Remember Reputation Management? I Do (and It’s Coming Back)

When I first started working as a freelancer, all the way back in 2010, one of my first clients was in the reputation management field. A lot of the techniques I used in that job aren’t in fashion (or effective) right now. But the core concept? It persists. And it could be more important now than ever before.

Old-School Reputation Management

Back in the old days, a client would reach out because some problem appeared online in a search for that person’s name. It could have been something like a mug shot, a lawsuit, or a filmed dispute with a neighbor. For some unfortunate people, all three of those issues popped up.

To combat this problem, someone on the team (not me) would reach out to the sites that hosted the offending materials. Money changed hands and poof! Away the proof went.

Then, someone else on the team (which was typically me) would write scads of flattering content about the person that could be seeded all over the internet. Quality wasn’t really the issue, but quantity sure was.

In time, the only thing someone would see in a search for the person’s name was this fluff stuff. We’d consider the problem solved.

Modern Reputation Management

Mugshots are less of a problem these days, as they’re less likely to appear online due to changing legislation. But lawsuits and bad decisions are still hanging out there. And people still want them to go away. If the problem happens to a business, it’s more important to clean things up.

AI tools are collectors, known for gathering all of the information they can find in response to a search conversation. Often, they like to present a balanced view of things. That means they look for bad stuff as well as good stuff. Hence the need for extensive cleanup.

A new industry is springing up around this need. Companies (like some legacy newspapers and bloggers) are asking for money to take down negative information. Sometimes, it’s worth paying those fees.

Unfortunately, flooding the zone with good press that you (or an agency) creates no longer works. AI tools don’t always care about recency as much as accuracy.

My Opinion: The Best Solution Is the Easiest

Cleaning up a problem isn’t always easy. And with AI tools scraping up information that could be weeks, months, or even years old, it’s harder to make a fix stick. The easier approach is to make your brand as goof-proof as possible.

How do you do that? Here are my best ideas:

• Always ask for reviews. Get your loyal customers to talk about you on third-party sites like Yelp and Google.

• Always respond to negative reviews. I’ve talked about this before, but negative reviews give you the opportunity to tell your side of the story. Never give up that opportunity.

• Conduct regular customer research. Find the hidden problems that could get you in trouble before anything goes public.

• Keep it clean. Remember that you’re always being watched. It’s just the way modern life works. The fewer mistakes you make, the less you’ll have to clean up.

I’m available for consultations, whether you want to create a plan to manage future attacks or deal with one that’s in progress. Contact me to get started.