How do you manage your reputation online?

Grant Leboff: I think one of the concerns that people always have when you talk to them about online, is managing their reputation, online, and keeping it so it is good. So have you any tips or ideas around that subject?

Warren Cass: Yes of course. It astounds me how many people have a different communication strategy for their face to face, than they do online. It's amazing how many people don't actually think about their online reputation. But isn't it funny that we live in an age now where you can have spent 20 years working really hard, with all the integrity in the world, and you can blow it in an instant - online - and suddenly that's a career or business, potentially ruined. We have to be so careful now because we're not in charge of what Google chooses to show when somebody does a search. People do their due diligence all of the time. So the first page of Google is really where it counts. Do you own your assets? Are you in control of the things that are being said about you, or is it in the hands of somebody else? That's when I would be concerned.

I think the key thing for building and managing a good reputation is to have regular content - being in control of your site and your social profiles - but be contributing regular content which does nothing but enhance your reputation. An ex-client of mine, many years ago, had a wonderful reputation, worked in a charity sector, and one bad news story covered by the national press pushed all of the good stuff to pages 7, 8, 9, which of course is irrelevant, and they weren't in control of their own narrative at all. Very, very damaging, and in the end resulted in the loss of a business. So we do have to be careful. We have to be in control of our own assets.

Grant Leboff: And how do you ensure that happens? I mean if you are covered in a big news story, for good or bad, but obviously that suddenly jumps up to page one in Google and the first six search results on Google, what suggestions would you have for trying to make sure that you keep control of your own assets?

Warren Cass: Well certainly making sure that you've optimised everything, that you've got to relate to company name, name etc., because eventually they will push everything down. But it might take time. Having a response would be my first port of call and actually, if you've made the cock up in the first place, actually putting your hands up to it too. Because, actually, most people are forgiving and we all make mistakes. So those who are quick to say 'you know you're right I cocked up here and this is why' and demonstrate the learning, that's the way to do it. But I can't stress enough how important it is to own all of the things that relate to your name and your brand and being in control of your own narrative.

Grant Leboff: And how important for you is social proof - leveraging that in order to help enhance and manage reputation?

Warren Cass: So this is a broader subject, because social proof has become so massively important but particularly in that one section of society, which now is 50 per cent of us. The millennials have changed consumerism, but social proof is hugely important with sites like Trip Advisor. In fact every purchase we make online, whether it is Trip Advisor, an Amazon purchase, Trust a Trader, whatever - we are looking and doing a our due diligence, but we are looking to see what the reputation is and what other people's experiences are. So again managing those things is incredibly important. I do quite a lot of work within the hotel and the restaurant sector and again, they can live or die by their reputations.

Grant Leboff: I think it's important as well just to say to people watching this is; ASK. When you've done a good job for someone, ask them if they would mind posting something in a public place whether it's on Facebook or LinkedIn or on a review site.

Warren Cass: 100%. But be careful not to ask or incentivise the review, which I do see a lot of people doing. So you've just got to be careful. If your ask is; 'If you've had a brilliant experience, you can help us by....' but not 'Write a good review and we'll give you 20% off!'
Grant Leboff: No, no! [laughing] I wasn't suggesting that... absolutely not!

Warren Cass: But also, sometimes our poorer reviews can be our best sales tools. Human psychology is, when we get to look at a review site, the very first thing we do is go and look at the bad reviews because we want to see what the poor experiences were and how they were responded to. So the quick thing I would say is, if you have been reviewed on any of the different platforms and somebody gives a bad review, be sure to respond to it and be sure to try and take that conversation off line - but be responsive in the first instance - that goes a long way to building a good reputation.

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