5 Keys to Strategic M&A Communications | Tripp Donnelly
During the first quarter of 2019, the market for mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. tallied $414 billion — just shy of the record high posted during the same quarter a year prior.
Forbes
Why Your Digital Reputation Matters And How To Influence It
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Reputation has always been a form of currency. In today’s digital world, however, our reputations are more important — and more permanent — than ever before. Ten years ago, I founded REQ with an understanding of the growing significance of online reputation, search results and digital presence. Today these issues have only become more critical, and businesses and individuals alike must learn to navigate them.
As we continue to place more trust in search results, the importance of maintaining and managing our online reputation grows. We’ve moved from the age of information to the age of reputation. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 91% of people trust what they see and read in search engine results, and the Edelman Trust Barometer reports that 65% of people trust these results more than any other source.
These perceptions will define you. This means that what’s out there matters — and it will continue to matter. The news cycle may evolve quickly, but your digital footprint never disappears.
Reviews, comments, social media profiles, photos, posts — the list of what we’ve put into the online world is a long one, and this is what shapes search results. But the impacts of these results don’t end on the first page of Google. They impact behavior, decisions and, above all, reputation. With this in mind, we have to learn how to own our reputation in the digital space.
After a decade in the online reputation management business, I’ve witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly. Here are a few tips to help keep you ahead of the fast-paced, volatile world of reputation.
Participate, And Participate Proactively
Shying away from online platforms is no longer a viable option if you want to actively manage your online reputation. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have moved beyond social media forums and now operate as search engines in and of themselves. People use these platforms not only to interact but to access information and make decisions.
Participation means more than just having a profile. Push out content, and push it out frequently at strategic times. New content does not erase negative past news, but it is essential to building your online presence and maintaining a positive online reputation.
Take a deeper look at the people your brand interacts with online — people who follow you, like and share your posts and comment on your content. This can help you better understand your audience, which leads to my next piece of advice.
Know Your Audience
Your participation won’t go nearly as far if you don’t know and understand your audience. As you gather the data you are able to collect from social and professional platforms, cater your content to your followers, influencers and target markets.
All content is not created equally. If you want to own your online reputation, first take control of what you are saying, how you’re saying it and who you’re saying it to. Reputation management is not just about self-promotion either. Go beyond advertising yourself or your business and create and share content on a broad range of topics that are of interest and value to your audience. As you continuously engage with them and build positive relationships, you’ll see your presence on these platforms improve and so too will your presence in search.
Whether you want to enhance and increase awareness of your brand or get ahead of an incoming crisis, say the right thing to the right people — and say it well.
Stay Vigilant And Stay Informed
These tips will help you navigate the world of online reputation, but it is a world that is constantly changing. Remain aware of the frequent changes to your own search results, the changes made to the search engines and platforms, and how they operate. Google, Facebook and Twitter continually update their algorithms, and staying aware of these changes will help you stay ahead.
Similarly, monitor open-source platforms like Wikipedia regularly. Anyone can make changes, and people searching for answers online accept the information on these sites as the truth. Get ahead of inaccuracies and actively own your online accounts — all of them.
You can’t opt out of having an online reputation in today’s world. Instead, you can be proactive, get ahead of common issues and own your digital presence. It’s never too early — and it’s also never too late — to start participating and taking control of your online reputation.
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