Keep that New Year’s resolution and get your online reputation in shape!
As we approach the end of January I have a question…how’s that resolution to get control of your businesses’ online reputation for 2017 going? The good news is that, even if you procrastinated 30 days 
away (naughty you!), it’s not too late to start. There are a lot of things you can do to secure your online reputation, but to keep things simple I’m going to get you started with the 3 common “quick-fix” issues.
- Claim your online profiles. At Bernstein Crisis Management we are constantly fielding calls for crises that were sparked by not having ownership of online profiles. Remember that people don’t need your permission to create a page for your brand, and someone with malicious intent can do a lot of damage in a short time.
- Start a monitoring program. Whether you want to do it yourself or hire a professional, you need to know when people are talking about your brand and its key players. This includes watching social media, review sites, local forums, and of course mainstream media.
- Educate your social media staff. The intern from the local college may be amazing at day-to-day social media but do they know how to handle a furious customer’s tweets? Making certain your staff is properly prepared to do both the good news and bad news sides of their job is essential.
Three simple steps to start you off. And, much like the oft-avoided New Year’s workout plan, once you make caring about your reputation a habit you’ll wonder why you ever put it off in the first place.
Erik Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com