Everybody has an online reputation. What control do you have in yours?
Online reputation management (ORM) is all about having some control of the online conversation or at the very least being made aware of what is being said about either you or your business online. There are techniques and strategies available to you so as to ensure that people find the ideal materials when they look for you on the Web.
The function of online reputation management is to produce balance, neutralize deceptive trends, and allow you to always be able to be shown in the best possible way.
Well, simply because the facts say you should.
Consider these examples;
The Harvard Business Review found that by improving your online rating by just one star can impact revenues by up to 9%. Did you know that 60% of consumers will not use a business if it has any negative reviews?
BIA Kelsey found that 97% of people will do an online search prior to committing to a purchase.
A recent article in Corporate Responsibility Magazine revealed that almost 70% of job seekers would not consider working for a company that had a poor online reputation. And, 70% of HR managers would not hire someone if they found anything negative about them in an online search.
The Edelman Trust Barometer states that 65% of all consumers trust what they find on online search engines….what are they going to find about you or your business?
Managing your online reputation today is critical.
With each passing day, the online world becomes a key part of our daily life. From mobile phones to smart TVs, from the "Internet of things" to the self-driving vehicles of the future-- you are living each day progressively more online, even if you never touch a computer.
Simply put, this means there are ever increasing methods for you to leave an online footprint, favourable or otherwise.
You might not believe that people are looking for you, but probably they are. If you are in business they certainly are looking for you.
There are many reasons why including:
Companies doing job candidate research or study or college admissions departments assessing new students
Landlords looking into potential renters or insurers doing risk evaluations
Estranged family members seeking each other out or business people wanting to share professional opportunities
If someone writes something unfavorable about you online, it can put you at a severe disadvantage over the long term- especially if you're not in the loop about it.
Individuals and companies can endure long term consequences by not being on top of their online reputation management.
Do you remember the epic reputation mishap by American Airlines some years ago;
A very angry customer sent a Tweet to American Airlines which then responded with an automatic Tweet reply, “thank you for your support”. The misstep went viral and caused great embarrassment to American Airlines and certainly did not help their ORM.
It is necessary to keep tabs on what people are saying about you online and then take action to correct any mistakes.
For the exact same reasons, you likewise need to be mindful about the things that you post yourself. Thanks to social media, even posts from previous decades can return to hurt you.
Consider the time in 2017 when a number of students had their acceptance to study at Harvard withdrawn due to offensive social media posts that they had made in the past.
Poor online reputations don’t go away on their own?
Online reputation mismatches are not technology problems, they’re human problems.
Google’s algorithms are built to provide that which is being searched for by people. So if you are asking for gossip, conspiracy stories, and negative reviews, then that’s what gets associated with our search terms.
Search algorithms prioritize popularity
Search volume popularity is the main measuring stick of what makes a good search result and there is no algorithm that can tell whether information accurately reflects you or not.
So those embarrassing party photos, lawsuits dismissed years ago, and other kinds of irrelevant but nonetheless damaging pieces of information can be the cause of poor online reputations.
It is only going to become more important that you are on top of what is being said about you online. It is important that you have the right tools at your disposal to manage your ORM.
Find out about an online software tool that will manage your online reputation for you.
We have prepared a comprehensive guide detailing how you can manage your online reputation in 2020 and beyond.
We respect your privacy, so we never share your info.