Make Sure Your Online Reputation Reflects the Real You
It’s obvious to anyone who spends any significant amount of time online and on social media that opinions, hot takes, reviews, reactions, and all manner of personal editorial are unavoidable. No matter how overwhelmingly and unassailably positive your content or message might be, there always seems to be folks who want to throw shade or even attack you—and possibly incite others online to join in.
While exposing yourself to this risk is inevitable any time you venture online, there are some basic things you can do to minimize your vulnerability and/or prevent minor issues from turning into major ones.
Create original content
By developing content that is fresh, original, and not heavily reliant on other information resources, you position yourself as a thought leader rather than as a re-purposer of other folks’ content.
Google yourself regularly
Stay continually informed of what is being said about your organization, products/services, and even people. Negative perceptions, whether warranted or not, can spread instantly online, and you’ll want to address them well before they become widespread.
Accept negative comments
It’s actually not the worst thing to have a very small number of less-than-positive reviews or comments on your organization (100% all-positive feedback raises suspicion that you’re screening out negative reviews). Also, negative comments provide opportunities for you to address specific issues with a customer—and show that you are willing to make things right when possible.
This brief eBooklet provides common-sense guidance for managing your online reputation and taking steps to prevent it from being unfairly tarnished.