Social Media: The tip of the reputation management iceberg
Posted by Kevin Joy on Thu, Oct 15, 2009
Avoiding the Big Bang
If most blogs seem to start with a bang, I'm going to be a little different. That's because my business is internet reputation management, and when you do what I do, you're trying to avoid a bang in the first place. 
As great as the Internet-based economy is at opening up new avenues for business and new ways to compete that weren't possible years ago, it's got a dark side, too: The reputation and trust you've worked so hard to build could be wiped out in a stunningly short time. Whoever you are and whatever your company does, you can't afford to ignore the threat. Because once your reputation is compromised, rebuilding it is either difficult or impossible.
What does a bang to your reputation look like? It could be a criminal using malware (malicious viruses) to quietly steal confidential client data from your corporate network. It could be a phishing attack that redirects legitimate traffic - your clients - to a fraudulent Web site, to steal personal information. It could be trademark hijacking, false claims of endorsement, defamatory blog or community forum postings an employee of a restaurant grossing out your customers or your airline breaking your guitar or anything else today's net-savvy criminals can come up with. And often these issues are interconnected. That's why it goes much further than simply mining the world of Social Media for references to your brand. At least I think so and hopefully you'll agree with me after reading further.
Next installment - Why the Urgency?