7 Steps for Building and Managingan Executive ReputationUpdated September 20, 20091

Quotable “Your personal image is a part of the company’s overall reputation if you are an owner, director, CEO or any customer facing employee.” –Andy Beal and Judy Strauss, Radical Transparency2

Executive Reputation Management ProcessTake a Hard Look at Your Online PresenceAddress Your Beliefs, Fears and HesitationsGet Clear About Your Brand TrajectoryBuild a Consistent and Strategic Platform for Your Online PresenceCreate and Distribute Compelling Multimedia ContentEngage With and React to Your CommunityMonitor Your Online Reputation3

1. Take a Hard Look at Your Online Presence

Assess Your ReputationDoes your online presence accurately reflect your skills, experience and strengths?Does it boost your credibility and position you as a valuable asset to your organization? Do photos, videos, podcast and other multimedia content appear in search engine results for your name?Have you established an presence online that could withstand a negative incident?“The real question is: How is brand You doing?” –Tom Peters, The Brand Called You

2. Address Your Beliefs, Fears and HesitationsI am not a brandMy personal life is nobody’s businessI don’t have time for social mediaThey won’t Google me

Drink The Kool-AidDo you feel threatened by social media? Do you embrace authenticity and transparency in your communications?Why haven’t you started a blog or done guest blogging?How can you position your hobbies and personal interests to bolster your professional reputation?Are there any personal affiliations/beliefs you have that you might want to downplay in your online persona?“CEOs are woefully stuck at the Web 1.0 level and need to embrace Web 2.0 social media tools to spread their company’s merits far and wide.” –Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross, ReputationXchange Blog

3. Get Clear About Your Brand TrajectoryAuthentic Personal Branding Model © Hubert Rampersad, 2009. Used with permission.

Know Yourself and Your StakeholdersWhat do you stand for?What remarkable, measurable and distinctive value do you offer?What is your mission, vision and desired career legacy?Who are your stakeholders and what do they expect from you?How will you put your values, strengths and gifts into a personal brand statement?“Authentic Personal Branding is a journey towards a happier and more successful life.” –Dr. Hubert Rampersad, Authentic Personal Branding

4. Build a Consistent Strategic Platform for Your Online Presence

Establish Your PresenceWhich social networking sites do your peers and stakeholders use?Which social sites will you be able to maintain regularly?What is your Twitter strategy?Will you start your own blog or offer to write guest blogs for other professional sites?What is your strategy to promote your social networking sites?“Personal branding is about unearthing what is true and unique about you and letting everyone know about it.” –Dan Schawbel, Me 2.0

Create a Facebook Fan Page

Establish Your LinkedIn Profile13

Find Your Blogging Voice

Start a Wikipedia Profile

5. Create and Distribute Compelling Multimedia Content

Populate the WebHow many podcasts, videos, slides and photos about you are posted online?How will you create online content?Have you built a Twitter following?“Visibility has a funny way of multiplying; the hardest part is getting started.” –Tom Peters

Create Timely YouTube Videos

Share Your (Short) Ideas on Twitter

6. Engage With and React To Your Community

Listen To and Engage Your CommunityAre you active on influential forums, user groups and message boards?How frequently do you comment on other professional blogs?What is your strategy to identify opportunities to get involved and grow your authority with your community?What is your strategy to react to negative mentions of your name?“Joining the conversation will give you an opportunity to tell your side of the story and repair any damage to your good name.” –Andy Beal and Judy Strauss, Radically Transparent

7. Monitor Your Online Reputation

Track Your MentionsWhat are the best tools to track mentions of your name?Have you set up Google and Yahoo email alerts for your name?Does your monitoring tool search videos, blogs and other multimedia content?Have you set up and optimized an RSS Reader to help you monitor? “It is not enough to be the best…you need a proper strategy to create a credible and desired reputation, and the action plan to lift it into the minds of your target audience.” –Rob Brown, How to Build Your Reputation

Benefits of Personal BrandingPeople trust you moreYou have a much higher perceived valueYou are differentiated from the competitionYou are always 100% authenticYou are the “go-to” person in your area of expertise for your specific audienceYou are known as an expert in your fieldYou attract ideal opportunitiesSource: Pete Kistler, Brand-Yourself.com24

Recommended ReadingRadically Transparent by Andy Beal and Dr. Judy StraussCorporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation by Leslie Gaines-RossMe 2.0 by Dan SchwabelAuthentic Personal Branding by Hubert RampersadCareer Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand by William Arruda25

About Ron Schmidt

27ContactRon SchmidtManaging Director, Rosswood Communications, Inc.408-371-2801 Officeron@rosswood-inc.com