The Importance of Content in Reputation Management

The end result of a reputation management campaign doesn’t necessarily need to stop with just pushing negative content off of the front pages of the search engines. While reaching that objective can be considered a victory, an aggressive campaign executed for optimal results can fortify the branding effort, act as an online resume, or serve other marketing purposes. At issue is whether the content aimed at replacing the articles, posts, etc. is being used simply as a placeholder on the front pages of the search engines or to advance the cause of the individual or company for whom the work is being done.

The practice of using content as placeholders appears to be increasing, particularly in the area of online reputation management for individuals. For the apparent purpose of saving time and labor for some reputation management companies (and money for the client), many are now turning the process into quasi do-it-yourself projects where an individual is given instructions on how to set up blogs at WordPress and other blogging sites and then left to their own devices to come up with something to say.

In this situation the blogs or other client generated media can give the appearance of an “I don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing this” mentality, especially when an inexperienced individual is putting out numerous blogs in succession. As evidenced by a blog that starts with something like “This is my eighth blog”, or “I’m not sure what I’m going to write about”, the blogs can work as placeholders on the search engine results pages but in reality are really only half-measures missing a huge opportunity to raise the profile of the reputation management client. This type of client generated media also carries its own set of risks:

* If the reputation management campaign entails burying anything that may have made it into the news media, it’s unlikely that this type of effort will show results, especially over the long term.
* Many employers now use search engines to check the backgrounds of their prospective employees. Having a bunch of aimless blogs is not going to advance the cause of an applicant.
* For those familiar with reputation management, this kind of client generated media is very transparent, immediately translating over to the question, “What is this person trying to hide?”

The fix for this type of content is actually quite simple; generate media with some sort of purpose. As content on the web increasingly becomes a de facto resume, creating media for both reputation management and resume purposes can serve both objectives well. For clients searching for employment, blogs which can show knowledge and a passion for the specific area of endeavor can go beyond placeholder status and take big steps toward enhancing the online resume. Other subjects can cover charitable activities, job related hobbies, and/or participation in professional associations. The most important aspect is that the content is written with a purpose keeping in mind that whatever is found on the web could play a role in shaping someone’s opinion about the client.

Taking the online reputation management objective to that level not only can serve the client in terms of future job or partnership related searches, it can also make to tougher for negative content to drift back up the search engine pages once the reputation management campaign is concluded. For a free evaluation on the best reputation management strategy for your personal situation, call Reputation Management LLC today at (866) 530 7703.