Online Reputation Management takes time and energy. With the internet being more and more integrated into our daily lives, there really isn’t a corner of the internet that a business or individual should not worry about their name being slandered in. Typical areas businesses and individuals alike can expect to find their brands include:
• Traditional websites
• Professional Networks
• Social Networks
• Consumer Review Sites
• Bookmarking Sites
• Blogs
• Microblogs
• Collaborative Research Sites
Facebook and Twitter aren’t the only networks that businesses should worry about when trying to maintain a positive image about their brands. Bookmarking sites like Digg and Reddit and consumer review sites like Angie’s List have substantial followings and can quickly become a hotbed for negative press. In addition to these sites, collaborative research sites, such as Yahoo Answers, can also lead to negative press if a brand isn’t properly managed.
To keep negative press at bay, business owners need to conduct thorough online reputation management. Because of the complexities of managing a online reputation across multiple platforms, many companies are choosing to hire firms to manage their brand reputations for them. However, there are a few basic things companies can do on their own to help maintain a positive reputation including:
• Keeping a profile on all social sites and regularly post to them
• Maintaining a consistent image across each online platform
• Posting product updates and improvements
• Employing great keywords and content to maintain top search engine positions
Customer service is also a great way to keep negative information about your brand off the internet. Your company is most likely not going to be able to provide every customer with exactly what they want. From time to time, there will be an occasional disappointment; however, if those problems are dealt with immediately, unhappy clients will be less likely to slander your brand on the web.
If a business wants to stay ahead of the competition and increase its over longevity, online reputation management is a must. Online reputation management keeps a business looking trustworthy and keeps it visible with are both necessary for any company wishing to obtain strong national and global recognition. It takes years to build a brand, and only a few minutes to destroy it. Don’t risk setting your business up for failure by not employing great reputation management.
Related articles
- Online Reputation Tips – My Ad:Tech London 2009 Presentation (seomoz.org)
- Protect Your Brand’s Online Reputation with CrowdControlHQ (prweb.com)
- Your online reputation (elkrapidslive.com)



