A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Proactive Reputation Management

For those that are working hard to create an unparalleled brand, an online search that reveals unchecked defamation can be devastating. Not only is online branding more important than ever, it is all too easy for a company to find that the positive nature of their name, products, and services are being pushed to the background.

This is why it is so vital to understand what proactive reputation management is and how it can avert a crisis before it becomes a PR disaster.

The Basics of Reputation Management
Reviews, ratings, and testimonials are more pervasive than ever, both on the positive and negative end of the spectrum. Reputation management is a comprehensive system in which a company attempts to keep the positive information of their company as the primary findings in many of the most common search locations. This may include everything from customer reviews to popular social media outlets, but it can also come down to more unique aspects of a company and the industry that it is in. This may include purchasing domains or avoiding associations with any other forms of negativity within the field.

Proactive Reputation Management
This form of reputation management is meant to hedge any major issues before they become catastrophic. There is an important differentiation from traditional online reputation management, also referred to as reactive reputation management, as it is easier to initially build a powerful and positive online presence instead of attempting to fight an uphill battle when the damage has already been done.

Finally, PRM is going to be more cost-effective and allows a company to steer clear of many of the time-consuming tactics that are needed for damage control. With an unbeatable online presence already in place, companies can focus on providing the world-class customer service that will keep them ahead of the competition instead of remaining one step behind.