In its simplest explanation online reputation management or search engine reputation management (SERM) is knowing and managing what is being said about you or your business online. Many people think that keeping track of this is unimportant, but if you have ever seen an online video go viral then you will know how quickly news can spread.

When somebody publicly praises you, you more than likely want the world to know about it.

Years ago online activity was static and simple. People visited websites and then emailed the address at the bottom of the page for further interaction.
How we use the internet now is very different and dynamic, with online interaction increasingly transferring to social network sites.

In the era of social media businesses are constantly advised on how best to establish a presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and other networks. Experts insist that in this day and age no business can afford to neglect their social media strategy because of the nearly limitless possibilities for reaching consumers and liaising with other businesses.

Of course this is correct. But be wary of losing yourself in a frenzy of company blogging and company twitter feed updating at the expense of maintaining what is still the most stable and important part of your business’s web presence – your own website. Vibrantly engaging with consumers, participating in online conversations, and convincing people to click on your links are worthless pursuits if there’s nothing exciting waiting at your website.

Why do you need to know about online personal branding? Well, because Imogen Heap wore a Twitter dress to the Grammys last night, obviously.

Heap’s outfit demonstrated once again that the internet and social media continue to penetrate popular culture and our lifestyles at a rapid rate. While most stars opted for designer couture on the red carpet, the British singer wore a neck piece with a wireless router embedded into it which enabled a live Twitter feed, and her bag was a small television set.

Throughout the Grammys the outfit displayed pictures and videos sent in by Heap’s Twitter followers, enabling them to join their favourite artist at the awards show in a unique way. Despite being deemed a fashion fail, the ‘Twitdress’ is an interesting landmark as it hints at the possible movement of internet technology from our desks and briefcases to our actual clothing.

With the recent advances in real time search brands now need to monitor their online reputation more closely than ever before. Coming from a past where the corporate website was the sole online showcase for a brand, 2009 showed us that the search engines have a definite interest in MyFaceFlicSpinTwit, with public views now appearing in the index in real time. This presents a dramatically altered landscape for brand managers and PR agencies in the way that they manage their online presence.

2009 saw a mad dash for the social media real estate and even then uptake was tentative and haphazard, with many companies taking a stand just for the sake of it, simply because of all the buzz around social media, but without actually knowing why they needed it or what the return on the time invested was going to be.

Do you know that someone tweeted about your company’s latest product and said that it was “a piece of junk that didn’t even work properly” or did you know that there has recently been a Facebook group solely dedicated to the “bad service” of your brand? I didn’t think so. As we know, there can sometimes be individuals who have one bad experience with a product or a service and feel that the only way that they will be heard is by relating their bad experience on a social networking site. And before you know it, that person’s tweet has been retweeted again and again or that Facebook discussion board has 150 posts all agreeing with the claim. Whether your company did indeed provide a less than perfect service or sell a product that did not meet the brands standards or if this particular grumpy customer is your ex girlfriend out to liquidate your company, it does not matter. Online reputation management or ORM is needed for every company that cares about the perception and social appearance of their brand. 2010 is an important year for reputation management and as the number of disgruntled customers rise, so should your ability to control what could potentially be a business disaster.

The online landscape has changed so much this year, social media is the new buzz word, and the search market is not just about links, content or even paid search. The recession has also brought about renewed focus on conversions; it’s not just about traffic and rankings as it was a few years ago for many marketers. Social media has led companies to pay more attention to their brand presence / reputation online as they’ve seen how social media networks and the power of twitter can damage a brand and effect sales from a business perspective right down to personal brand. Are you really monitoring your brands / identity online effectively? Or are you still just listening or lurking?

Proactive VS Reactive

Monitoring your brand online and responding when there are potential problems is a fairly reactive approach, however, it can also be proactive if actions are taken to ensure you are not just listening but engaging your target audience.

When approaching search engine reputation management, it’s vital to remember that you are not the omnipresent ruler. The internet is the all mighty ruler of cyberspace and you are a little blimp. As soon as you try to control the internet, you will encounter problems.

Li Evans from Search Marketing Gurus says that you can’t manage your reputation, you can only manage relationships. So, what you have to focus on is building relationships. What relationships with reputable bloggers and consumers will give you in a time of crisis are support and positive reviews if you’re ever in the situation where your reputation is headed for a black hole of bad press.

Would you work for free? I’m not talking about volunteering at your favourite charity, or helping out friends and family when they need extra hands painting walls. I’m talking about spending actual time and effort doing work that would ordinarily result in a pay cheque, but in this instance fills someone else’s coffers and not yours. It’s called the free labour economy and it’s been around for a long time. And now, even though times are hard and getting harder, the free labour economy is experiencing a surge in growth, and it’s all online.

Stephen Baker (businessweek.com) explores the whole online free labour phenomenon with particular focus on ThisNext.com, a shopping site founded by “serial entrepreneur” Gordon Gould that is manned almost entirely by volunteers. The site has become hugely successful with around 3.5 million visitors per month and it’s all thanks to the hordes of people who seek out quirky, cool and interesting products and submit them for the purchasing public’s attention, for free.