Share with care – learn online reputation management

We live in a technologically accelerated world. At the push of a button, we can close business deals, send love notes, forward annoying email messages, and even create presentations minutes before they’re due. As na society, we are enabled by technology to share information in an emphatic and instantaneous manner.

As with any internet technology, you have to make sure you’re sharing things that cast you or your company in a positive light. Even though insults and slander in the physical world subside painlessly unless launched into the mainstream press, the impacts of a scathing review online often reach far broader audiences than you may have realized.

It’s important to make sure you’re effectively managing your reputation online. If you haven’t put any thought into a process called ORM (online reputation management), it’s time to take an hour out of your day and find out what it is, how it works, and what you can do to protect your name.

Here’s SEO Sumo’s top five tips for identifying if your reputation is safe in the SERPs and how to start down the path to effective online reputation management:

1. Search for your company’s (or your) name in Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Scan the first two to three pages. Make sure there aren’t any results which may negatively affect your presence (we know it seems like an obvious tip, but most people don’t do this!).
2. Buy your name, your company’s name, and any variations of those names in domain form…we reccomend GoDaddy. Make sure you own the rights to your name. You’d be surprised what disgruntled employees can do to damage your reputation for less than $200.
3. Create business listings for your company and a professional profile on as many social networking sites as you can think of. Make sure the information you submit is consistent. Be sure to link back to your primary site, blog, or other profiles. The goal is to create a name for yourself which is publicly accessible.
4. If you’re into photography or art (who isn’t?), create a flickr account and upload some images of your smiling self, your favorite elements in life, and some form of art which represents your personality. The internet is predominantly visual, so make sure to take advantage of free visual PR whenever you have the chance.
5. Be sure to share with care. Don’t go randomly joining groups or networks which could come back to haunt you. Compromising photos, statements, and references pop up when you least expect them…especially online. Be the professional behind the image and share information about yourself, your company, or your assets carefully.

Obviously, online reputation management is a complicated process involving tedious analysis and meticulous management of digital presence. For starters, however, be sure to read up on some informative articles and stay ahead of the game.