3 Simple Ways To Keep Your Online Presence Away From The Gutter

By Author: jaxxes parker
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The internet is an intricate web of connections and interactions that can sometimes trap the wrong fly. An online post or comment on a public forum from a friend-turned-foe can hurt your online image immensely, even if the content was inaccurate. It’s usually even worse for a business that has to deal with negative comments or reviews from customers, with a whopping 94 percent of customers saying they wouldn’t do business with a brand after reading bad reviews related to that business.

Thus, in efforts to keep online identities pure, it’s always important to make sure your digital trail is clean. There are many strategies that give individuals and businesses an opportunity to manage what the world sees about them.

And while many of these strategies usually entail hefty fees and expensive methods to clear victims’ names on the internet, there are many others that can be done affordably, sometimes even freely.

Here’s a look at some of these strategies.

1. Never be too quick to attack an offending reviews site

While tempting to respond to negative reviews or complaints with insults ...
... and email outbursts, it is always advisable to take a step back and carefully design a response before making any retaliatory move.

Complaint or reviews websites usually enjoy legal freedoms when it comes to dealing with content posted on their sites. Legally, they are not obliged to remove content on their sites, even when you take them to court, thanks to laws such as the Communications and Decency Act (CDA).

So, always take your time before attacking these sites, no matter how scathing a review is. Many of these sites, including the famous ones like officialcheaters.com and TheDirty, will have procedures to remove content from their websites. So, always try to reach out to the publishers before acting out of anger and frustration.

2. Spread out your digital presence

In a world with so many social platforms, it’s always advisable to go beyond the regular Facebook and Twitter account when looking to establish your digital presence. In addition to making you more visible on the internet, a solid digital presence gives you a chance to control your ideal narrative across different social media platforms. It also lets you pre-emptively establish a defence before someone gets an opportunity to ruin your reputation, which is huge considering how fast news spreads on the internet.

So, while a solid presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter may be all you need if you’re an individual, businesses need to go an extra step by including platforms such as Pinterest, Snapchat, and LinkedInto spread their presence on the internet. Just make sure you’ve segmented your audience accurately enough so that you don’t waste time and effort in platforms that won’t work for your audience.

3. Keep abreast of your digital trail

In addition to making your presence felt across these platforms, it is also important to keep track of what the world is saying about you and staying actively engaged with your followers on these sites. Ensure you post content regularly to improve your chances of garnering organic followers, which will in turn help you boost engagement and increase your influence. Failure to keep up with your digital trail might leave you too weak to counter any negative content about you or your business.

To keep track of your digital trail, start by assessing your current online reputation. Free tools like The Brand Grader and Google’s own Google Alertsare good places to start. These platforms will help you keep abreast of your digital trail by helping you monitor mentions, comments, and every other piece of content that relates to you or your business.