| "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth | | | | extensive analysis of keywords and brand terms |
| has a chance to get its pants on." - Winston Churchill. | | | | would help in assessing the extent of damage done. |
| News traveled at a snail pace and methodically before | | | | Promoting companys' primary website in tandem with |
| the advent of Internet. The communication channels | | | | positive pages is a tried and tested technique and |
| have radically transformed since then, Internet being | | | | would delivery fruitful results. All these exercises |
| the most conspicuous one. Internet has gained the | | | | (search engine optimization and social media |
| distinction of becoming the most preferred platform for | | | | optimization) could be coupled with efforts, to get the |
| finding information and the same is provided at | | | | derogatory comments removed. Online reputation |
| lightening speed. Internet has an abundance of | | | | management companies also explore legal avenues or |
| consumer generated media (CGM) in the form of | | | | contact webmasters individually to accomplish this |
| forums, blogs, review sites, opinion postings, and many | | | | task. |
| more; on any topic imaginable. With a plethora of self | | | | 'Prevention is better than cure' and preemptive online |
| publishing options available to users, nothing is inviolable, | | | | reputation management allows you to do it. Creating |
| including online reputation. | | | | listening posts to track what is being said about your |
| Building reputation, both online and offline, demand | | | | company, would help you in nipping trouble before it |
| years of hard work and millions of dollars. It would be | | | | blows out of proportion. There are many online |
| justified to say that reputation management is critical to | | | | reputation monitoring tools which prove to be handy |
| any organization. Your brand is not immune to | | | | for doing this task and some of them are mentioned |
| comments (positive, neutral or negative) in the public | | | | below: |
| domain. People enjoy the liberty to talk about | | | | 1 Set up Google and Yahoo email alert for specified |
| whatever they want and wherever they want. A lot | | | | keywords. |
| of these discussions involve brands, products and | | | | 2 Track message boards, forums and groups. |
| services. A vindictive content has the potential to start | | | | 3 Use tools like Copernic tracker, Website Watchers, |
| an avalanche that could sully your reputation forever | | | | to track changes made to particular web pages. |
| and thus online reputation management becomes | | | | 4 Create RSS feeds for designated keywords |
| essential. | | | | (Feedster, Technorati, Yahoo/Google news, MSN |
| Researchers have found that negative comments | | | | Spaces, Blogpulse, etc). |
| always look credible, even if they are frivolous or | | | | 5 Use 'MonitorThis' that allows you to subscribe to |
| unfounded. There are numerous sites such as Rip-off | | | | results from 22 search engines and many more. |
| Reports, Epinions.com, etc. which helps people voice | | | | Companies should incorporate online reputation |
| their concerns vociferously. Negative press, in the form | | | | monitoring as a permanent function and not consider it |
| of discussion pages from these websites can show in | | | | as a counteractive measure only. |
| search results, worse make it to the top ten. For the | | | | 'Online reputation management ethics' is a widely |
| same reason, reputation management that belonged to | | | | debated topic. Is it ethical to help a business which is |
| the PR (public relations) domain since time immemorial, | | | | 'guilty as charged'? Doing online reputation |
| is proliferating into the realm of search engine | | | | management for innocent people, whose names have |
| marketing. | | | | been tarnished by disgruntled customers, unhappy (ex) |
| The power of search engine optimization could be | | | | employees, etc. is justified and not against business |
| leveraged to counteract negative publicity. The | | | | ethics. Unfortunately, many online reputation |
| strategy is simple - displace offending search engine | | | | management companies don't buy this argument and |
| listings by favorable listings. Easier said than done. An | | | | do business with anyone and everyone. |