Reputation Management

Less than favorable photos of ‘that one night’, angry reviews about your business from a bitter person with an axe to grind, that controversial paper you wrote in college – these could be added to the list of things we wish we could remove from the internet. In a digital age where anyone with a smartphone has access to all kinds of information about you, it can feel as though we have little to no authority on the way that people read into us online.

As we persist to share, retweet and post so much of our lives for public consumption, the realization has come to many that the path is fairly wide open to someone who wants to damage your reputation online. While many business owners succumb to their digital image issues, others take control of the situation and get the help they need to fix the problem.

Cue the online reputation manager.

Much like a renovator, online reputation managers provide businesses with a fresh online image to get them working like new again. Typically, this is done by flooding out negative search results with things that better represent the brand and promote a healthy image for the company.

To dive deeper into magic of these online wizards, we asked Michael Fertik, owner of Reputation.com – What exactly does an online reputation management expert do?

“Our customers range from moms and dads to Fortune 500 companies” said Fertik. “And we try to give them maximum control possible over what people view about them online—whether it’s information that they want others to see about professional history or info that they don’t want seen, like a medical past.”

Some will rely strictly on word of mouth- limiting their potentials. Some find themselves asking- why would an online reputation need protecting?

The internet has done a multitude of wonderful things; however, it has also created an atmosphere where a person behind a keyboard can drag your name through the mud and carry out their day- while you live with the consequences.

With the evolution of the business paradigm becoming increasingly more digital, the negative ghosts of your past can very well be haunting your future. On the flip side of the same token- your digital footprint can help you achieve and even exceed your goals, if you take the time and necessary steps to nurture it.