It is known that reputations are no longer verbal. Reputations are virtual which is why online reputation management is now the most sought service. Although the words sound the same, they are completely opposite and are two different worlds. Verbal reputations are what people have had before media started like the newspaper, the television, and more importantly, the Internet. Virtual reputations are ones that are on the Internet. More specifically, virtual reputations are ones where people can go fishing for information themselves rather than waiting for word on mouth.
Since virtual reputations have overtaken verbal reputations, online reputation management has become increasingly a popular service. The service consists of a boutique agency managing the positive and negative content about you or your company online. This means that online, with the use of search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo, anyone can look you up and see what you or your company’s virtual reputation looks like. If it only has positive and healthy content show up, online reputation management is not what you need. By proactively managing your online reputation yourself, you should be okay until otherwise. If you see negative reviews, unhealthy engagements or complaints, online reputation management might be the right service for you.
Protecting your online reputation, company or individual, is the best action anyone can take in expanding their opportunities and sales. It is important to know that over the past 10 years more and more people started trusting online reviews. Today 77% of people trust online reviews meaning that it can persuade them to either buy and product or service or not buy it. The not buying aspect is what will impact your business and individual opportunities or sale hard. It can even destroy your business in the long term.
Online reputation management is for every company to consider. It may be a necessary service in your future or already is and you don’t know it. Look yourself up!