Rebecca: Managing Reputation

Everyone so far has addressed the issue of privacy. Nick you specifically said “Sure I have some interest in knowing where certain people are and what they are doing but I am not about to give up my privacy in order to delve into theirs.” I think this is a fair statement and something that everyone is concerned about, especially when you originally lose your Facebook (or any other form of social media) virginity.

Even though I have used Facebook for several years now I remain somewhat cautious of it and because of this I closely manage my profile, removing pictures or comments that might be seen as negative by family, friends or future employers. However, I believe this lack of privacy is very much a learning tool that is especially beneficial for communications students. During our future careers we will be the individuals trusted with the brand management and reputations of our respective organizations. What better way to learn how to manage a reputation then to actually do it with the reputation you are most concerned with, your own. On Facebook we each learn to manage our own brand and much like companies some people manage more successfully then others.

Brand management is a huge issue for corporations today. Facebook my pose certain risks to reputation but the only way to manage these risks is to get involved. By maintaining a Facebook page companies can control what messages they are putting out and can manage comments and inputs to the page. This doesn’t mean deleting negative posts. Removing material can be more damaging then the material itself. What it does is allows a company to openly and publicly address issues and negative comments as they arrive in real time. This will allow PR practitioners to remain on top of the environment they are operating in and detect issues that may be under the surface and impossible to detect through other forms of media.

Using Facebook also allows PR practitioners to access their consumers individually and directly and in a preferred format. Companies can also audit their target audiences and quickly change to their needs and requests. There is currently no closer contact with the consumer. Companies should seize this close access opportunity and snuggle up with their consumers via Facebook.