Steven W. Giovinco, Author at Recover Reputation

Reputation Consulting: A Reputation Management Option for 10% of the Normal Repair Price

Lower Priced Reputation Option Some may find a complete online reputation management repair solution out of reach. Either the price is too high, or for those already devastated by the effects of a damaged web presence, it now is unaffordable. (I know an insurance broker whose income dropped to $70,000 from $500,000; a CEO executive lost his mid-six-figure salary just after signing a contract; a law firm saw their practice income drop 70%–all due to negative reputation issues.) But for those who have the time and need a solution, online reputation consulting might be an attractive alternative. What is Reputation Consulting? Basically, we provide step-by-step solutions; the client implements much of the work. As a result, this approach is much more cost effective. A typical fee is only 10% or 20% of the full reputation repair solution. For most, the price is $500 or $1,000 instead of $5,000 or $6,000 per month. However, because the client is implementing most tasks, much of the success depends upon their actions. If they aren\’t able to contribute one blog a week (or the equivalent), this approach is not for them. For example, Recover Reputation would research and create a strategy; make important SEO-related tweaks to existing sites and platforms; provide ongoing weekly support and updates; and create a clear task list for the client to do. The client would write weekly blogs and presentations; engage and discover key followers; and share the right content on the right platform daily based on our direction. Who Is Reputation Consulting For? Reputation consulting is perfect for someone who can’t afford the standard reputation repair process but has some spare time and a strong desire to resolve their issue. Ideally, they have some experience writing blogs or with social media, but it’s not necessary. The main requirement is the ambition to solve their reputation problem. What Works This approach works best for simple negative reputation problems. These could be ones that appear at the bottom of Google search results or are from less powerful sites. For example, a personal blog post where someone has written a negative comment is much easier to suppress than an article from the New York Times, Huffington Post or AboveTheLaw. What probably won’t work is when the first page of search results has multiple damaging links, especially from high-ranking publications. What We Do Basically, we conduct research, create a strategy, and implement some key reputation repair tasks: What You Do Generally, the client writes blogs, creates content, and implements many tasks based on our direction: Reputation Consulting Pricing Most reputation consulting prices are about 10% of regular fees. They usually range from about $500 a month for a minor issue to $1,000 monthly for a more involved solution. So far, it\’s been very effective with several of our clients. Duration As with most online repair cases, reputation consulting takes about six months or longer. Because success is directly dependent on the client\’s engagement and since Google may update their search algorithms, this process may vary and could take longer. Typical Milestones Month 1: Analysis, research, strategy creation; update and optimize websites; create some new platforms. Month 2: Add new platforms; publish content. Month 3: Post very frequently; use social media actively; gain visibility. Month 4-6: Continue content creation; expect more suppression. Approach The approach is completely customized. Given that Google stresses quality content, the focus is on excellent, hand-crafted solutions. And since Google is always changing their algorithm, and it is crucial to be flexible, pivoting to find the best solution and constantly review, adjust and tweak the strategy.

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10 Ways to Gain Clients With These Lesser Known Online Reputation Management Techniques

Blog, Online Reputation Management / Steven W. Giovinco

If a prospective customer sees the first page of Google search results full of positive articles and links, you are seen as a trustworthy professional. This gives you a crucial edge over competitors and helps close business deal(s). On the other hand, if there’s something negative listed on Google, prospective clients will just move on to someone else. Also, If nothing shows up in searches, it\’s virtually the same problem: you appear untrustworthy and the prospective customer goes on to a competitor. Here are ten ways you might not have thought of to build a positive web reputation. Although some of these tips are not directly implemented online, they do indeed boost your web reputation because of social media sharing and other online buzz generated from these actions In other words, sometimes it’s best to get out from behind your computer and desk and venture into the real-world to network and give talks to build a positive presence. 1. Target Social Media Platforms Constantly connect with people on a range of online platforms. This continues to build a positive reputation and can help prospective clients see your expertise. Besides the ubiquitous list of general social media sites, be active on others that might not be top of mind, such as Wikipedia, alumni groups, Quora and more. Just as important are ones that cater directly to specific industries, regions, activities or mediums. Be active on these sites by connecting with others, sharing content and gaining followers. There are many to choose from, but the key is knowing where to post the right information to connect with your prospective clients. 2. Build a Resource for Business Owners Give away information for free. I can imagine the collective refrain, “Why should I give people I don’t even know my hard-earned info when I should be charging them?” It might sound counterintuitive to share (some) free information, but it\’s a great way to generate trust and to develop a strong reputation. This shows you are knowledgeable, experienced, and helpful. The more you help, the more likely they’ll share your social media and other posts to their contacts. Even though some prospective clients might try to implement your suggestions on their own without paying, there are many others who value your services and see you as an expert. Give reviews, answer questions, leave comments or help prospective clients and others on relevant online platforms. Become the go-to source where people can get solutions for their problems. For example, a mortgage broker might have a white paper on interest rates and include a rate calculator feed; a financial advisor could have a retirement presentation on their website\’s homepage; a law firm might publish recent tax law updates; a marketing firm could show how to submit to Google Maps or to be indexed faster by search engines. 3. Ask for Referrals, Don’t Wait for Them Referrals are powerful. Having previous clients tell prospective ones about your successes boosts trust and helps close deals. Want a much higher close rate? Looking for clients who tend to be easier to deal with? Get referrals. Showcase previous triumphs adds an extra level of trust to help convert a prospective client to a paying one. One way to gather a list of referrals is simply to ask. But the real key is by doing remarkable work. A praiseworthy job right at the start builds a positive reputation for you, and inevitably, leads to more business. Many of my clients, especially the really good ones, which is important, have come through a colleague, a business I’ve worked with or someone I’ve known. Set realistic expectations at the start when working together to avoid client disappointment. Since they might expect to see quick and nearly immediate results, it’s important to make clear outcomes with realistic milestones. Agree on common goals with definable and necessary steps that move you towards achieving them, giving full transparency on where you are focusing your efforts. 4. Create and Build Partnerships Develop partnerships with others–including competitors. Scout business to team up with those that offer complementary services to take advantage of mutual synergys. If you\’re just starting out or even if your business is well established, collaborating with partners gains access to new clients, broadens your services, and builds a stronger reputation by being connected with others who might be leaders in their own niche. Partnerships can lead to swapping referrals, which is a win-win: the client gets the right solution; the referring business helps a partner; and the referee earns new business. 5. Where Are Your Ideal Clients? Go There Go where your clients or prospective ones are. Be visible and network with them. Just because a business–whether starting out or is established–has a website or business card, it doesn’t mean clients suddenly come knocking on your door. No one can hire, buy, or pay you if they don’t know that you exist. It is your job to make sure your target market knows you are out there by building an excellent online and offline reputation. Go to where they are-literally. This means getting up and out from behind the computer and venturing out in the real-world to be visible through networking. 6. Publicize Successes Promote your successes. These can be recent, current and past awards, new clients, substantive hires, white paper and blog publications, or anything that’s newsworthy to readers or clients. Each achievement builds your reputation because it’s an opportunity to showcase your business. Foster relationships with bloggers, editors and publishers, since they often are looking for unique stories to publish. A printed press piece is a huge reputation boost since it builds trust and legitimacy. Remember too that many publications offer online versions of the article, increasing it’s visibility substantially. Press releases can still be helpful to publicize accomplishments, but they are not as powerful they once were, and Google considers most of low value or spammy when published online. However, a well-written press release might be picked up by local or industry

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7 Ways to Gain Clients Using Online Reputation Management

Blog, Image Online Reputation Management, Improve My Online Reputation, Online Reputation Management Case Study, Online Reputation Management Tips, Uncategorized / Steven W. Giovinco

Build Your Online Reputation To Gain Prospective Clients Want to get clients? Build a great online reputation. People search on Google before, after, and during connecting with you to see what kind of experience you have and if you can solve their problem. Having a strong web presence generates trust, leading to converting prospective clients into paying ones. If the first page of Google searches is full of positive articles and links, prospective clients see you as trustworthy. This helps close the deal. However, if something negative appears, potential customers just move on to someone else–a competitor. Almost as importantly, if minimal information shows up in searches, you might appear unreliable or not real, also causing prospects to move on. Understand Your Client An online reputation should resonate and align with your clients’. But in order to do so, you need to know precisely who your prospective customers are. Research them thoroughly. Without an ideal customer composite, it’s difficult or nearly impossible to know where to start building an online reputation that resonates with clients. Understand who to target, think about what drives them, then present clear solutions that help. To completely grasp your clients’ needs, analyze them by drafting a detailed and comprehensive profile. This persona drives all content creation, marketing messages, and sales conversations. Gathering and sharing this targeted content allows you to speak directly to the wants, needs, and desires of your ideal buyer. Also, it crystallizes the kind of companies you like working with and what their pain points are. You can then craft the exact solution that they need. For example, if your prospective clients are a professional urban New York-area couple in their 30s and have a joint salary of $300K, then your reputation approach needs to appeal directly to them. Deliver Trust and Solutions Potential clients seek out a business that seems trustworthy, effective, and fixes their problem. An accomplished online reputation draws in prospects naturally and turns them into paying customers. Businesses often neglect to align their offers with what their clients really need the most and instead focus on what they want to sell. You should deliver solutions that your clients really need. Many times, however, clients think they need one solution but you, as the expert, know they need another. Be ready to explain the advantages of your approach. This continues to build trust. Continually building a positive reputation is key to reaching new customers. Once you have a comfortable connection, educate them on recognizing the superior value of your service. Overdeliver For All Clients, Especially the Best Ones Do really great work, naturally. This earns referrals and builds a reputation of excellence. Craft well-researched strategies, offer pinpointed analysis, answer questions immediately, give effective solutions, and be extremely professional–always. Very satisfied clients generate positive feedback that influences and encourages others to use your business. Existing clients bring business partners, friends, neighbors, or even their own professionals that they deal with (dentists, accountants, etc.). These satisfied clients can–and should–be used as a part of your reputation marketing strategy. Since nearly eighty percent of most business income comes from about twenty percent of their clients, this all makes sense. That’s why keeping current clients happy matters so much for building a positive reputation. Excelling for every single client all the time, while admirable, is not realistic or productive, however. Over-deliver for those best customers, but focus on delivering extraordinary service to the twenty percent that brings in the most business. Focusing on your best consumers results in retaining them, generating excellent recommendations, and most importantly, builds strong online and offline integrity. Blog Like Crazy What is one of the best ways to build or boost your reputation? Write. One of the best tools in your online toolkit is crafting well-made blogs. Writing great pieces not only brings eyeballs online to draw in potential customers, but it also highlights you as an industry expert in your niche. Everyone is looking for solutions on Google. For you to be discovered in search results requires the creation of truly exceptional work. Writing excellent blogs increases the chance of being found on the first page of Google, which leads to visibility, more clients, and a trustworthy reputation. Think of it like this: if a prospective client is searching for your business online and sees the first page filled with positive articles and links, they probably would pick you over a competitor who has minimal (or negative) information. The key is drafting the best blog possible. But a blog can be nearly anything: articles, audio recordings, videos, presentations, white papers, photos, infographics, graphs, and even memes. Another powerful feature of blog posts is that they generate “backlinks” or ties that connect to your content, which Google considers as an important page-ranking signal. Each time a new blog post is published, a new searchable article–and backlink–can point back to your website. If a blog piece is published every few weeks, that means several dozen new links potentially create many new ways to be found, leading to new sales opportunities, and more chances that you’ll be seen as an expert. But while frequent publishing is important, paramount is producing high-quality content. Have a Search Engine Optimization Strategy Being on the top of Google search results means business. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps drive prospective clients to your website and is a crucial part of an online reputation strategy. Since about 95% of clicks occur on the first page of searches, having a presence there builds trust and substantially helps in closing deals. High-quality content along with leveraging SEO builds an online reputation that strongly increases the chance of being seen first on Google, which leads to visibility, more clients, and additional online confidence. Google uses many ways to determine where to rank a website. While this is a massive topic in itself, to be found predominantly in search results requires the creation of exceptional work, such as high-quality blogs and some behind-the-scenes technical work, such as backlink creation

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