| With the growth of the internet, there is a constant | | | | Another method used is social media. This uses |
| flood of unregulated information. In many cases, | | | | mediums such as MySpace and Facebook to create |
| individuals and companies may suffer from | | | | beneficial profiles for a company and/or individual. |
| undeserved negative attention that can be seriously | | | | RSS feeds are another method in which reputations |
| damaging to their reputation. The growing field of | | | | can be improved. Reputation management companies |
| reputation management works to minimize this | | | | work with these content refreshing sites--such as blog |
| negative publicity, or at least distract from it. There are | | | | entries, news headlines, audio, and video--to increase |
| many ways in which these companies work to | | | | positive search results. Reputation management |
| improve internet publicity. | | | | companies may even create a blog in order to |
| "Everything's wrapped up in your reputation," said | | | | constantly provide positive information on the company |
| Geoffrey VanderPal, after receiving attacks during his | | | | or individual. Supported blog websites rank highly in |
| candidacy for Nevada State Treasurer. "If you don't | | | | search engines, so this method proves to be very |
| have that, you don't have much." It's true that a | | | | helpful to one's reputation. |
| reputation is everything, whether you're starting a new | | | | Business profile linking connects a company or |
| business or running for office. Many individuals and | | | | individual to more quality websites. When a reputable |
| companies have seen, however, that it is nearly | | | | website or company has a link to the party whose |
| impossible to combat the negative online attention by | | | | reputation is being managed, this increases the positive |
| themselves. Reputation management companies | | | | publicity associated with that party. |
| specialize in working with these individuals and | | | | The site that is most often found in search results is |
| companies to improve their reputations through various | | | | Wikipedia. However, instead of working directly with |
| methods. | | | | Wikipedia articles, which has been found to be less |
| One of these methods is through the use of | | | | effective, reputation management companies may |
| "micro-sites." These are smaller sites created | | | | start their own wiki and profile for the party at risk. The |
| according to the keywords or subjects associated | | | | benefit of having one's own wiki profile is that the |
| with the company or individual. For example, in the | | | | creator chooses who or who does not contribute to it. |
| case of VanderPal mentioned earlier, a keyword | | | | Videos and other media are also greatly connected to |
| would be "Nevada State Treasurer." These sites are | | | | reputation management. Reputation management |
| created in order to increase the positive publicity | | | | companies work with these type of media also to |
| associated with these companies and/or individuals. | | | | improve positive search results. |