The plain truth is people around the world now turn to the Internet as their first source of information about men and matters. Employers research potential employees online, and consumers judge companies by reviews of their products on the Internet. The scenario is such that individuals and businesses have to become proactive about safeguarding their online reputations.
A proactive online reputation management strategy involves many calls to action: constructing an overwhelming online presence, monitoring all mentions and responding to inaccurate or false information.
When individuals search for your name or your company, you obviously want them to find factual information about your past and present accomplishments and accurate details about your products. To control what the search engine reveals, you must put a substantial amount of positive information about you or your company on the Internet and the social media.
The most powerful tools for building a favorable reputation are social networking websites. Social profiles rank well and allow you to control what information reaches the public, protecting your privacy.
The major social networks you should focus on are – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, interest and Flickr. Use your profiles to share interesting pieces information about you/your company to interact with friends, business acquaintances and potential customers.
Depending on the nature and size of your business, you may also opt for social networking websites like Digg, Delicious, Gather, Mashable, Plaxo, StumbleUpon and MySpace. Keep a close watch on the internet and follow the rising trends, and quickly establish your name or brand on the newly emerging websites.
Create and manage personal or professional blogs, preferably on multifarious blogging networks. Establish the blog using your name or brand and provide interesting and engaging information, such as current news, profiles, stories etc.
The more often you update the blog with original content, the higher it’ll rank on search engines. Maintain proprietary websites that contain updated, relevant information about your professional, personal or business life. Implement proper search engine optimization for the websites and choose page titles that contain your name or brand.
Consistently monitor your online reputation and immediately address any negative content. Several companies offer tools that allow you to follow changes in your online reputation.
Through a Google Alerts account, you can receive emails whenever the engine indexes a new website related to your particular search string. You also gain access to new content as soon as it appears on your Google search.