Three Questions Asked, Three Answers

1) Online image 2) blogging and reputation and 3) reputation in crisis

A new feature is being introduced today where you can submit questions and have them answered in this space. Send your questions to Michael.Toebe@Reputation-Quality.com. I will answer as many ones as I feel I can intelligently respond to and be helpful.

“Are reputation management strategies effective in building a positive online image?”

Smart, personalized reputation strategies can absolutely help build a positive online presence, and positive reputation, about someone or an organization.

Of course, and this is no surprise, one’s character and behavior have to be healthy, emotionally intelligent and respectable consistently to align with whatever is being done and communicated.

It’s valuable to constantly realize the importance of quality character and wise communication in regularly building, maintaining and if necessary, restoring reputation health.

Can blogs be used for reputation management purposes, and why or why not?

Yes, they can. While I prefer not to use the term, “reputation management,” blogs are communication tools that can certainly aid in reputation building efforts and yes, for protective and restorative aims and needs. More on this in a moment.

Yet they should not be the only way of communicating, and depending on who someone is as a person or organization, with your audience or stakeholders.

Blogs, if the writing and multimedia (a good idea) are consistent and wisely communicated, can create a positive online presence.

It is important to use different communication tools though in addition to blogs to communicate with more people and in a way that maximizes the likelihood of desired outcomes.

“What strategies can companies use to repair their reputations after a PR crisis?”

While a lot depends on specifically what the PR crisis was there are some general answers I can provide.

Own what needs to be owned. Wherever errors were made, choose to be sincerely humble, truly remorseful and make smart apologies (most of them stink!). Keep in mind, people easily sense insincerity and cold responses that don’t take into account people’s emotions and judgments.

Communicate that you fully understand (and you better clearly understand) the negative impact people have suffered and their likely emotional state and psychological judgment about you.

Seek to learn the “why” about why people are upset or could be upset. This is where so many responses in disputes, long conflicts or a crisis fall short or fail, terribly.

Speak specifically to what will be done immediately to course correct to mitigate damage and prevent ongoing and future negative impact. Continue to be humble. Continue to be sincerely sensitive and compassionate. Think “them” more than you think “me and us.” Why? Because in the long term, this will benefit “you and us.”

Speak specifically to what you have learned. Again, be sincere and humble. Continue to be about “them” and how they feel and are impacted.

Continue to communicate in this manner and do so consistently through the crisis until the problem or problems comprising the crisis are solved and the people impacted by it or potentially impacted about it “feel” that you have done all that is necessary to “make right.”

Michael Toebe is the founder and specialist at Reputation Quality, serving and helping successful people further build reputation as a trustworthy asset and ethically, responsibly protecting, restoring or reconstructing its health and strength.