Managing your web reputation is extremely important if you wish to conduct a thriving business. Your online reputation can be managed effectively through using online tools for locating unwanted content about your brand and then being authentic and genuine as you address them.
Said another way, marketing your online reputation is crucial to buiding your business. What is reputation marketing? Wikipedia defines it as a successful blend of reputation management and brand marketing.
First, you need to understand that bad comments and feedback is something that happens to all marketers regardless of what type of leadership they possess. Even the best of the best leaders receive the occasional bad comment about them or a product or service they represent. It is what you do with these types of comments that will determine if your reputation online stays intact or crumbles among the thousands of other unsuccessful marketers.
One thing to keep in mind is this: bad comments equal a bad reputation only if you allow them to sit and stagnate. There are two ways to handle this. You can either use online tools to help track them and remove them, such as the Naymz tool mentioned below, or you can address them. If you do decide to address them, it is important that you are genuine and authentic in your approach.
Second, you have to understand that you have online tools available to you to help the process of monitoring and managing your online reputation become easier. One tool is a service called Naymz. You can get started with this tool on a 30-day free trial basis to see how it all works.
Naymz allows you to do three things: Measure, Manage & Earn. You can measure your influence on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and compare your online reputation with other people of influence. You can then use the power of online marketing, social networking and public relations to establish your personal brand. With Naymz, you can also go on to earn endorsements and badges which are great for showing off your influence and building a strong reputation.
Last, you need to understand that tools like Naymz are in place to help you. They cannot do all the work for you. You cannot control what people say, however, you can control your own actions. When you see bad comments out there about you and your brand name, distancing yourself from them or blaming others will do you no good. It will only hurt your brand. Being authentic and genuine, on the other hand, will go much further.
Nik Pearson who is manager of media relations for both Lexus and Toyota in the United Kingdom stated, “Authenticity is key, which is why you cannot successfully outsource social media interaction to an agency. By saying this isn’t us, it’s someone else, nobody is fooled by that any more, and it makes it look like you have no control over your own business.” (Tim Anderson, guardian.co.uk, July 2013).
To conclude, your responsibility as a leader is to protect your online reputation and provide value to your followers. To do this, you have to have the ability to monitor your name through online tools like Naymz and manage the online activity effectively by being authentic and genuine. Only then can you really call yourself a true leader.
