Your personal reputation is defined by what people find when they search your name.
And while it may seem like managing one’s reputation is primarily the domain of CEOs and other business leaders—which is definitely true—everyone who operates in the public online space can be affected by misinformation and harmful attacks.
So, whether you’re the head of a Fortune 500 or just starting out your career, it’s essential that you keep control of your online presence.
The task of managing your personal reputation can seem daunting, but it is important to remember that there are many effective tools and strategies at our disposal.
In this article, we will explore some of the key ways in which you can effectively manage your personal reputation online.
Contact us for professional help.
- What Is Personal Reputation Management?
- What Can Happen If You Don’t Manage Your Personal Reputation Effectively?
- Who Needs To Worry About Personal Online Reputation Management?
- What Are Some Effective Strategies For Personal Reputation Management?
- How Can You Use Social Media to Protect Your Personal Online Reputation?
- Work With A Personal Reputation Management Specialist
What Is Personal Reputation Management?
Your personal reputation is the image that others have of you.
It is how you are perceived by those around you and it can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life.
This has always been the case, but new technologies have made it harder than ever for people to overcome negative slights to their reputation, whether they are true or not.
That’s where professional reputation management comes in.
Personal reputation management is the process of controlling and protecting your online reputation.
It includes:
- Monitoring your online presence
- Responding to negative feedback
- Creating positive content/websites about you
- Promoting positive content in search engines where people will see it
It’s necessary because with a few simple clicks, anyone can find out everything they need to know about you.
And with the rise of social media, it’s easier than ever for someone to leave a negative review or post something damaging about you online.
Fortunately, it’s possible to take control of your online reputation.
By monitoring your online presence and promoting positive content, you can make sure that your reputation is the best it can be.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Manage Your Personal Reputation Effectively?
Your online reputation can make or break your career.
A single negative article or review can ruin your chances of getting a job or landing a client.
That’s why it’s important to take charge of your online reputation and protect it from anyone who might try to damage it.
If your personal reputation is not managed effectively, it can lead to a number of negative consequences, such as:
- Difficulty finding a job or advancing in your career
- You may be passed over for promotions
- You may be excluded from social or professional circles
- You may find it difficult to make new friends or even date!
Unfortunately, most people don’t pay enough attention to their online reputation, not until something has gone horribly wrong.
And when it does, the results can be disastrous.
That’s why smart, career-minded people are proactive about using online reputation management services to help maintain a positive presence BEFORE bad news hits.
Who Needs To Worry About Personal Online Reputation Management?
When it comes to online reputation management, there are a few groups of people who need to be especially careful.
Here are just a few of the public facing individuals who are most at risk:
- Politicians
- Celebrities
- News media (anchor man/woman, television commentators)
- C-Level executives
- Business leaders and entrepreneurs
- Professional athletes
These are some of the more obvious folks who lean on us to protect their reputation, but you might be surprised to know that ordinary people also need a strong online presence.
I can’t tell you how many times someone has contacted us saying, “I’m unable to find work because employers are Googling me and they don’t like what they see.”
This is a common complaint.
HR departments are checking you out before they hire you.
We’ve helped hundreds of people from all walks of life, including:
- Teachers and professors
- Bankrupt individuals with court documents online
- Electricians, plumbers and other tradesman
- Attorneys and law firms
- Small business owners and salespeople
- Medical professionals, plastic surgeons, dentists, and chiropractors
We’ve even helped the parents of teenage and young men who’ve had their reputations damaged on the Tea App.
It goes on and on.
We all have a lot riding our reputations.
We need to be aware of what is being said online.
This includes any published articles, blog posts or social media comments.
Even a stray comment from years prior can wind up derailing a promising career.
You might also like: How To Monitor Your Online Reputation For Free
Business Owners
For business people, the hard truth is that your reputation is constantly under attack.
Whether it’s a disgruntled employee trashing you on social media or a negative news story about your company, there is the constant risk of your personal online reputation being damaged.
And, of course, bad reviews on Google, Yelp, TrustPilot and other sites are often the first thing people see when they Google your company.
It’s paramount that you take matters into your own hands and be proactive about safeguarding your good name.
That means crafting an effective reputation management strategy and executing on that strategy.
What Are Some Effective Strategies For Personal Reputation Management?
There are a number of effective strategies for personal reputation management.
Perhaps the best one is to purchase your personal name on a .com domain, such as yourname.com.
I’m a big proponent of buying several domains and we do this for many of our clients.
For example, buy these domain names:
- yourname.com – this will be a website about you and your career
- yournamecity.com – this website could talk about where you live, blog posts about your favorite restaurants, or things to do
- yournamecharity.com – this website is all about your community service and charitable work
- yournameyourhobby.com – this site all about your hobbies and could give advice and tips based on your experience
These are just a few examples.
You could have a travel blog or anything else that you’re interested in.
The point is to have your name in each website as Google will generally show those sites when you are Googled, if you set it up right, optimize it, and add content.
We can help you implement this powerful strategy for a low monthly price.
How Can You Use Social Media to Protect Your Personal Online Reputation?
Social media can be a great tool for managing your online reputation, but it can also be a minefield if you’re not careful.
Negative comments and posts can spread like wildfire, and before you know it, your reputation is in tatters.
Here are a few tips:
- Only post positive content: avoid posting anything negative or controversial on social media
- Monitor your social media accounts: check your accounts regularly and delete any negative comments or posts
- Be proactive: if you see someone posting something negative about you on social media, reach out to them and try to resolve the issue offline (we can delete negative tweets and Facebook pages)
Review your online posting history.
As the world continues to change, so does the way we view things.
What was once considered normal may now be seen as controversial or even unacceptable.
If you’re not sure about how the public feels about an old post, delete it—because if someone screenshots what you wrote, if can get out of hand pretty fast.
Best to just get rid of anything you feel could get you into hot water.
You might also like: Reputation Management for Small Business Owners
One last thing to remember if your want to protect your personal reputation is not to engage in online arguments in social media or discussion forums like Reddit or Quora.
Online arguments are often unproductive and can damage your reputation, plus they escalate quickly.
The last thing you want is for something negative you’ve said to go viral.
If you find yourself in an online argument, the best course of action is to disengage and avoid further interaction.
Work With A Personal Reputation Management Specialist
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful.
There’s a lot you can do yourself to protect what people see and read about you on the internet.
If you’re concerned about your online reputation, you may want to consider working with us.
We’ve got a lot of tools at our disposal, including:
- Content and press release creation
- Removal of negative links on Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo
- Deletion of reviews from a number of platforms like Google and WebMD
And we do all of our work from our US-based offices with month-to-month agreements and low prices.