|
 |
Online Reputation Management
Setting Up An Alert System To Protect Your Reputation Online
With the ever-increasing use and popularity of social networks and other social media tools, web users are provided with more opportunities to voice their opinion through feedback and comments. These are great tools for companies and businesses to get feedback from customers and visitors.
However, the social media tools and platforms that allow web users to connect, collaborate on content, and share experiences, can also be abused. Business owners, corporations, organizations and professionals need to be aware of this and be prepared to protect their good name and reputation online.
The most extreme form of user comments and feedback was presented recently with the announcement of Google SearchWiki. The Google SearchWiki will allow Web users to leave public comments that are attached to search queries, which are then displayed under the search listing in the search results and visible to other Web users. There is no way to filter out defamatory comments or untrue statements.
According to a recent post at Search Engine Roundtable, Google may take this concept even further. The company currently is testing and may consider implementing this capability for Google Adwords ads, where businesses could comment on their competitor's text ads. We cannot even imagine where that could lead!
Facebook's new Comment Box widget also provides an opportunity for any visitor to comment on web site or blog content, and have those comments appear on their Facebook profile, where they could be shared with other Facebook users.
Online marketers, business people and corporations must take notice of the social media trends that have now become mainstream. They need to start planning for ways to protect their company name, product name(s) and brands online by setting up a Web-based early warning system that alerts them when their reputation is at risk, as a result of a product defect, a disgruntled customer's blog post, or some other looming crisis. The first step they must take is setting up a preventive online reputation monitoring system.
What Is Online Reputation Monitoring?
Online reputation monitoring involves the tracking of undesirable search engine results, Web rumors and conversations, as represented in the content across online media. Reputation monitoring will ensure that businesses and individuals will be alerted when their company, product or brand names turn up in online conversations as negative and false commentary. This commentary is often not limited to the Web search, news search and blog results. It can also appear in photo and image sharing web sites, such as Flickr and YouTube, social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn,) online forums and complaint sites like the RipoffReport.com and Complaints.com, social news/bookmarking sites (Digg/Delicious,) and microblogging sites like Twitter.
Negative online commentary can have a significant impact on a company's brand or reputation, if nothing is done about it. Therefore, businesses must protect their company name, brands and reputation they have built and invested in over the years.
Getting Started with Online Reputation Monitoring
Before setting up an online reputation monitoring system, it is important to determine what to monitor, where to monitor and how to monitor. The first step in this process is compiling a reputation monitoring list. This list identifies what should be monitored and most likely includes the company name(s), product or service brand names and the company's executive names. Ideally, it should also include the name of your most important competitors and anyone else who speaks on the company's behalf.
Which channels to monitor will often depend on the specific goals that have been set for the program and industry, but they should include a number of key channels such as social media and blogs, message boards, search engines and a range of social media web sites including Digg, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It is especially important to track influential bloggers, in your target industries, who have a large following, so you know when someone mentions your company name, brand or a major event in your industry.
In addition to tracking external search engine results and conversations on social media sites, businesses also need a system in place to react to comments placed on their company channels such as the company blog or forum, and the social media channels they participate in, such as a Flickr account, YouTube channel, Facebook Page and LinkedIn Group. This way, they will able to spot customer complaints and customer service issues early on and deal with them before they are spread through the Web.
Reputation Monitoring Systems
There are essentially three options for online reputation monitoring. A basic, low-cost, Web-based reputation monitoring system assembled from free and inexpensive tools is more than adequate for most businesses. For those who are looking for a more automated tracking system that is easy to set up and manage there are web-based software packages that charge a low monthly fee. Another option is to outsource the entire reputation monitoring task to a firm that specializes in online reputation management.
There are many free and inexpensive tools available that can be used to make up a reputation monitoring system. They essentially are comprised of three components: email alerts, RSS readers and software tracking services.
RSS Reader. The most effective way to monitor online reputation is through an RSS Reader and RSS feeds. Most social media web sites, blogs and online forums create an RSS feed, which can subscribed to, via an RSS reader.
Email Monitoring. Although RSS readers are the most effective way of reputation monitoring, email updates are important for those sites that do not provide a RSS feed or for tracking of email newsletters. To keep things organized, you can set up Microsoft Outlook or another email client of choice, to route emails into specific folders.
Software Tracking Services. For web sites that are difficult to monitor or do not provide updates through RSS feeds or email updates, you can try a software service. A proven tool for this task is Copernic Tracker ($50.00).
Technorati and Google Alerts. The Google RSS reader on Technorati and Google Alerts are the most effective tools to track discussions regarding your company in blog posts and searches that are performed within the Google network of vertical search engines. Google Alerts allow you to build a basic, inexpensive reputation monitoring system to monitor Google Web results, Google news search, video search, blog search and Google groups. Whenever a new blog post or keyword query is discovered that matches your search criteria, you will receive an email update with a summary of the discovered web content and link to the original web content in email box.
For those who want to broaden the online reputation monitoring effort beyond Technorati and the Google network we recommend the following channels:
 |
 |
Industry trends: Google.com Trends |
|
|
Blog conversations: Blogpulse.com/conversation |
|
|
Blog trends: Blogpulse.com/trends |
|
|
Blog comments: Backtype.com |
|
|
Bookmarks: Delicious.com |
|
|
Tags: Keotag.com |
|
|
Twitter microblogging: Tweetbeep.com, search.twitter.com |
|
|
Photos with comments: Flickr.com |
|
|
Video: Google video, YouTube.com |
|
|
Forums: Boardtracker.com |
|
|
Mainstream news: Google News Search |
|
|
Social networking: Facebook.com, LinkedIn.com |
|
|
News Buzz: Digg.com |
|
Automated Reputation Monitoring. Businesses that are looking for an inexpensive, all-in-one automated reputation monitoring system, that does not require the set up of all individual RSS and email alerts, you may consider a web-based software package that automates the set up, monitoring and data collection. Trackur.com ($18.00 a month) is a good solution for small businesses.
Online reputation monitoring is serious business. Put a plan in place NOW to protect your company.
In a future issue of this newsletter, we will cover how to repair a damaged reputation when you are under attack.
|
|
| |
| |
| |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Past Presentations
WebmasterWorld PubCon 2008
Las Vegas
“Integrating Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) into the Advertising Mix”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the presentation
128 Business Expo 2008
The Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel
"Using Social Media to Connect with Prospects and Customers"
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
495/MetroWest Business Expo
Sheraton Framingham Hotel
Pre-Expo Keynote Presentation
“A Strategic Approach to Integrated Marketing”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
Bentley College, 2008 - Waltham, MA
“Planning and Integrating a Targeted Internet Marketing Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
WebmasterWorld Pubcon 2007 - Las Vegas, NV
“Planning and Integrating a Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
BizAction 2007 - Washington DC
"Email, Social Media and Search in the Overall Marketing Mix"
Click here to play the audio.
128 Business Expo 2007
"Blogging and Podcasting For Business"
Click here to play the video.
495/Metrowest Business Expo
Pre-Expo Keynote
"The Rise of the Internet as a Mass Advertising Medium"
Click here to play the video.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
If you would like more information on Internet Marketing, Consulting, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Email Marketing, please
click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Copyright © 1996-2009. Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
251 West Central St., Suite 28, Natick, Massachusetts 01760, USA
Tel: 508-647-5151 Fax: 508-647-5150
E-mail: info@advmediaproductions.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
