It’s time to protect your online reputation
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffet
As you are reading this, someone might be checking you up online. You must’ve just finished a meeting with a client and waiting to sign the next deal. In such a scenario, what would you want your potential employers and clients to find online?
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Anyone’s first reaction would be to go online and delete or hide content that needn’t be disclosed. But for how long can you keep controlling your privacy settings and refrain from posting or commenting? In fact, anyone in fact go online and post content about a competitor’s business or get people to think otherwise. The best way to ensure that your online reputation is safeguarded is by taking action. Here are a few ways to do that:
Use tools to help you
There are several tools that come for free and a few that have a minimum cost. You could use these to monitor your online reputation. Reputology, Naymz, and Google Alerts can be used to keep track of your online reputation, customer service management, etc. There are numerous other tools that you could discover. Ensure that you keep yourself updated.
Be active on social media
People will constantly see your presence on social media and be interactive. Your blogs and content will gain authority. By doing so, you also give them a reason to follow you, which will eventually help you in building your brand.
Reward good content
If someone mentions something positive or gives a good review, reward them with a coupon, discount, or an offer. People tend to remember these small gestures, which goes a long way in building your brand and reputation. It’s good to receive maximum positive reviews online. The placement of your company in Google’s listings will also be higher.
Keep track of who tags you in pictures
Take time to check out your privacy settings on social media. Do not allow friends or colleagues to tag you without your permission. Even if they don’t seem to be offensive, sometimes you wouldn’t want certain events or pics in your life to go public.
Distribute your content
In this day and age, one can’t say they aren’t bothered about their presence online. A poor presence across the web may raise eyebrows and lower your chances of hitting a deal. So make sure that you distribute your content across various platforms. If you have a personal blog, it would be a good idea to link it with your Twitter and Facebook account. Similarly, giving links to various platforms to get information about your business will build trust amongst potential clients.
Google yourself up
Google yourself to check what comes up. You wouldn’t want your name to be linked to a serial killer! It might not be your fault that you both share the same name. But it good to be aware of such unintentional errors.
An online reputation shouldn’t be talk lightly. It can make or break your business as people seriously consider reviews and what appears online.