For individuals
Today managing online reputation is likely to apply to all types of entities: little-known citizens, celebrities in their media exposure or their political commitment, but also companies and brands. The discovery of e-reputation appeared with the phenomenon of “googlisation” (Action scrutinize relatives, colleagues and even oneself on Google) for individuals as well as for brands or known through other media personalities, it is particularly due to them that came the first scandals on the Internet. For example, Kate Moss has been engaged for several years an official for his reputation on the net, which triggered many requests of this kind of service in the United States primarily. The stakes for individuals include the image of the person that may have a future employer, investor … This image, if negative, can affect certain decisions and managing this online reputation should be a major concern for very exposed.
Insurance advertising
Recently, there is a real awareness of online reputation for individuals. Indeed, in recent days, an insurance advertisement from a company known to all, is displayed on our TV screens and talks about “dirty online reputation,” “the whole family is affected” … This insurance is to protect against the risks of digital life affecting online reputation, identity theft, fraudulent use of payment, disputes with e-merchants … Its advertising helps raise awareness that the “virtual” life is not so far from real life and they can be mutually harmful if there is negligence on the consideration of e-reputation.
For professionals
For brands, companies, associations or other organizations, managing online reputation is paramount. Some have faced this online reputation, such as McDonald’s, often criticized in the media for a “serious game”, created to expose the failings of the American multinational, or Nestle and Unilever, who are often targeted by Greenpeace and ATTAC on the web. They create videos that make the buzz away commercials, logos …, create groups or others on social networking sites (including Facebook), pay for “shocking” ads and denounce, for example, overexploitation oil palm by the two brands.
Managing the online reputation requires the combination of prevention, which allows it to build on solid and real foundations, but also the action using the tools to maintain a “clean” online reputation and brand image.
Prevention
Prevention is one of the possible solutions to prevent the risks associated with the presence of companies, users, organizations on the Internet.
There are several strategies:
The online reputation is built upstream as ordinary reputation especially through different tools, so it is necessary to create and provide regular content for its messages, ideas, to control what is said about yourself and adjust if necessary.
Conduct regular monitoring in order to respond quickly and thus limit the impact on the image: personal, professional, brand and by extension the reputation of the company.
Awareness and consumer loyalty (via the tools mentioned above, communities such brands that involve consumers in the development of the brand, etc.).
An effective and strong communication through traditional means of communication.
Sensitization of business knowledge networks to influence news executives.
Actions
A simple request
A simple request may be made to the webmaster behind Internet publishing site, specifying the reasons for the request (breach of privacy, reputation, misinformation …) If, however, the author refuses, in writing, to respond favorably to the request, we will have to go to court. It will assess whether the request is legitimate regarding the request for deletion of information under the principle of freedom of expression or freedom of the press when the request relates to an online article.
However, it can be very difficult to force a website to remove content, especially when it is located outside the legal jurisdiction.
Software for online reputation
The e-reputation software enables organizations to quickly identify any early rumors about their society, their leaders or their brands, and anticipate the development of media crises that could affect their image, through continuous and systematic monitoring of internet.
Public denials
All the rumors are to be denied because they have a strong power over consumers. These denials will attempt to control a rumor for submitting evidence, testimony, numbers that will counter the facts provided, while reducing the credibility of your company, your image or your name. However, if a mistake is made, it is advisable to assume and formally apologize.
Internet clearance
Their role is to remove the writings, photographs and documents that talk about you or your business and you do not want to appear on the web. They use the technique of drowning or burial: this technique is to push the content pages “unpleasant” until the second or third page of Google (rarely visited pages), feeding and creating new pages or websites incorporating the name of the company or its founder (keywords, news sites, domain name, interview …) to highlight the latest information and thus overshadow unwanted pages.
Creating positive content
The aim is to drown unwanted content with positive information. This is actually master the first results of search engines. How? By posting content value that will be well positioned with a possibility quite easy to upgrade yourself. This action has two main advantages: It consolidates your online reputation and is a shield for small attempts of those who want to harm you. Positive content without links do not make sense … We must be attentive to netlinking (weaving links).
Tools
Conventional search engines (Yahoo, Google, Bing …)
They represent the first approach that can be done in e-reputation, entering its name in the search bar. These search engines also include videos and images. For a company, the first links are referenced its own web site and annexes of the brand site. Then come the consumer review sites, forums or any websites that talk about the brand. There are customizable alert systems (Google Alerts …) to receive an email when your brand or name is mentioned in the news in order to alert you.
Engines for discussion forums (BoardReader, Boardtracker, Omgili …)
They can observe and monitor discussions and news published on the forums. The interest of these engines is to learn how the brand is perceived by its customers and know how they use its products or services and what they think. A negative opinion (of a company or a product) can damage his reputation, so be active on forums and continuously monitor all information submitted.
Engines for blogs followed by comments (BlogPulse, Icerocket, Veooz or Twitter Search)
They are used to achieve the targeted and quick searches on content. These engines can get all information within blogs. The company is this way more responsive and can react in case of problems.
News search engines (Google News, Yahoo News, Bing News)
These engines allow news research to inform about all new content or information posted on the web, through keywords.
Content aggregators/RSS (Feedly, GreatNews, Netvibes, RSS Sourcing)
They provide the ability to integrate diverse content in a single space, via RSS feed defined for specific keywords or phrases. This space is private and can group widgets, RSS feeds from websites or blogs, boxes of mail, social networks and search engines.
Paid tools
This is intelligence solutions and online reputation to track all mentions of a brand or product on the entire Internet (Twitter, Facebook, forums, blogs, sites, etc. ).
The risk
Lawsuits
They can be dangerous. In fact, some brands have chosen to sue blogs for being annoyed by rumors. Often these brands lose on several levels: judicial standpoint because justice applies the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the point of view of the image because its companies go for brands that want to deprive users of their right to speech. This condition is called “Streisand effect,” referring to the case of duplication of the photograph of the house of Barbara Streisand by users, following its withdrawal request on the Internet. The more one tries to hide information, most users are enjoying to spread it.
Translation from Wikipedia
Leave a Reply