With the presidential campaign season upon us, what better topic to dive into than reputation management? Today’s constant access to news stories, updates, sound bites, and social media, brings to light not only what you say or do today but also that closet of skeletons can be opened at any time and that doesn’t just go for presidential hopefuls.

This article gives five steps to managing a new company’s public image. The basic advice is to interweave managing reputation into everything you do – what your customers think of your business, how your employees view you, and what your budget entails. Not bad advice in the never-ending information age. Treat your image like another goal of your company; invest in it, plan around it, measure it, and adjust your efforts accordingly.

So how do you know what your image looks like online? You can start by staying on top of what’s out there about you or your company. Perform regular searches with your name, your brand, your key products, and more. Keep an eye on trending topics within the social media platforms you use. Set up alerts to receive articles and information.

In addition to knowing what others are saying, be sure you’re proactive about what you’re saying too. Share content that helps you. Be active, smart, and purposeful on the social media sites you use. Build content on your own website – a blog is an excellent way to continuously share positive information. Look for ways others – the people you would call your ambassadors, happy customers, or faithful employees – can share on your behalf too.

Ultimately, you need a proactive, cohesive strategy for not just the marketing of your products or offerings, but also the marketing of yourself, your company, and your brand. Not sure where to start? We can help you – give us a shout!