Blog

covid 19 makes online reputation even more crucial. 4 things to do now

Covid-19 Makes Online Reputation Even More Crucial. 4 Things to Do Now

Blog, Coronavirus Reputation Management, Online Reputation Management, Online Reputation Management Tips /

Office Comes Home Conveying trust, competence, friendliness and other “real-world” attributes through an online reputation are crucial now more than ever.  Remember the “olde days” when you would go to a business office to work or meet a client for coffee? Now–and for the foreseeable future–things have changed: people work from home; businesses shifted to selling online; many school classes are remote; even birthday parties and weddings are on Zoom. We’ve quickly adapted (some more than others) to online-all-the-time, but some authentic questions remain: how do you engage with customers? What connections do you need to make to clients? How do you even get prospective clients if you can’t network or meet in person? Of course, in-person recommendations will not disappear, but they are on the wane at the moment for many since gone is “business casual” meetings or chatting in an office. Zoom, WebEx, or other forms of video conferencing are emerging alternatives. However, they are a poor stand-in for face-to-face meetings that often close the business deal. As people continue to make sense of this era, a new reality is forming around online-only connections. Most turn to Google. Hardly a replacement, but given the options, online searching is today’s reference check or way to get information about a business. As the importance of online reputations grows today, many businesses’ may suddenly realize their web presence might not be ready for prime-time. What if nothing shows up when a client searches your business? Or worse, what if there are negative links or articles? Given these times, a positive online reputation matters more than ever. Importance of Reputation Management Appearing authoritative in Google search results is a powerful way to attract prospective customers now (and anytime). They see positive links and articles as a sign of trustworthiness, making building a positive online reputation an essential business component. If Google search results reveal a minimal or poor online appearance, potential customers ask themselves, “are they really in business?”, “Can they be trusted?” or “are they unprofessional?” A poorly defined or unprofessional online reputation is deemed untrustworthy. However, when something negative appears on the first or second page of Google searches, this is a certain deal-breaker. Damaging posts made by competitors, “trolls,” or legitimate clients will immediately turn away new and existing clients who could move on to someone else. How to Quickly Build an Online Reputation Since people might not meet you in person, businesses need to convey trust, competence, friendliness, and other “real-world” attributes in their online presence. Essentially, match your web persona with your actual one. The best way to do this is by generating a constant flow of rich content in various forms with this in mind. Articles, blogs, videos, presentations, social media platforms, and your website should focus on personal trust-building. Generally, this is a long-term process. Building an online reputation often takes many months and should be an ongoing business tactic. But there are some things to do right now/today. Each task below takes some time to master, but it might take a few hours after a while. 1. Write Blog(s) Write and publish original blog posts. Start by addressing a current and compelling issue that your clients can relate to, such as how your business approach has changed or what new services you are offering to help. 2. Post on Social Media Post valuable information constantly to a range of key social media platforms. Be especially active daily on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other sites specific to your industry. Continue to directly engage with prospective clients across all relevant channels by sharing, commenting, retweeting, and posting their links. What to share? Things that resonate with what your clients are going through or experiencing. 3. Share In New Ways Seek out new ways to participate with others. For example, join networking organizations that have shifted to virtual meetings; schedule selective in-person meetings; pick up the phone more; and as always, be open and helpful to everyone you come across. 4. Update Platforms If necessary, update various platforms with new information. The smart idea is to add Zoom links or meeting numbers, phone numbers changed working hours, and new services to wherever clients normally connect with you, such as on your website and social media platforms. Also, be sure to refresh your email signature with virtual meeting links, etc. Conclusion While many business approaches have changed, keep the focus on your online reputation. Information found in Google searches is a major consideration to hire you, confirming that you are professional, experienced, and truly helpful. Deliver value and connect in meaningful ways by assembling content that illustrates your credibility. When clients see your positive web presence, they feel more comfortable choosing you to work with over a competitor, especially if it’s impossible to meet in person.

Covid-19 Makes Online Reputation Even More Crucial. 4 Things to Do Now Read More »

7 online reputation management tips for law firms and lawyers

7 Online Reputation Management Tips for Law Firms and Lawyers

Blog, Improve My Online Reputation, Online Reputation Management, Online Reputation Management for Lawyers /

For Professionals Such as Lawyers, What happens if Your Online Reputation is Damaged?  Clients seek lawyers, solo practitioners, and firms based on their perceived reputation and experience. Still, if defamatory rumors appear online or if actual negative links show up in Google searches, the damage could be severe. The result? Lost work, and possibly, worse–shut down the business (I’ve worked with firms where their revenue fell over 80% due to a poor web presence–from one negative post). Websites, blogs and online forums, social media platforms, review sites, videos, and even images that contain negative information are sources that can lead to reputation collapse. This, in turn, could easily lead to a significant decrease in clients and billable hours. Why Fixing or Building an Online Reputation is Important Negative online information discourages potential customers from initially contacting you; it could result in termination for existing clients. Similarly, having no or a minimal web presence can be almost problematic since many would see the lack of online sites as illegitimacy. Some lawyers may think that since much of their work comes from personal referrals, an online presence is not necessary or immune from damaging links. This is not true, however. While there might not be an immediate impact, damage to the firm could be extensive and long-lasting, especially as more and more clients become accustomed to searching for online information before hiring a professional, including lawyers. Bad Online Reputation Affects Ability to Practice Law firms and solo practitioners engage with the public, clients, and others in the legal system, of course. Because of the nature of these interactions, the slightest hint of online malfeasance could impact relationships resulting in lost trust. In addition, other lawyers,  judges, clerks, administrative personnel, witnesses, jurors, and potential clients, when seeing bad online reputations, might give the court, opposing counsel, or jury ammunition that could significantly affect the results of a case. Here are some tips to help you repair or fix your online reputation for lawyers: 1. Monitor Your Online Reputation Frequently review how you and your firm appear online by searching Google results.  Check weekly and set up Google Alerts to be notified immediately of any posts–good or bad–where your name or firm is mentioned. 2. Repairing Your Online Reputation Takes Time If an online reputation problem shows up, it takes time to repair, so prepare for the long term (except if removal is possible–see below). Several months of active suppression work is undoubtedly necessary, and, in many cases, six months or more with hours of daily work is probable to resolve the issue correctly. The level of severity determines the reputation repair timeline. It depends on how many links appear, where they show up, and the source. For example, if the first page of Google search results includes damaging posts from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the SEC, the process will take much longer than if one blog post appears at the bottom of the first page searches. 3. Try to Remove Negative Reports Once something is online, it is challenging and nearly impossible to get rid of. Removal is always preferred for obvious reasons but is rarely successful. Even though the posts can seem libelous, many sites often ignore deletion requests, such as RipoffReport.com and most, if not all, journalistic/news sites. However, a very narrow range of items are candidates for potential removal. These include copyright violations of images, videos, or other content, posts that conflict with a site\’s terms and conditions, publishing personal information such as home addresses or bank accounts, or selecting other posts. 4. Create Good Content The best way to fix a damaged online reputation or build one is to create excellent and targeted content. Flooding the internet with quality content eventually pushes harmful elements off the first page, making this a critical online reputation management tactic. Write high-quality blog posts, white papers, or presentations that solve real-world problems for clients and make a brief video walk-through of a process or case you resolved. Focus on common questions and law-related topics you specialize in. As this information is published and discovered through internet searches by potential clients, you’ll be seen as a knowledgeable and trusted expert, adding a further boost to your reputation. 5. Share on Social Networks Use social media to share and connect with others. Spread the word about content generated from above and share related news from other sources and sites. Engaging in this way shows you are an active “thought leader” in the legal community and naturally draws clients. Key platforms to use are LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Scribd, university alumni sites, Medium, Quora, YouTube, and even Instagram. Additionally, be sure your platforms’ profiles are up to date. Include links back to your site, have the correct verbiage blurb that appeals to your clients, contains a headshot photo of yourself, and completes any empty profile sections–all of which help you be found in searches. 6. Get a Presence on Law-Specific Websites Search engines prefer and prioritize sites related to your industry—i.e., law–and thus usually rank them higher than others sites with more traffic. Create, update and be active on Avvo,  Nolo, ABA Journal, Justia, and more. Answering questions here helps showcase expertise, increasing the likelihood of being found online during searches. 7. Continue to Add Useful Information The last step is to repeat constantly. Setting up a Twitter account or having an intern write one blog will not work. Instead, continually add new content, post and share daily on social media platforms, and pivot to new solutions. Because the process can take months, prepare to spend hours weekly repairing your online reputation. So, it is quite possible to build, boost and repair an online legal reputation, but the key is excellent content and constant engagement to draw in clients.

7 Online Reputation Management Tips for Law Firms and Lawyers Read More »

a brief online reputation management blueprint: content sources, potential clients, and tasks

A Brief Online Reputation Management Blueprint: Content Sources, Potential Clients, and Detailed Tasks

Blog, Online Reputation Management, Reputation Management, Uncategorized /

Reputation Pathway Here\’s a short online reputation management blueprint, including content sources, ways to connect with potential clients, and specific daily, weekly and monthly tasks. Content Sources Discover content sources. Build them around developing key search phrases your prospective clients or potential employers are interested in. Focus on authors, thought leaders, institutions, blogs, publications, but occasionally add fun-related topics. Take these and compile them into a list; review and tweak frequently. Find key search phrases and list: \”Search phrase 1.” “Search phrase 2.” “Search phrase 3.” “Search phase 4.” Identify and read authors: “Author 1” “Author 2” “Author 3” Follow key thought leaders: “Leader 1” “Leader 2” “Leader 3” Track institutions, organizations, and businesses: “Institution 1” “Organization 1” “Business 1” Read essential blogs and publications: “Blog 1” “Blog 2” “Publication 1” “Publication 2” Content Workflow Gather content sources. Take the researched list above and selectively add it to Google Alerts. Then, review relevant articles as they come out, and share in real-time on LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), and Facebook. LinkedIn is a great content source as well, so when reviewing your feed, find and share other articles to Twitter and Facebook. Google Alerts. Add to Google Alerts the list of search phrases from the above list. Open and review articles as they happen. Post to Facebook, if applicable. LinkedIn: Connect to authors and businesses from the above list. Find relevant articles. Post to Facebook, if applicable. Videos: Search for the phrases, authors, and businesses from the above list. Find appropriate videos. Post to Facebook, if applicable. Key Content Creation Tasks At least monthly, but more frequently is better, generate new excellent content focused around key search phrases already developed. This should be in the form of videos, blog posts, and presentations. Remember to share these on social media too. Make one or more videos; add to YouTube. Write at least one targeted blog; post on the website and Medium.com. Create one presentation; upload to SlideShare through LinkedIn. Summarized Daily Actions Do these tasks daily. Essentially, continue to find good content through Google Alerts and other sources such as LinkedIn and share on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Be sure to engage with other Followers and add new ones. Daily Facebook actions, all focused around the list created above: Follow several key influencers or Groups. Share a few posts. Like several articles and Posts. Post content you own, such as blogs, about one in ten times. Daily Twitter actions, focused around the list created above: Follow several vital influencers. Tweet on critical topics. Share one tweet from Followers. Post content you own, such as blogs, about one of ten tweets. Daily LinkedIn actions, focused around the list created above: Request a Connection to several vital influencers. Share and Like a few posts. Make a Comment. Post content you own, such as blogs, about one in ten times. Summarized Weekly Actions Be active weekly on these social media platforms weekly. Pinterest: Pin images; create one new Board; best if used on the weekend and evenings. YouTube: Follow related videos; create a new Playlist. Academia: Search for crucial articles; save and share. SlideShare: Follow an Author; Like critical presentations. School Alumni Site: update and find others. Medium: Follow and Comment on a related Article; Follow authors. Summarized Monthly Actions Some tasks are more critical than others, but try to be active on a few platforms per month: Instagram: Upload images; Like and Follow others. Soundcloud: Search for crucial posts; Like, Repost, Share; Follow People. Google Business Site: write one local review. Reddit: Upvote and Comment on related posts. Behance: Search People and Projects and Follow and Save; Upload one image. Flickr: Search People and Projects and Follow and Save; Upload one image. Vimeo: Follow others. Yelp: Write one review; Follow other Authors. Crunchbase: Follow Business; add a link to newly written articles. Quora: Search topics and Follow; Share. Google Books: Search topics and Follow; Share. MyHeritage: Add photo; find others.

A Brief Online Reputation Management Blueprint: Content Sources, Potential Clients, and Detailed Tasks Read More »

7 ways video conferencing can damage your online reputation @recovreputation

8 Ways Video Conferencing Can Damage Your Online Reputation @recovreputation

Blog, Coronavirus Reputation Management /

Here’s How to Avoid Damaging Your Online Reputation Using Video Conferencing While Working at Home Remember the kid that wandered into his father’s live BBC report? Cuteness erupted, and a viral moment was born (with 38 million views and counting). But not all viral video streaming moments are the same. You also might have seen the recent video of the woman not turning off her camera while taking a bathroom break or the “Zoombombing” troll interrupting a meeting by streaming pornography. Some online faux pas are innocent, humorous, or forgivable. But video conferencing moments can turn embarrassing, cringe-worthy, and damaging too. As many people and businesses shift to remote conferencing tools, unexpected interruptions can easily turn viral for the wrong reasons, damaging your online reputation. How? The camera or sound could be on, capturing something it should or shouldn’t. This then can be shared online. While the family dog jumping into camera range could be a welcome diversion and initially forgivable, it or other things could damage your web reputation quickly. Seemingly small distractions can have a large impact since they make you look unprofessional or careless. However, other interruptions or embarrassing moments could be much worse, risking a deal or losing a client.  These negative moments could be shared online afterward. Screenshots, video grabs, comments, chats, and audio recordings could be posted deliberately by competitors or online “trolls”. As they show up in Google searches for you or your business, your reputation could be severely damaged. By the way, even “positive” viral moments can be damaging. When searching on Google for Robert Kelly, the professor in the viral kid moment in 2017, the first pages are full of this clip. Yet what he is known for–his political expertise–is not evident. What if it was your business and your specialty became buried online? It could be a major problem. 1. Embarrassing Sharing Working from home can provide embarrassing moments. Your spouse or kids might innocently walk in the background; some people might be tempted to wear “business professional” clothes within camera range but have shorts or PJs on below and when reaching for something, you might expose yourself; or worse, you might be tempted to walk with your laptop or phone to the bathroom, forgetting you are on camera.  Stay professional at all times and assume the camera is always on to avoid problems.  2. Inadvertent Web Sharing Sometimes you might share your desktop screen. What if it displays embarrassing imagery or websites? Maybe you were shopping for shoes but forgot to close the browser window, were in the middle of applying for a new job, or had banking information open for other participants to see? Don’t forget that web browser tabs can be seen too. Close down everything on your desktop before starting a video meeting.  3. Screenshots People attending teleconferences can easily take screenshots from their phone or desktop. Screenshots can capture seemingly normal moments but taken out of context can look awkward or embarrassing, such as a shot of you mid-yawn or a slide presentation that seems deceiving.  Screenshots could be taken by a colleague who thought it would be innocent fun to post on social media. However, they could be made by a competitor who wants to leak proprietary information or a troll looking to purposely damage your online reputation.  There is no real way to prevent screenshot grabs so try to be professional at all times. If necessary, you might be able to remove an image due to copyright violations. 4. Video Recording and Sharing Similar to the above, people can capture the video of the conference using third-party recording tools. Some might have good reason to record the event; others see an opportunity to share snippets or parts to post online later in order to damage your reputation. Also similar to above, it is not possible to prevent video recording but if posted online, you might be able to delete the video. 5. Background Noise Be mindful of background noise. This could be distracting as well as embarrassing or worse, depending on the sound. A radio turned on in the background might have a host sharing a particular political view that others might find offensive; a smartspeaker might turn on; a spouse might yell out not realizing you are streaming. Check around the room and make sure everything is turned off, including your cell phone, radio, television, smart speaker, timers, dishwasher, clothes dryer or anything else that might make noise. 6. Outside Interruptions The doorbell can ring, kids can come home, handymen may walk through, a delivery happens. This can be distracting for other participants and appear that you don’t care or are unprofessional, especially if shared online.  Find a secluded environment to hold your video conference. Head to your basement, a spare room or even garage if you have one; if not, head to a quiet corner and be ready to use the mute button quickly. 7. Not Controlling the Meeting Always take appropriate steps to lock down your meeting to avoid problems, especially if you are administering the video conference. Trolls and others are looking for ways to disrupt discussions. They can do so by taking over, creating noise, uploading virus-filled files and by screen sharing inappropriate messages and video. Also, participants–including yourself–could inadvertently mute or unmute the wrong person, turn off sharing, make mistakes or cause other problems. Be sure to be familiar with your administrative tools and lock down your conference to prevent potential problems from others in and outside the meeting. 8. Chat or Comments Become Public Chat or real-time comments during a video conference can often be extremely helpful. However, a private message becoming public could be a problem. It might be tempting to write a comment to another participant during a teleconference but if you hit the wrong button and unintentionally share it with everyone else, it could appear unprofessional or damaging–especially the transcript is recorded and shared. Refrain from unprofessional comments or chats at all times.

8 Ways Video Conferencing Can Damage Your Online Reputation @recovreputation Read More »

Coronavirus Can Impact Your Online Reputation. Here’s How

Blog, Coronavirus Reputation Management, Online Reputation Management, Recover Reputation, Uncategorized /

6 Ways Coronavirus Can Damage Your Online Reputation What happens–God forbid–if someone in your business comes down with coronavirus after a client meeting? Get help, of course. I live in New York, and yes, COVID-19 is a natural, scary thing happening right now (a colleague I know in New Rochelle could be sick).  But, what next? Businesses need to survive and people need to live. Do you shut down the whole office? Should you warn everyone you met?  What happens when word of this spreads–hide it or share it openly? Pondering the larger ramifications for a moment, COVID-19 coronavirus can damage your online reputation in ways you’ve probably never thought of. Here’re six ways how. 1. Someone Gets Sick in Your Office If you or someone in your office is sick, I hope they get well, since this is paramount. However, after health is taken care of, consider how this might impact your online reputation. Instead of LinkedIn profiles, Wikipedia articles, awards, white papers and other positive links, a client or prospect searching for you in Google now could instead see references to coronavirus. This could swiftly wipe out any positive web presence that’s taken years to build. Further long term harm might come in the form of an online stigma linked to your business or brand.  Be transparent at all times. 2. You Do Nothing No one wants to contribute to expanding coronavirus but doing nothing can make things seemingly worse. What I mean is if everyone is telecommuting for example, but you are keeping the status quo, it could be perceived that you don’t care about your employees or your business.  Ignoring COVID-19 could make things seem worse. Instead, be proactive and convey what you are doing–just like you should be doing at all times online. 3. Your Name Is Related It might be more of a long shot, but something to consider is if your name is related to “coronavirus”. A beer brand comes to mind, but other name variations could be directly or indirectly problematic. This includes brand phrases, online nicknames or other commonly-used terms that you might post online but could seem inadvertently insensitive or worse. Consider pausing them. 4. Tone Deaf Messaging or Worse Your social media posts could be indifferent, tone deaf or simply wrong in response to the virus itself and the news surrounding it. Don’t post dystopian views with cutesy/snarky captions; avoid the mention of “viral marketing”, for obvious reasons; be mindful over everything you put online.  Even if you have no relation at all to coronavirus, your online reputation could be damaged by posting the wrong thing. You might have to change how you do business, unfortunately, for weeks or months. 5. Not Preparing Well For Coronavirus Purposely ignoring CDC COVID-19 recommendation by announcing team-building gatherings and sharing this online is not a good idea, since it could be seen as irresponsible (something you shouldn’t be doing in the first place). Of course, don’t mock or belittle someone else’s suffering. Use common sense when sharing on social media: if not you risk the wrath from others, which might be justified. Now is the time to review your online reputation strategy. 6. Your Online Reputation Building is Paused Your reputation building strategy might be paused during the coronavirus crisis. Don’t let this happen, if possible, at least during the long-term. Continue carefully posting across social media platforms, writing blogs and uploading images as you’ve always done, just be a bit more careful not to say the wrong thing.

Coronavirus Can Impact Your Online Reputation. Here’s How Read More »

reputation consulting: a reputation management option for 10% of the normal repair price

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

Blog, Online Reputation Management, Online Reputation Repair and Management, Recover Reputation, Reputation Management, Reputation Management Firm /

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. 

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

10 ways to gain clients with these lesser known online reputation management techniques

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

Blog, Online Reputation Management /

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

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

7 ways to gain clients using online reputation management, recover reputation

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 /

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

7 Ways to Gain Clients Using Online Reputation Management  Read More »

Scroll to Top