Popular motivational speaker Michael Jackson interviewed WSI Internet marketing consultant Francois Muscat for Mix 93.8 FM last year. In the radio series, Michael interviewed a number of movers and shakers in the conference industry and professional speaking world in South Africa. During his interview with Francois, they focused on the industry that Francois has got to know like the back of his palm – the digital marketing industry.
“I help companies and people get found on Google,” explained Francois when asked what WSI does in a nutshell. “Every single type of business needs Internet marketing in some way or another. Whenever a person wants to find out more about a company or person, they jump online to do research. Companies need to manage what gets presented online,” said Francois.
One of the best things a person can do to manage their online reputation, said Francois, is to set up a Google Alert. This is a simple – yet effective way – to get notified whenever your name (or your company’s name) gets mentioned online. That way, you get an e-mail immediately whenever someone writes about you online.
Whether you’re a regular person or a business owner, you should pay attention to what is known about you online. One of the ways you can do this is by Googling your name. “I always advise people to go out and own as many web properties as possible. Personal web properties include a Google profile, LinkedIn account, Twitter account and so forth. When you own these web properties, you basically control what comes up on the first page of Google,” explained Francois.
Want to learn more about online reputation management? Listen to the entire podcast here