Managing Online Reputation

Online Reputation Management (ORM) is a relatively new industry but has been brought to the forefront of professionals’ consciousness due to the overwhelming and many times unpredictable nature of both professional journalistic content and amateur user-generated content (or UGC), the latter of which there is far more, and not the least because of the wide number websites that offer such an opportunity to visitors, typically with very low barriers to entry--often just by creating a screen name, registering one's birthday and a geographical location, and providing a valid email address to complete the account-creation process. Thus, the type of online content monitored in ORM spans professional, journalism sponsored by traditional news and media giants as well as user-created and user-generated blogs, ratings, reviews, and comments, and all manner of specialized websites about any particular subject, be it a person, group, company, business, product, event, concept, or trend.
ORM partly formed from a need to manage consumer generated media (CGM)[1]
As CGM grew with the rise of social media and other similar user-based online content aggregators, it began to effect search results more and more, bringing with it increased attention to the matter of managing these results. [2]
EBay was one of the first web companies to harness the power of CGM feedback. By using user generated feedback ratings buyers and sellers were given reputations that helped other users make purchasing and selling decisions. ReputationDefender was one of the first companies that offered to proactively manage online reputations. ClaimID is another company that early on presented services designed to promote personal ORM.
The online research specialists Econsultancy have established that the UK market for ORM will grow by around 30% in 2008, to an estimated value of £60 million. [3]

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_reputation_management


Online reputation management tools are useful when fighting negative publicity for something that’s surfaced from the past or a current problem that’s receiving negative attention online or in the media. In the past, a story might be run on the news that negatively affected an insurance agent's reputation, then after a while the story died out, becoming yesterday’s news. With the Internet, solid online media training and reputation management tips are needed to fight negative publicity, because the stories never really go away - they’re on the Web forever.
Online Reputation Management Tools Improve Public Perceptions
SEO and reputation management tools help because they push the bad publicity back in Google results. Instead of the showing up on page one of Google results, negative press, negative comments in forums and customer complaints are moved to later pages in Google. And, studies show that most people only look at page one results, few people click through to page two results, and even fewer people click through to page three search engine results or beyond.Read more at Suite101: SEO Reputation Management Tools: Fight Negative Publicity with Online Media Training Ideas and SEO http://insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/reputation_management_tools#ixzz0eHkpTkyc


Online Media Training Ideas
Don’t get into an online war of words with someone who’s trying to make trouble for you. It makes you look bad, and worse, it makes you look guilty. There will always be unhappy customers- disappointing people is the downside of working in insurance or in any industry. Ignore online comments in forums or on websites, or file them away for when the company hires a reputation management agency.
Negative publicity about a company online shouldn't throw employees into a panic. There are many options for fighting back with reputation management tools. And, it’s inevitable that something negative will be printed online about almost every company at some point in time. Accept it, and decide if the company needs SEO reputation management to correct the damage that’s been done.
Reputation Management Tips, Ideas and Tools
Build up a website to fight negative publicity. Reputation management tools often include creating additional websites to give victims more rankings in Google.
Insurance agents and companies looking for ideas to manage their reputation online should consider blogging a powerful tool. However, a blog is only useful for SEO and reputation management if it is frequently updated. Have a dedicated reputation management / SEO professional prepared to post dozens- or hundreds- of blogs to make an impact online.
Online reputation management tools often include public relations. Press releases sent out to fight negative publicity for a company work but only if used appropriately. Sending out a press release for every new hire or every website update won’t get the company noticed, and won’t affect an insurance agency’s Google rankings. A qualified online media training professional can help companies unearth creative ideas that amp up insurance agency SEO efforts.
It will take a month or longer for reputation management tools of choice to start working. Have patience - with professional advice, and making reputation management a priority, it will happen.Read more at Suite101: SEO Reputation Management Tools: Fight Negative Publicity with Online Media Training Ideas and SEO http://insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/reputation_management_tools#ixzz0eHktuCr3

Reference:
http://insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/reputation_management_tools