Reputation management: Bulletproof your business

It is almost certain that at some point or the other, every business will face some form of reputation crisis online. It is worse when you do not expect the attack. Your business is smoothly running along, and then suddenly sales fall off a cliff. Further investigation shows that there is a negative review that is ranking above your sales page and spreading on social media. It really could happen to you.

Every company believes that they are immune to such reputation issues. Unfortunately, they do not realize the damage an attack can cause until it is too late. The good news is that with proactive reputation management, you can protect your company against any future reputation issue.

Here is a checklist for proactive reputation management

Website – The first and most important item on the list is to have a website. Without a website that is the official home of your brand, negative items will rank freely. Optimize the site and content for search engines and get as many links from businesses that can convey a sense of authority.

Business presence – Establish a presence on all social media platforms. It helps to register early and prevent any other party from taking the official name. Cross promote the content on your website on the social media platforms and engage with customers as much as possible. The list of social media properties includes LinkedIn.

Setting up the above recommendations isn’t a guarantee that you will not fall prey to negative content online. However, it does give you the tools and authority to combat attacks on your reputation online.