Forgotten Reputation

With a hat tip to Paul Williams, I’d like to remind everyone not to forget reputation. 

• Brand = Reputation
• Image = Reputation
• Survival = Reputation

In the sink or swim world we live in, reputation is everything.  Sure, you can get by for a little while skating around like an elephant on an April ice sheet, but sooner or later you’ll crash through into the hypothermia-inducing water (i.e. have to go out of business).  If not go out of business, you’ll have to run and hide.  Or change your name and move to a non-extradition country with lax laws regarding entry.

In order to get repeat business–or even stay in business at all–you’ll have to manage your reputation.  And with a bad experience spreading on the Internet faster than a virus in a 90 minute horror movie, you have to regularly stay on top of what’s being said about you–and who’s saying it.

Nobody has the luxury of enough time to constantly monitor their mentions online by going from site to site haphazardly.  That’s why you can setup a Google Alert for your name, company, product, or anything.  Google with its minions spiders all over the ‘net will let you know when your alert word is mentioned.

Your survival in business and your professional survival is all about your reputation.  As Paul points out, many people lose touch with what a “brand” is.  What people think of when they hear, “Mac”, “F150″, or “Coach purse” is reputation.  I’ve never owned a Mac, F150, or a Coach purse, but because of their reputation I have an opinion of those brands.

• Do you monitor your brands, products, or person online?
• What products/brands do you want based on reputation only?
• What products/brands do you want nothing to do with based on reputation only?