What’s the best way to repair an online reputation for a financial executive?

English (or Portuguese, French, Yoruba, Creole—or whatever you speak)

Using English–or whatever you speak–is the best way for a financial executive to repair an online reputation.  Taking pen to paper or more likely fingers to keypad is a formidable tool, if written well and is engaging, in order to combat negative comments generated from a competitor trying to take down your deal.

How?

Writing blogs, for example, generates good, positive information that will, with perseverance and some time, push those negative comments down off the first page of Google search pages.

Some might be surprised that there is such a “simple” solution.

But words are powerful.

Even (or especially) in financial circles, where number crunching and deal making are king, one negative comment of five hundred words or less showing up at the top of a search result can derail a multi-million dollar project (unfortunately, I’ve seen this happen many times: a stock is ready to launch, only to be undermined by a nasty rumor generated by an unhappy ex-partner, for example).

So what to write about?

Follow the adage, write about what you know.  Keep details such as company names or specific ideas confidential, but feel free to give information and experience away.  This identifies you as an expert in your field, leading to traffic and engagement from your followers, which in turn helps rise the good content up and the move the negative down.

But back to topics: these could range from what you’ve learned from the deals you are working on now to what pitfalls to avoid to conference rooms available in Midtown Manhattan or London.

The important thing is to write about an interest of yours that would be of interest to your audience too. Given some time and effort, it works (it has for me).

Feel free to share.