Branding
What Does Your Reputation Say About You?
- Didn’t you have a reputation for _____________ when you were in public schools?
- Didn’t you have a reputation among your circle of friends for being ____________ ?
- You probably have a reputation in your family, deserved or not, that is brought up and rehearsed at every family reunion.
- You may still have a reputation if you hold down a job in the workforce. Your co-workers might say you’re the office joker, the company slacker, or the brown-noser, or maybe you’re the guy with all the answers.
What does this have to do with IM? I’m glad you asked.
As a business owner or marketer, or both, you will be given or assigned a reputation. It may be to your liking or not. To some extent, at least, it doesn’t matter whether your reputation is true or false. It’s assigned to you based on how you are perceived by others.
Is there anything you can do about it? When you get a reputation and live up to it over time, it’s nearly impossible to change it, even transitioning from one niche market audience to another. It goes with you like a shadow, especially online.
So here’s my bit of advice to IMers . . . with extra emphasis to those who are new enough that they don’t have a reputation in this business just yet.
Build your own reputation with a purpose before others assign you one.
It’s really simple. Everything you do . . . do it with sincerity. Everything you author and publish, do it being truthful, helpful, and with the purpose of sharing value. Everything you offer should be something you believe in, something that you are proud of, something that you would feel very good about buying yourself.
Treat others with respect, dignity, tolerance, and understanding. Don’t judge people – you don’t know their actual circumstances, history, environment, or life experiences. Sometimes the anonymity of the Internet brings out the worst in people. Don’t be one of those.
Be loyal and stand behind your words and actions. If you say your product has an unconditional 100% money back guarantee, give the poor guy his money back without argument if that’s what he wants. If you say you’re going to mail to your list once a week – then mail to your list once a week without fail. If your product promises XYZ, then make sure it delivers XYZ exactly as stated.
What I’m suggesting is that you set a high standard of IM business conduct right out of the gate. If you do, and you uphold that standard consistently over time, the reputation you acquire will be a positive asset in your business. It will attract prospects and buyers. It will be a force in branding yourself and your business. IMO, it will help you make more money over time.
Why is a great reputation so important for IMers? Sadly, not enough have it. Many could care less about it. It will set you apart and help you to rise above the sea of mediocrity in any niche.
Some marketers and many companies hire reputation management consultants. Companies are concerned about how others perceive them, especially with the popularity of the Internet, product and service reviews, and the way consumers can applaud or complain about the things they buy online.
Sometimes small business owners don’t think about (and some don’t care about) how they are perceived by their prospects and customers. Don’t be one that sticks his head in the sand to avoid seeing how others view your business. Always take positive steps to reinforce the way your audience views what you’re doing online. It’s very difficult to go back and correct past black marks your company receives.
To your online business success,
Steve Browne
www.SteveBrowneDirect.com