By now you probably understand how easy it is to spread lies about someone online.Sadly, it is more common than ever to witness the cowardly acts of enemies and former lovers’ attempting to damage reputations online while hiding behind a veil of anonymity. Luckily, there are several ways to protect yourself and ensure that there is more than one side of the story if this ever happens to you. Here are the four best ways to ensure that you control your online reputation.
1. Claim Your Social Media
We recommend that you completely set up a profile on the following websites: Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Quora, Tumblr, Twitter, Yelp, and YouTube. Which one is the most effective may vary based on a number of factors. Honestly, the more profiles you are listed on, the more search results you will occupy, but we have found the ones listed above to be the most effective. Consider using a tool like HootSuite to manage and schedule multiple social media accounts and track mentions of your name.
2. Create a Blog with Optimized Content
Writing your own content is a great way to increase exposure and control your own real estate. Also, a website and blog is a great central location to link all of your social profiles. Consider purchasing your own name as a domain. If for no other reason, you know that if you own it, no one else can produce content so blatantly in your name.
3. Set Alerts
You’ve got some options when it comes to monitoring your name online. We recommend using Google Alerts and Hootsuite to create an automated notification system any time you are mentioned. This allows you to take a proactive approach and choose to be privately confrontational when you feel your name is being misused. In some cases where damaging information is involved, you may have the option to get it completely removed. Other ways to ensure that you remain knowledgable about your personal brand include: Yahoo Alerts, Mention.net, Naymz, Rankur, Twitter Search, and Google Search.
You cannot control what other people do online; you can only control what you do to prepare and respond. The more valuable information you have online, the more mitigated negative information will be, and the easier it will be to ensure that curious searchers see the real you.
To Conclude:
Often time we receive calls from individuals where an ex partner is threatening to post negative, false, and defamatory information on the Internet, to “get back” at them. There are numerous strategies that can be implemented to mitigate this risk and protect your online reputation. Call us today at 855-239-5322 for a FREE consultation with one of our friendly online reputation experts.