Online Reputation Management Blog

Online Reputation Management for Psychologists

April 29, 2012 by 3 Comments

Psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists and other mental health professionals may be used to helping others, but when it comes to online reputation management, they often need a little help, too.  If you work with patients who show signs of manipulation, anger, or issues controlling their emotions, you need to worry about the patient (or former patient) spreading negative or untrue things about you online. You also need to be especially protective over your online personal privacy to ensure your patients don’t find out your home address or details about your family life.

Protecting yourself and your practice is a priority for every psychologist and mental health professional. So take a seat on my couch, take a deep cleansing breath and get ready for some tips on reputation management and privacy.

1.       Ensure your online personal life is locked up:  Some psychologists shy away from using social media, like Facebook and Twitter, for fear that their patients will access their personal data. But don’t let that fear keep you from connecting with family and friends. See my recent post on how to how to change your Facebook privacy settings.  Implement a policy on “friending” patients, so that in the event that a patient asks you why you’re declining their friend request, you have a ready-made answer that will not breach that “third wall” critical to the doctor-patient relationship.

2.       Monitor your name online:  Just as your patients take time to meet with you each week, block off some time in your calendar to Google yourself. This way you’ll find out which of your patients is using sites like HealthGrades.com or RateMDs.com, which allow patients to write a review of your services.

3.       Buy your own domain name and blog: Capture your domain before someone else does. There are a number of free downloads such as WordPress or Blogger that you can use to help you build your own website, without having any serious computer knowledge. Create your website to showcase your practice areas and education. It’s another way to gain new patients and referrals. Also, consider starting a blog on your website. You can choose to write about your practice area, new research (by yourself or colleagues), and new therapy techniques. If you’re ever stuck for content, you can write a series of “quick tips” for patients regarding stress reduction, what to do when dealing with a crisis, or how to deal with a break-up. These topics will help generate traffic to your site, and ultimately may lead to new patients boost your online reputation.

4.       Hire the best online reputation management firm:  An online reputation management company will elevate positive content and minimize the impact of any negative reviews, blogs or news articles. Select a U.S.-based online reputation management firm and make sure your services agreement includes strict confidentiality provisions. Since ethics surrounding psychologist marketing and advertising vary from state to state, you will want to make sure any web postings include any required disclosures.

Filed Under: Online Reputation Management, Privacy, reputation management Tagged With: , , , , ,

How to Get a Positive Review Online

March 27, 2012 by 2 Comments

Reviews matter.  A 2011 online survey of 1,054 US adults by Cone revealed that 80% of respondents agreed with the statement: “Negative information I’ve read online has made me change my mind about purchasing a product or service recommended to me.” Besides knowing what’s being said about you online and responding, if appropriate, it’s also important to encourage your customers or clients to post positive reviews for you and your business.

Below you’ll find some tips on how to encourage positive reviews to boost your online reputation.

1. Ask happy customers. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it will also require more work on your part to ensure that you’re not broadcasting this information to those who are unhappy with you. Rather than posting a sign at your front desk or passing out fliers asking for online reviews, talk to your patients or customers individually. If you’re a medical professional, ask a patient with whom you’ve developed a great rapport over a series of visits, not someone who is visiting you for the first time. If you’re a business owner, ask a customer or client after they’ve told you what a great job you did. Thank them for the compliment, but tell them the best way to show their appreciation is to post a review.

2. Collect customer email addresses. If you’re still too shy to make the ask face-to-face, begin collecting the email addresses of your customers and clients. Just like in the previous example, keep track of who you’ve had a great experience with and ensure that they receive an email (and likewise, make sure that those who clearly were unhappy do not receive an email). Write a short email within a day or two of the last visit and be appreciative. Don’t send an email blast to your customer list at one time, review sites are skeptical about a sudden uptick in positive reviews and may refuse to publish reviews that look like they are part of a coordinated campaign.  For best results, send a couple of requests a day over a long period of time.

3. No pay to play. Providing incentives for a positive review are a no-no. Sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.com have been known to delete comments when it’s clear the writer was given a financial incentive. Yelp.com also investigates when too many positive reviews are coming in from new users; this could end up being detrimental to your business since all of those great reviews will be deleted.

4. Show them where to go: Don’t make your customers do all the work. Easily direct them to the websites that you’d like them to use for their online review. This can be on a flier or in the email.

No matter what your business or profession, your clients and customers are familiar with online reviews (they may have even chosen you because of your online reviews) and how they impact your online reputation. If they are a happy customer, they will be more than willing to share their positive experience with others, all you have to do is ask!

Filed Under: online marketing, Online Reputation Management Tagged With: ,

Does Rush Limbaugh Have a Reputation Management Problem?

March 5, 2012 by 11 Comments

When Don Imus is giving you advice on how to talk about women on the radio, you might have a reputation management problem.  Welcome to the not-so-wonderful week for conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.  To quickly recap for aliens who may be reading this blog several thousand years from now (and anyone who may have just woken from a coma), Sandra Fluke, a student at Georgetown University Law Center, testified before Congress in February to protest limiting access to birth control paid for by private insurance plans, even those provided by religious institutions.

Last Wednesday, nationally syndicated radio personality, Rush Limbaugh, called Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” — his, ahem, subtle way of illustrating the absurdity of criticizing a Jesuit school for refusing to pay for contraception for its students.

The outcry was fierce across all sides of the political spectrum.  Even Obama took time out of his busy Friday to call Fluke and express his support for her advocacy for women.  On a good day, Rush is one of the most polarizing figures in America.  And last Wednesday was not a good day.  The rest of the week has not been much better, either.

On Saturday, Rush Limbaugh issued an apology, but his feeble attempt to explain why he crudely singled out Ms. Sandra Fluke further enraged his critics on the left.

Earlier today, Limbaugh went on air to try (again) to explain why he apologized to Sandra Fluke but this controversy is still the leading news story in America.

In the internet age, it’s sometimes easy to forget about the power of radio.  The Washington Post estimates that up to 25 million people listen to Rush Limbaugh every week!

Liberal groups are mobilizing against advertisers that support The Rush Limbaugh Show and and boycott Rush campaigns are trending on Twitter and Facebook.  As pressure mounts on the 600 radio stations that carry his show every day, it will be interesting to see whether Rush Limbaugh will be able to recover from the fallout over his recent comments.

Editior’s Note:  Reputation Rhino advertises on WABC Radio.  The company is not, nor has it ever been, a sponsor on The Rush Limbaugh Show.

Filed Under: Online Reputation Management, reputation management Tagged With: , , ,

How to Remove a Complaint from Scam.com

March 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Internet can be a rough neighborhood sometimes.  If someone has a negative experience with your company, product or service, they can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to try and smear your company’s name and ruin your online reputation.  There are dozens of Web sites that allow individuals or rival competitors to post complaints about your business.  One of the most popular online complaint sites is Scam.com.

How does Scam.com work?

Scam.com is set up like a basic message board system, where users can register for free and post about companies, products and services that they believe are “scams”.  Scam.com touts the site as a place where “people can debate the merits from the consumer’s or business owner’s perspective.”  User interaction is encouraged, and users will often piggy-back on an original post to discuss their own experiences, either positive or negative, with the business in question.

How can I remove or amend a complaint on Scam.com?

Scam.com notes that they do not take any responsibility for the claims made by their members, and that the entities being discussed on the site may not necessarily be scammers.  There is no formal process on Scam.com to remove or amend a complaint.

Websites like Scam.com enjoy broad First Amendment protections that shield the site from liability for hosting defamatory messages or posts about your business or product.  Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides that “[no] provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider,” and that “[n]o cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section.”

How can I reply to a complaint on Scam.com?

Anyone can reply to a complaint on Scam.com.  All that you need to do is register for free on the site and respond to the original post.  The most important thing to remember before replying to a defamatory post on Scam.com is to think twice before typing and send a response.  It may be satisfying to tell someone how wrong they are about your company or product, but if you come off too harsh it can backfire on you.

The best course of action is usually to consult with an online reputation management firm.  In addition to utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to promote the positive things people are saying about you or your company online, a reputation management company can help you craft an effective response to negative feedback on Scam.com.

Filed Under: Online Reputation Management, reputation management Tagged With: , , , ,
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