I was asked to contribute to a recent article in NETT Magazine by Sarah Stokley on the topic of online reputation management. The article appeared in the March issue but has now been run online.

Here is the section containing my quote and a link to the full article:

Creating a buzz

Stepping into online conversation about your business means opening up a new line of communication with your customer base. It may sound calculated, but you need to decide what you want to achieve, and where to place your online time and energy for best effect. And don’t forget, happy customers can boost your online reputation by word of mouth recommendations.

So how do you harness the good side of social media and get online buzz recommending your company or products? The secret lies in treading the fine line between participating and just using social media as a way to blast out advertising.

“The party analogy can be an effective way of helping to understand the online community,” says Daniel Young, digital practice director for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. “If you’re rude and disrespectful at a party then it’s likely that others will talk about you behind your back. This is equally true if you fail to bring anything to the party.”

He advises clients to think about how their online engagement can add value for the customers who are reading the site or online service in question.

As an example, one Burson-Marsteller client, recruitment firm Robert Half International publishes a podcast (roberthalfinternational.libsyn.com) aimed at giving clients and job hunters information and advice. This in turn strengthens the company’s overall brand offering.

Tags: business, Nett, online, PR, reputation