How to Protect (Or Destroy) Your Reputation Online: The Essential Guide to Avoid Digital Damage, Lock Down Your Brand, and Defend Your Business

by John P. David

With virtually nonexistent oversight, the Internet can easily become the judge, jury, and executioner for anyone s reputation. Digital attacks and misinformation can cost you a job, a promotion, your marriage, even your business. Whether you ve done something foolish yourself, are unfairly linked to another's misdeeds, or are simply the innocent victim of a third-party attack, most of us have no idea how to protect our online reputations.
"How to Protect (or Destroy) Your Reputation Online" provides a wealth of practical information on how to protect your online reputation and even remove negative content from search results. It will teach you how to:
Take control of your online voice and build a reputational firewall.
React and respond to an online attack.
Understand and manage online reviews.
Use marketing strategies that will both improve your online reputation and bolster your bottom line.
"How to Protect (or Destroy) Your Reputation Online" is an indispensable guidebook for individuals and businesses, offering in-depth information about popular review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Angie s List. John also shows you how to deal with revenge porn, hate blogs, Google s right to be forgotten in Europe, the business of online complaint sites, even the covert ops of reputation management."

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2016

About the author

For more than 25 years, John P. David has counseled businesses and executives on strategic communications and marketing issues -- from simple publicity campaigns to how to extract a business from the clutches of a $100 million Ponzi scheme. Yet, his most fascinating engagements have involved clients facing online attacks and other challenges, as, sadly, anyone can publish negative information online and seemingly without consequence. His strategic communications firm, David PR Group, counsels clients on marketing, reputation management and public relations. He frequently writes about communications and strategy for his award-winning blog, and his insights on publicity, communications and online reputation management are regularly published on the Huffington Post. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida and lives in Pinecrest, Fla. with his wife and two children. You can follow him on Twitter @JohnPDavid.

Reviews

[Meredith, troll to a criminal degree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all the PR books I'm going through right now, this one so far has the best advice that goes past common sense notions. I've found most companies already use these strategies, but a new business owner may find this helpful.

I also read this from the perspective of a consumer and reviewer - to see what lengths business owners can go to to get critical feedback removed from the internet. This book was enlightening. For instance, I didn't realize there were what the author describes as "covert ops," people in tech who specialize in trying to get links either completely removed from search results or get the material completely taken down. They search websites' TOS and look for violations. Apparently there's more to the methodology the author isn't privy too. It was sobering to learn business owners can hire attorneys who can request the ip address from websites to discover the identity of an anonymous poster. Thank god for VPNs.

Most online criticism or negative feedback is not defamation, simply an opinion. Defamation is intentionally stating something false as a fact in order to harm someone. The author doesn't recommend hiring attorneys to try to sue for defamation, but business owners can hire attorneys to send websites hosting the negative feedback strongly worded letters - sometimes that's enough intimidation for them to remove the material. No business likes the threat of a lawsuit.

Some of these services cost tens of thousands of dollars - even if someone can't afford these services the author does provide solid advice about how a business should form a strategy to handle negative reviews and criticial feedback. Much of this is common sense, or already implemented by most companies, but for someone starting their own business this is an important aspect that shouldn't be neglected.

[Mike Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

CEO Blog, Capture Profile (Twitter, Wikipedia, Facebook, Webpage), Pirate’s Code (Deep Web).

[Stephanie V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this book as we are all online! Author John P. David writes, "The internet's blessings are bittersweet." People are leaving their digital online lives open to the general public AND John David explains how to protect yourself through various examples and advice! After reading "How to Protect (Or Destroy) Your Reputation Online," I know that I am thinking twice!

How to Protect (or Destroy) Your Reputation Online: The Essential Guide to Avoid Digital Damage, Lock Down Your Brand, and Defend Your Business