Each of us has a reputation online, something that we have done, written, verbally said or did that sticks with other people. Our reputation isn’t necessarily about what we have done but how others see what we have done. Good or bad, everyone will talk about your words and actions.

To manage your online reputation you need only ask yourself one question: How do I want others to see me online?

It’s really one of those simple yet complex questions. Simple being that the first thing that will come to a lot of people’s mind is “good” or “I just want to be known.” Complex because there are many factors to consider when attempting to build your reputation that initially aren’t thought of.

Recently, a conversation sparked thoughts about my own reputation and where I’m headed, the following came to mind.

The Simple

My simple answer the question stated above is this: I want people to think I’m helpful.

As I’m approached to help solve a problem, answer a question, or provide my own insight, I’m reminded of how I am attempting to build my reputation. And with each question or opportunity to offer help, I’m thankful that the person came to me as someone who they thought would know.

By that, you would think that I have reached my goal. But that’s not really the case. You see not everyone is going to think that I’m helpful. Not everyone will feel that I’m approachable enough and certainly not everyone will feel some sort of connection to come to me with anything I actually can help with.

For that, my reputation needs to continue to build and here are the factors I believe will help me.

Answer the Simple

By answering the simple part of the question, with a slightly more specific answer (as I have done), you can begin to understand your own thoughts on your reputation. Understanding where you want to go in a few words will help determine your goals for your reputation and how you can achieve the desired result. Or at least put the desired result out there.

Networking

With your networking strategy do you put the effort out to accomplish the simple reputation answer? For me, I read blog posts upon request and choose to (or not to) submit them to social bookmarking sites because I want to be helpful.

As I recently caught up on my blog feed I realized that submitting is force of habit for me. I’ll complete my read, go to the post, comment and submit. I don’t even think about the nature of being helpful when I’m doing it but it’s my desire to be helpful that drives my sub-continence to put the helpful part out there.

Writing

I once ran into a website that determined the reading level required to read this blog. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the answer of Junior High. The higher level of education required to read a blog would indicate to me the timeliness in which you could read the blog posts.

By offering a Junior High reading level I believe I’m putting my goal of being helpful out there. While the posts may be lengthy at times I’m covering the details and providing them in words you don’t have to over analyze to understand a sentence structure.

Education and vocabulary are important but when readers and visitors scan content and run to the next post, it’s not their time that I want to take up but make it understandable, to the point, and let them go. This simple thought helps to make me memorable. Being memorable helps to build my reputation.

Personable

If you’ve never spoken to me on the phone, you don’t know that the way I write my blog posts is the same way that I would speak to you face to face or over the phone. But, with a little luck, you can see my own personality within the post and hear how every post could be a conversation with me.

OK, I admit it. I’m probably a little less serious over the phone and a lot more funny. But if I were explaining the topic of any given blog post, I probably wouldn’t be making you bust a gut about the topic either.

Language

Few people would suspect that I actually believe swearing can be effective in communicating my feelings. But I’m not one to bust out a swear word on this blog (although I did when it was a personal blog). In conversation or on the phone, I may not hesitate… depending on the vibe I get from you.

Sure, 4-letter words are effective during some forms of communication. But not everyone appreciates such language. In fact, many are put off or offended by it. Keeping in that in mind, you might want to watch or at least, pick and choose when swearing is right for your blog posts.

As a side point to this, consider that some of your readers may have children next to them learning to read. Considering this possibility you may keep your audience more open by watching your mouth.

It is however, your blog so there is no reason why anyone should demand censorship.

Questions for You

Have you thought about your reputation before? Have you ever been in a situation where you found someone believed something about you that wasn’t true due to your reputation? How important do you think your reputation is, really?

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