Whether due to a careless mistake or another’s malicious intent, the presence of damaging online content can harm your reputation and impact how you are perceived by the greater public. Because of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, websites can’t be sued when people use their platform as a vehicle for sharing false or damaging information, and the onus rests on the disgraced party to dispute whatever harmful content is at play.
So when the damage has been done, is there anything you can do to take matters into your own hands and recover your online reputation? Shannon Wilkinson, CEO of Reputation Communications, spoke on this topic with Kim Komando on her consumer technology podcast, Komando on Demand.
“In today’s world, you are who Google says you are,” says Wilkinson. “If you don’t present yourself online the way you want the world to see you, the world will do it for you.” Throughout the podcast, she outlines ways to be proactive in taking control of your online identity, including the process of hiring experts to “help you create, shape, and amplify your personal brand.”
Wilkinson warns against firms that make the process of online reputation management seem too easy. “There are a lot of good firms out there doing this work, and there are a lot of dubious firms that promise quick results, that they can wipe-away content; sometimes content can be removed in a few weeks, it usually takes 3-12 months.” Her advice? “Before you hire a firm, take advantage of the free resources that are online that explain how online reputation management works,” such as “The Essentials” found on this website.
Wilkinson’s upcoming eBook, Reputation Reboot, is an insider’s need-to-know guide on online reputation management and vetting reputation firms. It will be published on Amazon in January 2019. To listen to the full Komando podcast and learn more about the importance of intelligent online reputation management, click here.
You can follow Shannon Wilkinson @ReputationNews and @ShannonNewYork.