Approximately 81% of the western world is using the internet. A global pool of potential clients makes their decisions on who to hire or what to buy based on what they find on the internet. Your online presence needs to be a positive reflection of your experiences and capabilities.
Any number of unexpected events can occur during the lifetime of your career or company development. Your product can flop, you might go bankrupt. An employee might be charged with harassment or a sex crime. You might go through a difficult divorce, with all the details available online. When someone “googles” you, they will find these negative stories.
According to a 2017 Forbes article, 65% of people believe that an online search is the most reliable source of information about individuals or companies. A single negative mention can dissuade users from using your products or hiring your services.
Even if you are startup, you need to be concerned about what information potential investors will find online.
The Internet Has Empowered Consumers
Review sites such as SiteJabber,
Yelp, Glassdoor and internal customer review pages within platforms such as Amazon, create unlimited opportunities for unknown individuals to impact your reputation. People even create false websites as a vehicle for venting about their bad experience with you.
Social Media Gaffes
It’s virtually impossible today to be a successful brand without a social media presence. However, using social media channels without thinking it through can upend all of your best intentions.
In 2013, one of JPMorgan Chase’s senior executives decided to initiate a Q&A forum on Twitter. It seemed like a great way to connect with customers in a real-time way to improve the company’s image. Unfortunately, once the pandora’s box was opened, JPMorgan found itself facing a barrage of insults, as well as accusatory questions about its business practices. The Q&A forum had to be shut down, but tens of thousands of negative tweets had already been sent.
More problematic was the Adidas tweet in 2013 to its followers “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!” which went live right after bombs had exploded at the finish line, killing three people.
What’s the Antidote? Online Reputation Management
Online reputation management (ORM) is the only way to influence and shape public perception in a digital world managed by artificial intelligence and lacking in mediation. ORM is an aggressive strategy to protect you from the potential impact of negative events.
Influencing Search Results
Defamatory information that can be found when someone googles your name can affect your reputation long-term. Studies reveal that 93% of searchers never read past the first page of search engine results. The goal of a successful online reputation management strategy is to be sure that search engine result pages (SERP) reflect your good name and successes.
You Need a Professional Online Reputation Management Strategy
Your online reputation will not take care of itself. Without a well-thought out online reputation management strategy executed by a team of professionals, you run the risk of losing consumers and income for a very long time. It’s even possible that you will never bounce back.
A professional online reputation management strategy will incorporate all digital platforms, including websites, blogs, social media, video channels, and depending upon the circumstances, community forums. It will include a plan for how to respond to social media crises and how to elevate your online reputation.
Working with a professional online reputation management agency is the only way to solve issues that arise in your digital footprint.
Online reputation management is an indispensable tool for any professional or brand engaged in the marketplace today.
