The StyleSheet - For businesses that use the internet

Managing Your Online Reputation

Posted January 23, 2012 By Nick Weynand |

I can’t think of another time in history when your reputation was so important. Especially if your success relies on your reputation, as so many businesses and organizations do.

With the explosion of content on the web and then enhanced by social media, your reputation can spread quicker than ever. And the web isn’t necessarily fair – your reputation can spread for good or bad and what’s actually true isn’t a concern.

If your success relies on your reputation, then it’s important that you manage your online reputation with great care.

Be in the know

You should actively monitor your online reputation. Regularly search for your name or business name to see what context it’s being mentioned within. Set up tools and alerts to notify you when your name is mentioned and keep an eye on those at least every few days. For more tools to help you build and monitor your reputation, see Andrea Richeson’s article.

Join the conversation

If you do notice your name mentioned, make your best effort to join the conversation. If someone wrote a bad review about your business, address the review promptly and in the most professional way possible. Never get in an online argument with a customer – it will only hurt your reputation. If someone says something nice about you, make sure you acknowledge the comment. If your name is mentioned in a blog post, comment on the article – it will let people know you’re listening and you care.

Encourage online feedback

If you’re like most professionals, you come in contact with many people on a daily basis, both offline and on. Encourage those that you interact with to mention you online – especially if you’ve provided them with a great experience. Ask clients for reviews, encourage readers to comment on your blog posts, and politely ask for a re-tweet or a Facebook share every now and then (most people say it helps if you don’t overdo it).

Mind your search engine optimization (SEO)

If people are searching for your product or service, chances are they will go to search engines first. This is where your online reputation can really help or hurt your business. If you don’t practice good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on your website, then the comments of other people will show up first. Chances are, you’d rather let potential customers hear what you have to say before they read the comments of others. Follow SEO best practices so your own content isn’t lost in all the noise.

The conclusion to managing your online reputation is to stay involved. Actively monitor mentions of your brand and join in when others talk about you. Improving your online reputation will help your business grow and you’ll have more connections (and potentially more customers) before you know it

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