Online Conversation | | | | a positive reputation. The most important part of |
| Monitoring an online reputation is an ongoing and | | | | contributing online is doing it for the benefit of others. |
| rigorous process. There are millions of sources which | | | | Whether it is sharing a news story or helping to solve |
| can contribute to building a reputation online. Text | | | | a problem posted in an industry forum, helping others |
| content is typically the most common way in which | | | | can be a sure route to building a positive reputation. |
| information is shared online. However, in recent years | | | | 6. Apologize Sincerely - Mistakes are inevitable. |
| there has been increased popularity in sharing images, | | | | However, when something negative does happen, in |
| videos, and audio files as well. These are all mediums | | | | most cases the nature and timeliness of the |
| which should be monitored in relation to a company's | | | | company's reaction are more important then the event |
| brand. | | | | itself. Sincerely apologizing for and correcting mistakes |
| Top 10 Items Companies Should Monitor | | | | quickly and efficiently is the best route to recovering |
| 1. Company Name & Variations - The obvious: | | | | from mishaps. Planning the appropriate course of |
| your company name is an important item to monitor. | | | | action before a situation occurs will ensure accurate |
| Be sure to track variations in spelling or use of the | | | | execution of the required steps. |
| company name. Also include abbreviations. | | | | 7. State the Facts - When a mistake happens, some |
| 2. Company Website URLs - It is also important to | | | | negative information can stem from confusion. It is |
| track your company URL and monitor which websites | | | | important to state the facts in a clear, truthful and |
| are linking to it or where they are mentioned online. | | | | concise way. Posting information on a personal and/or |
| Track the homepage and other key pages such as | | | | company website is the most effective way to |
| About Us or Corporate Profiles. | | | | communicate the correct information when a situation |
| 3. Product Names & Variations - Monitor | | | | occurs. |
| information about any of your company's product or | | | | 8. Listen & Act on Feedback - Feedback is the |
| service names. At times consumers may refer to a | | | | best way to determine how to improve or correct |
| specific product instead of the company name. Be | | | | issues that may challenge a reputation. Attentively |
| sure to also track variations and abbreviations of | | | | listen to customers and the online community. Regularly |
| product names. | | | | doing this will also make you more familiar with the |
| 4. Product URLs - Track product URLs or pages on | | | | best method of response if a negative situation should |
| your website which describe services. Determine | | | | arrive for you or your company. |
| which websites are linking to these pages and where | | | | Conclusion |
| or how they are being mentioned online. | | | | A preventative reputation management plan is the |
| 5. Names of Key Players and Employees - Track the | | | | best approach. This allows you to be prepared and |
| names of any key employees, associates, vendors, | | | | recover much more quickly when unwanted situations |
| etc., in your company such as a CEO, CFO, or Board | | | | occur. |
| Directors. What is said about these people can also | | | | There is a definite need for professional help in online |
| reflect on the company. Tracking these names can | | | | reputation management. There are many reasons a |
| lead to the discovery of additional sources of negative | | | | person or company may chose to enlist the help of a |
| information related to the company. | | | | professional online reputation management company. |
| 6. Online Activities of Key Players and Employees - | | | | Some of the techniques used to combat negative |
| Online activities of people related to a company can | | | | information require technical or strategic expertise |
| affect a company's brand, positively or negatively. | | | | while other situations may be sensitive and should be |
| Employees or other key players should be told to | | | | handled with extreme care and experienced foresight. |
| refrain from discussing company issues online unless | | | | In addition, monitoring and defending an online reputation |
| they are appointed to do so. In some situations it will be | | | | is a time consuming activity. |
| important to monitor the online activity of employees or | | | | specializes in online and search engine reputation |
| key players. For example, it may be feasible to monitor | | | | management, offering a wide variety of custom |
| professional or personal blogs if posts are company | | | | solutions to repair, defend, and monitor corporate and |
| related. However, it is important to let employees know | | | | personal reputations. Our team combines |
| that these things are monitored. | | | | cross-technology knowledge of search engine |
| 7. Online Conversations - It is not only important to | | | | optimization, marketing, public relations, and traditional |
| track blog posts, forums, and articles but also any | | | | branding to deliver effective results for clients in need |
| comments associated with them. Comments also | | | | of professional grade online reputation management. |
| offer opportunities to participate in conversations about | | | | "It takes 20 years to build a good reputation and 5 |
| your company but they should be used wisely. | | | | minutes to ruin it. |
| 8. Industry Community Websites- This includes popular | | | | |