Guard Your Reputation Like a Rottweiler!

Guard Your Reputation Like a Rottweiler!

How to Guard Your Reputation

 

Reputation is a precarious thing, especially in business.  It’s crucial to guard your reputation. We only have to look at any current social media scandal to see that. Even though you may think that your own reputation is pretty low key, damage can be done. Once upon a time all people could do was gossip behind your back. Today, in our online world, it is quite possible for your reputation to mutate without you even knowing anything about it.

 

This is why I encourage every business owner to keep close tabs on their reputation. I suggest doing a thorough 360 reputation analysis at least every year. This is how you could go about it:

 

Step One: Damage Limitation

 

Treat your reputation like gold

Treat your reputation like gold

First, do a Google search on your name. Are you there? If you’re not that means you will be equally elusive to anyone else. While you don’t have to have your name plastered over the search engines, a complete absence is slightly odd. You should be showing up on LinkedIn at least.

 

Consider ways in which you can start to appear in the search engines. Perhaps you can contribute an article to an online magazine for your niche, or maybe your LinkedIn page needs a bit of work.
Sometimes, the issue is that there are many people with the same name, and these are crowding you out. In that case, it’s important that you step up your own publicity.

 

 

 

Step Two: Tidy Up Operation

 

Make a list of every social media site you might be on, not forgetting to check the less popular ones in case you’ve made an account on them and forgotten all about it (it happens a lot!). Look through your profiles and hone in on:

 

  • Bad grammar and typos
  • Blurred pictures or photos that are out of date (did you really grow a beard?)
  • Any posts you may not be happy about
  • People you no longer want to be connected to, whether for personal or professional reasons
  • Any posts or photos that you may be tagged in and are appearing on your timelines
Next, check your settings. While you want to be found on LinkedIn, you may want to set Facebook to private and have more control over who is looking at your page. If you come across old accounts that you’re not using consider deleting them altogether. If you can’t keep them up, it’s not going to look so good. It will also create some much needed headspace. This is useful if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Don’t just keep to the recent ones. Think about any old profiles you may have on sites like Mumsnet, Pinterest, or work related forums. Whilst you may well have used a nickname for some of these it is worth double checking.

 

Step Three: Build Your Brand

 

Brands always use the same small number of photos over and over again, so take a hint from them and use your best photo for every profile. If you’re not happy with it, spend a morning with a creative friend getting some good shots or just bite the bullet and pay for a professional head shot.

 

Doing an annual review of your profiles also mean that you can keep your photos up to date which makes you look professional and on the case. I help business owners who have had issues with their reputation. Perhaps you have lost their confidence after a social media post has been taken negatively. Or perhaps you are feelong overwhelmed? You can book in a chat to see how I can help here.

 

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