“Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.” Ryan Freitas, Co-Founder of About.me
As a public speaker, your words carry weight, but so does your online presence. Managing and preserving your reputation online is the lifeblood of your message.
In this article, we will delve deeper into the importance of online reputation for public speakers, guide you through assessing your current digital image, and provide valuable tips for creating an effective online reputation management strategy.
Understanding the importance of online reputation
As a public speaker, you know the value of a good reputation. You know it’s just as important as what you’re saying on stage. But you might not know how that connects to your online reputation in its entirety.
Your first impression goes beyond simply delivering a great speech.
When your audience sees that you have a strong online presence, it can reinforce your status as an authority in your field and enhance your speaker brand reputation.
Public speakers with a positive online reputation can enjoy increased visibility and recognition.
Employers and event organizers often conduct online research to evaluate professionals before making decisions about who to hire or invite to speak.
A strong online presence provides them with evidence of your expertise, credibility, and professionalism. Therefore, what they find in your search results can help set you apart from other speakers, which can increase your chances of securing lucrative speaking opportunities.
Your online reputation can also directly influence customer trust and satisfaction.
The role of reputation management in public speaking
Effectively managing your online reputation requires proactive measures to protect and enhance your speaker brand.
Regularly monitoring social media mentions, reviews, and search engine results allows you to stay informed about what is being said about you and your speeches. It enables you to address any negative feedback promptly and professionally, mitigating potential damage to your reputation.
Creating a comprehensive reputation management strategy can help you maintain control over your online presence.
Assessing your current online reputation
As a public speaker, it is crucial to assess your current online reputation to gain insights into how your audience perceives you.
Through this assessment, you can identify negative content that may be influencing your reputation and take appropriate action to address the issues.
Whether it’s responding to negative reviews, addressing concerns raised by your audience, or seeking reputation repair services, managing your online reputation usually starts with assessing your current online presence.
Get your free assessment, which can be invaluable in jump-starting your online reputation improvement.
Doing it on your own looks like this:
- Perform a thorough Google search of your name or brand to identify any negative content.
- Review your social media profiles, ensuring they align with your personal branding and showcase your expertise.
- Monitor review sites relevant to your industry and respond to customer feedback promptly and professionally.
- Solicit feedback from colleagues, clients, and audience members to gain different perspectives on your reputation.
No matter how you do it, taking the time to assess your online reputation can help you stay informed about what people are saying about you. It can also make it easier to take proactive steps to manage and improve your digital image, which can lead to securing more speaking engagements.
Now that you’ve done your assessment, you might be thinking, “How do I strategize a plan?” That’s what’s coming up next.
Creating a strategy for online reputation management( ORM)
Developing an effective strategy for online reputation management for public speakers requires a strategic approach. Let’s look at each section of this plan separately.
Identifying your target audience
Start by understanding who your target audience is. Determine the demographics, interests, and preferences of the people you want to reach. This knowledge will help you tailor your content and engagement strategies to resonate with your audience and build a strong online following.
Establishing goals for your online reputation
Set clear goals for your online reputation management efforts. These goals should align with your overall objectives as a public speaker.
Whether it’s to boost your visibility, establish thought leadership, or build trust and credibility, clearly defining your goals will help guide your strategy and ensure you stay focused.
Determining the platforms and channels to focus on
Identify the platforms and channels that will best serve your goals and target audience. These could include social media platforms, professional networking sites, industry forums, or personal websites. When you focus your efforts on the channels most relevant to your audience, you can maximize your reach and impact.
Creating a content plan
Develop a content plan that showcases your expertise, values, and unique selling points as a public speaker. This plan should include a mix of informative articles, engaging videos, thought-provoking blog posts, and relevant social media content.
By consistently producing high-quality content, you can establish yourself as a reliable source of valuable information in your industry.
Optimizing your content for search engines
Ensure that your content is search engine optimized by using relevant keywords and phrases related to your expertise and industry niche.
There’s a difference between search engine optimization (SEO) and online reputation management (ORM). You need to understand their similarities and differences to know when to use each strategy.
This can help you improve your search engine visibility and increase the chances of your content being discovered by your target audience.
Engaging with your audience
Engagement is key to building a strong online reputation.
It’s easy. Just respond to comments, reviews, and messages from your audience in a timely and professional manner. That’s it.
Active engagement shows you genuinely care about people’s feedback and insights. Over time, this responsiveness can foster a sense of connection and loyalty with your audience.
And finally…
Monitoring and tracking your online presence
As a public speaker, there’s no way of getting around regularly monitoring and tracking your online presence, if you plan on being in control of what people see and read about you online. This means you’ll need to take proactive measures to protect your speaking reputation.
Here are a few ideas that can help you.
Using online reputation management tools
Utilizing online reputation management tools and techniques can help you gain valuable insights into the mentions, sentiments, and trends related to your brand.
These tools allow you to monitor various platforms, such as social media networks, review sites, and news websites, ensuring that you are aware of positive feedback and any negative content that may arise.
Identifying negative content and feedback
By proactively monitoring your online reputation, you can easily identify negative content or feedback as it arises. This could include unfavorable reviews, critical comments, or false information circulating about you. Being aware of these instances enables you to respond promptly and address them before they escalate or harm your reputation as a public speaker.
Responding to feedback
When you encounter negative feedback or other unwanted content, it is important to respond in a timely and professional manner.
Address any concerns or issues your audience raises, apologize if necessary, and then offer appropriate solutions.
Responding thoughtfully demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and can help turn a negative situation into a positive one.
Staying engaged with your audience
Positive comments also need your attention.
Responding to positive comments, thanking individuals for their support, and interacting with your followers can help build a strong relationship and foster trust and loyalty.
Doing so also shows that you value and appreciate your audience, which can further enhance your speaker reputation and public speaker digital image.
By actively monitoring and tracking your online presence, you can stay informed, address any negative content promptly, and maintain a positive speaker reputation.
As a bonus to help you get started, grab your free reputation report card. This resource gives you your online reputation score and helps you see exactly what the online world sees when people search for you. This instantly gives you an advantage, saving you time by showing you where you need to start to boost your online image fast.
This post was contributed by Rockey Simmons, founder of SaaS Marketing Growth.