Reputation Management

It started out as something simple. You were late to a meeting, decided that the speed limit was insufficient by 15 – 20 miles per hour so you created your speed limit in the comfort of your car.

As you get off the interstate you notice a colorful display in your rear view mirror so you slow down. The police officer gives you that emotionless authoritative glare that they practice in the mirror then hands you a ticket, wishes you a pleasant day (while knowing very well that all hopes off that have been erased), then proceeds to continue his journey keeping the streets safe from speeders and the county’s revenue safe from depletion.

However, the police officer may have handed you more than a speeding ticket. What he may have actually given you was a reputation management problem.

With more municipalities publishing public records online, benign legal matters like a speeding ticket can turn into irritating online reputation management issues. Now, when someone Google’s your name, they may see a docket that reads something like “The State of Florida vs. John Smith” or “Orange County vs. John Smith”.

Many people will see that and pass judgment without reading the case. If such a reputation management problem has occurred with you, this can simply be handled using the same techniques that push back more damaging content.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

So, it happened several years ago and you thought you were in the clear. Then one day, you plug your name into Google and you see it. The one item you hoped had found its way into an internet black hole, yet there it is, your bad reputation.

Reputation management problems don’t always start with a current event. Sometimes, your old negative press resurfaces because of algorithm changes in Google or maybe some newer relevant content has been deleted by the individual webmaster.

Addressing older online reputation management problems is similar to recent events. By getting new positive press on quality content networks, that event in your past may not jump into a black hole, but should at least go back two to four pages in the search engines.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

Often times, individuals and businesses come to us because their reputation has been jeopardized for the actions of others. Usually, such reputation management problems can be prevented by simply doing a “Google” before entering into a partnership.

If a company is proposing an affiliation with your business, research the company extensively. Look for any negative items that they may have floating around the web. If there are serious problems, your company could be guilty (in the public eye) by association.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

Your online reputation management problem should be met with aggression in the background but subtlety in the public.

Basically, the goal is to push so much positive content on the web (in your name or your company name) that the negative information is pushed down the search engine results. The content should always be positive and relevant to the name but never discussing the actual cause of the reputation management problem.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

When something happens and it gets in the news, or online, it has happened forever. You can not delete something from the internet. Often times, when someone has moved passed a prior reputation management problem and moved on to bigger and better projects, some old news comes back to haunt them.

New projects and businesses are also an opportunity to sweep the old news under the rug. By getting involved in a new project, your reputation management dilemma can now be offset by new positive press surrounding your new project.

This is especially helpful with online reputation management since the new content will quickly grab a page one presence.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

While most online reputation management problems are started by unhappy customers, old business relationships, or mishaps that make it to the public eye; other reputation management problems are caused by employees.

When getting ready to dismiss an employee, you should quietly begin changing access codes to online databases, profiles, and email accounts that the soon to be removed employee has access. A disgruntled employee can take a mailing list of clients and prospects and potentially ruin the good name of your organization.

They can also distribute trade secrets which can ultimately get in the hands of your competitors. While non-disclosures may hold in court, the possible compensation received from an employee does not match the damages caused by their actions.

So quietly sever the ties and remove access power before the notice. Taking a few simple preliminary steps can save your company a great deal of reputation management problems.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

We often talk about the importance of staying silent when your company is faced with a reputation management problem. The more you talk about it, the more content on the web exists that links to the online reputation management issue.

However, sometimes a problem is so large, widespread, and common knowledge that it may be appropriate to address the bad news publicly.

For example, an officer in your organization is publicly accused (and likely guilty) of unethical practices. Several newspapers, blogs, and reputable media sources have all run stories on your organization and this unethical officer.

At this level, you cannot just sweep the reputation management problem under the rug, it is best to address it. The best way to do so is by publicly dismissing the officer from the organization, with a message from the board on policies in place to prevent it from happening again.

However, if the mainstream media has not yet picked up on the story, we still maintain that silence and quiet “rug sweeping” is the best way to solve the reputation management problem.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

The value of silence is something that can’t be stressed enough when dealing with reputation management problems, especially when your online reputation management is at hand.

When someone online tarnishes your good name, your natural reaction is to contest it – to blog against them, or begin a dialogue and defend your honor. However, all you are really doing is creating more content on the web that points back to the reputation management problem.

The best thing to do is contact an online reputation management company and start pushing the original comment out of the spotlight. The end result is much greater.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

Two individuals come up with a fascinating business plan. The two individuals organize funding options, setup the company, and move forward operating a business. However, a year or so into the venture, one partner finds out that prospects are Googling both of their names and they have, in fact, partnered with a menace.

The previous lives of business partners can reach out from the past through search engines and haunt your current venture. The first step to successfully approach this reputation management situation is rather easy; do nothing. Do not contest allegations as doing so gives them credibility. Secondly, talk to your partner. Third, contact an online reputation management company.

Decide on where you stand with your partner after discovering the past, and your decision will determine the reputation management approach that your ORM (online reputation management) company will take. If he or she stays with the company, the ORM firm will need to work on the reputation of their personal name.

However, if it is decided that the menacing partner should depart from the venture, the best course of action is to publicly dismiss the individual from the company and then proceed with a business reputation management plan centered on the company name.

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.

Last week, a company claiming to be a reputation management specialist got some free air time on some of the cable news networks. Their service claims to rid the web of a company’s bad reputation for just $30 per month.

The problem with cheap reputation management is that, well, the company doesn’t really do anything. If a reputation management company is requesting for you write your own content, blogs, articles, and news releases, then they are not a reputation management company at all… they are merely a group of outsourced submitters.

Content is the key to reputation management. Not only do you need a stream of new and positive content flowing into the web, it needs to be written with reputation management in mind.

EBadPress.com is a serious reputation management service whose client base consists of executives, attorneys and business owners.

Bargain-hunting is a bad idea when it comes to your reputation

To learn more about online reputation management or reputation management, visit EBadPress.com or call 1.800.998.6005.