Most entrepreneurs assume that a lack of an online reputation is a good thing. In reality, it’s negative, because people who can’t find you or any mention of your startup anywhere on the Internet assume you are not savvy or have something to hide. At the very least, with no positives for balance, it’s very risky, since the first negative mention of you or your company will kill your reputation.
The simple solution is for you to define your online identity early with positive content, starting with a business website with the right domain name, and an “about me” page with pictures that paint a positive image of your background, accomplishments and current mission. In addition, there are many other proactive ways to expand that positive presence, including the following:
1. Claim your identity on social media before someone else does.
You may not think it’s important to have a Facebook or Twitter account, but once you and your business get some traction, others with less scruples will be quick to grab your name and use it against you. Identity theft can be as devastating to a business as it is to a person.
2. Actively contribute to common business and personal profile sites.
Just the act of registering on these sites sets a positive reputation. Occasional engagement and visibility in forum discussions and industry activities establishes positive content to offset the random negative comment that every passionate entrepreneur is sure to generate.
3. Add new blog content to your site on a regular basis.
Blogging is an ideal way to express your positive values, show your expertise and establish yourself as an influencer. If done well, this will get you a wealth of positive comments, as well as provide real “Google juice” to push negative content out of view on any search engine results.
4. Monitor the web for negative comments and address them directly.
Any not-so-positive reviews or comments can be found with Google Alerts or a similar free tool, and should be answered quickly in a non-defensive manner, ideally pointing to other previous positive content. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring negative comments or reviews, hoping no one will notice.
5. Actively work to remove irrelevant and unwanted content.
It is always worth contacting a site owner to remove unflattering content, but you may not have much leverage. You can delete comments on your own site, or articles you have contributed. Expert sites, such as Latitude Park, have proprietary techniques to help remove bad content.
