| Internet reputation management is important to all | | | | news, and if they develop negative perceptions about |
| those who conduct business online. We all get hurt | | | | a company leader, it will reflect badly on the brand or |
| when someone says something about us that we | | | | organisation. Blogs, social networking pages and social |
| know is unfair or untrue. Online, it's a thousand times | | | | news pages can all be targets – so it pays to look |
| worse, because those doing the damage can hide | | | | yourself up now and then, and check nothing bad has |
| behind a cloak of anonymity. | | | | been said in your absence. |
| Everybody cares about their reputation, whether it's | | | | However, online it's more likely to be the reputation of |
| from a personal or a business point of view. But | | | | the company or brand that is called into question. After |
| whereas we can challenge a disgruntled customer or | | | | all, that is what people are usually searching for. If a |
| lying competitor, it's not so easy when the attack is | | | | negative result or low degree of satisfaction is thrown |
| online, by someone at an undisclosed address. It goes | | | | up in a search query related to your site, the consumer |
| far beyond how others perceive you personally. An | | | | will generally go elsewhere. This is true of both brands |
| online attack can damage brand or corporate | | | | and companies. |
| perception, and even lose you a contract. | | | | Often, reputations are damaged on blogs or discussion |
| In these days of libel suits and suing for damaged | | | | boards, in the form of flaming. A flame war develops |
| feelings, people have the mistaken image that unethical | | | | when an internet "troll" denigrates a person or a |
| business practices are over. But they're not; they've | | | | product online, in order to generate a response. Often, |
| just moved underground – to the internet. There, | | | | they have no knowledge or interest in the product |
| you will find plenty of examples of unethical practice, | | | | they are lashing. It's the virtual equivalent of starting a |
| mis-sold goods – and companies using underhand | | | | punch-up in a pub with a complete stranger. Such |
| tactics to "bad mouth" their competitors in an effort to | | | | flaming was very damaging to PayPal a while back |
| move further up the Google rankings. Those who | | | | – so don't underestimate the damage it could do to |
| know their product or services to be above reproach | | | | your own trade. |
| are not beyond being used in this way – in fact, | | | | Internet reputation management can be undertaken |
| they're the ones most likely to become victims, | | | | individually. However, there are a growing number of |
| because they pose the greatest threat. | | | | companies who will undertake the task on your behalf. |
| Online reputation management should be of interest to | | | | They use search engine reputation management and |
| all CEOs, whether their business is online or | | | | media analysis tools to scan for possible problems. If |
| bricks-and-mortar based. People equate a CEO with | | | | your company has taken a sudden, unexplained dip in |
| their company image – to them, they are one and | | | | sales, it's well worth considering. |
| the same. People use the internet to catch up on | | | | |