Here are 5 Essential Tips to Adopt a Proactive Online Reputation Management Strategy. These tips will help you determine whether or not you have a case for defamation or slander lawsuit.
The definition of defamation is very simple and very easy to understand:
To win a defamation case, a plaintiff must show four things: 1) a false statement purporting to be fact; 2) publication or communication of that statement to a third person; 3) fault; and 4) damages, or some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
The following tips will help you fight defamation or slander cases:
Tip #1- Search Your Name
Every consumer and every business owner should regularly be searching their names on multiple DIFFERENT computers to see what kinds of reviews exist across the internet and in different chat groups. The reason it is important to search from different computers, and especially not your own computer is each computer can serve up different results. Specifically, most computers track your prior search behavior and will provide search results based on what your computer has previously searched and critically, different search results will be delivered depending on the physical location of your computer when you search. The best way to see what a real consumer would see is to have searches performed on friend’s computers or have family members or friends search from different areas of the country to see what results are served up. You can also set up a Google Alert on your name and your business name. Google will automatically send you notification every time someone uses your name on the internet.
Tip #2- Understand Your Customer
Understand what search terms your potential customers are using to find your business or service. I have learned from very personal (and very expensive experience) that the terms I thought consumers were searching to find my business as an attorney were NOT what consumers were actually searching for. Your potential customers think about your business in ways that are COMPLETELY different than the way any individual involved in a business thinks that a consumer searches for their terms. Best practices is to hire an experienced internet provider who can provide complete and complex analysis.
Tip #3- You MUST Act Quickly
Every single day consumers are searching for you and your business online. You must work just as hard as your business itself to protect your name and that of your business. The longer slander or defamatory statements remain online the harder it may be to have those statements removed. You must act quickly to both identify those statements and take the steps that are necessary to have those statements removed.
Tip #4- Adopt a Proactive Online Reputation Management Strategy
The world in which we conduct business is changing very rapidly. Increasingly, everything a consumer knows about a person or their business is found online. You can no longer take a passive approach to how your name and reputation appears online, you must be acting on a regular and persistent basis to actively manage your online reputation.
Tip #5- Your Momma Loves You Most!
Directly related to Tip #4 above and what is hopefully true is the fact that those who know you longest know you best and have the best things to say about you. Take every opportunity to have those who work with you and who do business with you leave positive (and truthful) comments and reviews about you and your business.
IF YOU ARE TARGETED WITH IMPROPER YELP, AVVO OR OTHER ONLINE REVIEWS, PLEASE CONTACT US TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN GET THOSE REVIEWS REMOVED
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