First Edition: published 9 October 2012
Do you care what other people think about you?
For most of us, the answer is that we care at least about what some people think about us, some of the time – whether we’re applying for a job, asking someone out on a date or even just choosing what clothes to wear for a special occasion. For a business, the answer has to be a resounding “yes” – your business flourishes or perishes on the basis of its reputation.
So if what other people think about you is important, what about the things that people are saying about you?
Reputation management has been around ever since ancient times. In the old days, it was easy – if a ruler didn’t like what was being said about him, the offender’s voice could be censored, drowned out with more favourable opinion, or ultimately silenced. But with the coming of the World Wide Web, it’s become a lot harder to control reputation, even for the most powerful.
In this introduction to online reputation management, Theodore Koukouvitis looks at the techniques used to build up reputations on the Web – and undermine them. Manipulation of search engine results, the use of social media, positive and negative reviews, astroturfing, cyberbullying and many more tools, tactics and tricks come under scrutiny. Koukouvitis explains the different strategies used at different levels – from the multinational conglomerate and A-list celeb, down to the local tradesman and the teenager who’s just joined Facebook – and also takes time to look at the effectiveness, legality and ethics of this burgeoning industry.
If your reputation on the Web matters to you at all, then this book will help you protect it.