The effectiveness of online reputation defense lies in taking the reins on one’s online identity, becoming the arbiter of one’s reputation or brand image instead of being at the mercy of the fickle public and eager detractors. The opening moves of an online reputation management (ORM) campaign for individual people and business are very similar, relying on the same underlying principles and often utilizing the same techniques, though they may also often be distinct from one another.
Maintaining a stellar online reputation holds equal value for both individuals and companies. Careers and profits are all on the line when negative press spreads on the Internet. Negative content, regardless of their truth value, can ruin what has taken years to build and can follow a person or business long after the events that led to it have passed. Through ORM, businesses and individuals can maintain their trustworthiness in the eyes of others.
Moreover, the online reputations between businesses and individual people are more intertwined than many people think. Online reputation defense for individuals and businesses can sometimes go hand-in-hand.
While business and individual ORM campaigns are often distinct, they do overlap. The reputation of business executives and proprietors is directly tied to that of their business. Not only will their reputations influence the decisions of their investors but it also projects the company’s corporate culture, which indicates its prospective directions for growth. A company with a CEO who has a reputation for innovation, for instance, would be seen as one that would have a high potential for game-breaking ideas that would dominate the market.
A business’ reputation can be tied to that of the people who run it, and a person’s professional reputation would be tied to how well his or her company performs. Business leaders and owners should therefore take an active stance toward defending their online reputation and that of their business in a complementary manner. Employing an online reputation management company with a successful track record of handling both professional and corporate campaigns would yield long-term benefits for the discerning individual or company.