Business owner or individual, politician or brick mason, whatever your job and place in life, you should know what reputation management can do for you. At a point in the past reputation management was considered only when there was trouble, or when you were trying to sell something. Those days of reputation management have long passed. While there are still companies out there that swim in such shallow waters, a reputable management firm can provide so much more.
For the individual, especially the one on the job hunt, reputation management has never been so important. A recent survey by a leading job site showed that over 60% of hiring managers admit to running Internet searches on prospective candidates. Another staggering 30% admitted to checking out existing employees social networking sites and of running other general searches for employees that were being considered for promotions. For these people, having a good reputation manager means making sure you are presenting your best face to current and existing employers.
For the first time since the beginning of Internet commerce, sales of online goods are exceeding in store purchases. Merchants have been adjusting their marketing schemes for years to compensate for this shift. With so many products being purchased online, few consumers make a purchase without research. Products are researched by price, by availability, and most frequently by customer rating. If you offer a unique product, though, customer ratings may not always be accurate. Being able to manage reputation is a key to good product placement.
For businesses a reputation manager can also become your expert on marketing. Television commercials and direct mailers are losing their effect. Telemarketing and billboards are so overdone that people barely notice them anymore. A new way to distribute goods means a new way to market them. Your reputation management firm is an expert in the new marketing processes.
Regardless of if you are an individual or a business that is looking into reputation management, you probably have a concept of who you are or why you went into business. Using a reputation manager can align that concept with your reputation. Left to random public opinion, your reputation will never develop into your concept. Even if your reputation is positive, it is rare for people to have the same perspective. Take your concept and tell the world about it. A reputation manager will mold this lump of clay into the form you desire, than fire it for longevity. People will see it the way you planned. Leave that lump for everyone to dabble in, and there is no telling what it will look like.