There have been a couple of interesting articles written recently about managing client expectations when it comes to online reputation management. Jessica Bowman wrote an article which should be required reading for every potential client before they even start talking about their reputation problem. The overarching truth here is that repairing an online reputation problem is going to take time. Mat Siltala backed this up with his article stating something similar – if you think this is going to be a quick fix, think again…
The fact that articles like this have to be written is indicative of a trend in society today which, having worked in the online industry for 10 years now, permeates every aspect of it. I like to think of it as the ‘get-rich-quick’ mentality. Everyone wants an instant fix. No-one wants to wait. If it’s not fixed immediately, they give up.
Ironically, the nature of the web means that more often than not, the exact opposite occurs. Any SEO done properly is going to take time to return results. Any website which is effective, professional and provides exactly what a business needs is going to take time to complete. Any form of truly effective internet marketing is going to be a slow burner. And getting social media to work for you isn’t something that is going to happen overnight. Logically, I believe most people know that. Perhaps it is because modern life has sped up to such an extent that our patience has been eroded – we are bombarded with responsibilities, information, competition and pressure on a daily basis and it seems natural to want to keep up. But should pressure cause reality and logic to vacate? Unfortunately, it does – and to the detriment of the people with the problem.
I will use the SEO industry as an example. Good, professional and effective SEO takes time and continuous monitoring and adjustment. However, the number of I can get you top spot in Google in 24 hours if you pay me £1000.00 immediately “SEO Consultants” out there are growing, and worse, making a lot of money. Same goes for the Make £300K in a Month by Buying this Super Fantastic Secret-Revealing E-book for £299 “Internet Marketing school” and the Have a Fully Professional Website Up and Running in 3 hours for Just £199 “Web Designers”. It’s get-rich-quick feeding off get-rich-quick and ultimately it is the person trying to solve a problem who loses out.
It hasn’t happened yet because online reputation management is such a new field, but I guarantee that this time next year it will have spawned a new breed of get-rich-quickers. Without a doubt, you will be being bombarded by hype and promises to Fix Your Bad PR Overnight For Just £1500 or some other such rubbish. And it is rubbish – it ignores how Google works, it ignores any kind of long term solution and strategy and it is ultimately about as useful as using your money for making a fire. Actually – it’s less useful. At least a fire will warm your hands.
Unfortunately, I fear that this is a battle that won’t be won by the professionals. All we can do is keep on doing what we know will work, and ultimately the clients who slow down and take a long term view of their business will be the one’s who win.
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