In the excitement of launching your new company, you'll no doubt spend a few minutes registering a domain name in anticipation of eventually building a Web site. While you're at it, take a little extra time and also register the name on popular social networking Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, even if you're not sure you'll use them. Here's why.
In the business world, your brand is your identity, especially when you're just starting out. By registering your name with social networking services when the company is still in its infancy, you'll be sure that the user name you want is available if you ever decide to use it. The move protects your online brand and prevents anyone else from innocently -- or not so innocently -- using it without authorization.
What if you're too late and someone else already has the name you want? Your best bet is to choose a similar user name and make sure your personal landing page on the service is clearly branded with your company's logo, images, and information. Many social networking services are trending toward verified accounts so check to see if that's an option when you register.
If the unthinkable happens and someone compromises your company's reputation by impersonating you or a member of your team online, don't panic. First take a look at what type of hack job you're dealing with. If it's a stream of profanity-laden status updates, take heart that most customers and clients will quickly understand that your account has been compromised. If the problem is message that look genuine but aren't ("Half off sale tomorrow!"), then you'll have a little more legwork to do.
In either case, immediately alert the service where you've been victimized and ask for the account to be suspended pending a resolution. Next, contact all your customers and clients to let them know what happened and issue a brief apology. There's no need to make a huge ordeal out of it, simply acknowledge what happened, let customers know you're working on the problem, and apologize for any unintended offense. Most customers will sympathize completely and many may share similar tales of their own.
Once the incident is behind you, take steps to assure it can't happen again. If you know who was behind it, talk to your attorney about pressing charges against the person. Make sure you also have policies in place that will allow you to take swift measures if someone tries to pull a similar prank from within your company. Finally, always monitor the name of your company and its executives on all the major social networking services. Not only will you stay on top of what people are saying about your brand in general, it's also easier to spot when something is amiss.
In the end, your online reputation is a fairly easy thing to manage as long as you remain vigilant and take simple steps to protect your company's good name.
Flickr image courtesy of Bah Humbug.
Posted at 08:54AM Oct 29, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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