I have been working for a reputation management company for some years now and the question which I am most often asked my family and friends are what kind of people would use such a service. The truth is however that the service which we offer is nothing new and in fact public relations firms have been working for years to the same end as we do, managing public opinion of our clients. In the past PR firms would have worked with media outlets in order to protect their client and the only difference between then and now is that these days we work on the internet to improve, manage and protect online reputations. In terms of what kind of people use these firms, here are just a handful of examples of the types of clients that could invest in such a service.
You and Me
It is not just important figures who look to rep management companies, so too do private individuals. Let’s say for example that you were a little crazy during your late teens and early twenties, but now you have cleaned up your act, passed the bar and are looking to get a position in a law firm. The last thing that you will want when your new firm does a background check is to see your X-rated photos of your trip to Malia all those years ago or a vitriolic and foul-mouthed rant which you made on social networks. In such a situation a rep management company can clean up any negativity about you online and ensure that all that is found is positivity and professionalism.
Business
Businesses make up the largest percentage of our clients and given the fact that a negative online reputation can cause huge damage to their sales, it is easy to see why. Businesses are highly susceptible to being attacked online and whether it is a negative review, a backhanded social media comment or a scathing article written about them, they must always be on the front foot to deal with such negativity. In plain terms a business with a negative online review will make less money than the same business with a positive online review, this is why they invest so heavily into rep management.
Celebs
Celebrities amy not always be too concerned about negative opinions about them, as long as there are also positives of course, but they will take action against fake stories about them online. People seem to love to invent shocking stories about celebs and rep management firms are often called in to prevent these stories from ever really seeing the light of day. When something is said enough times online it has a habit of becoming considered the truth and given the fact that a shocking story, true or otherwise, can go viral in a heartbeat, it is easy to see why they would want it to go away.
These are just a few of many examples of the types of clients that rep management firms have.