Steven Wyer founded Reputation Advocate in 2006. The company is located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Steven Wyer has a breadth of experience in media, marketing and software development and says that he came to online reputation management out of a personal need. Steven Wyer was involved in protracted litigation and reports that his own search results didn’t reflect the complete reality of the situation. Unfortunately, there weren't very many options to address the needs of small business and individuals. Steven Wyer assembled a team of Internet marketing professionals and Reputation Advocate was born.
In the beginning, Steven Wyer says that the focus of Reputation Advocate was aimed at a handful of slander sites and blogs. Over time, however, the needs of Reputation Advocate clients have become much more diverse. These days, according to Steven Wyer, Reputation Advocate tracks several hundred complaint sites that continue to grow. As public records have become digitized on the Internet, professionals can be repeatedly confronted with issues
that they believed were taken care of many years in the past. Suddenly this content is delivered at or near the top of search results and the ramifications can be very negative, points out Steven Wyer.
Many times businesses are attacked online by former employees or competitors, observes Steven Wyer. They probably already have a presence on the Internet, but have focused on content and graphics or even SEO and PPC campaigns. The problem is that a broader perspective relating to online defense has not been considered.
On an individual level, Steven Wyer notes that while many people are aware of social media they do not always realize its far-reaching powers to harm them. 500 million Facebook members believe that they are “safe” and yet Steven Wyer has seen many instances over the past six months that contradict that assumption. Steven Wyer adds that when a negative posting shows up online, you cannot confront your accuser, resolve differences in private and deal with conflict. If fact, you may never know who the attacker is.
According to Steven Wyer, one of the most important way to safeguard your online reputation is by monitoring keywords. Monitor your name or your company name through Google Alerts. As the old saying goes: knowledge is power.
Finally, make sure you own the URLs that represent your personal name, your company and your brand.
Steven Wyer consults with individuals and companies everyday and notes that they almost
never consider this, the most vulnerable area of all. Simply put, if you don’t
own it, someone else can.
Steven Wyer of Reputation Advocate firmly believes that every individual and business should be concerned about what is presented about them online. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” absolutely holds true for a person’s online identity. Just because a negative listing is not easily found today, does not mean that it will not begin ranking next week.
Steven Wyer’s best advice is to establish an online presence immediately before you find the need to defend yourself. In general, by the time a person or company discovers an online attack, outside help is immediately needed. Steven Wyer also cautions about hiring companies that offer a "cookie-cutter" solution -- they may provide short-term results but fall short in long-term staying power. It is always easier to sell then to deliver, notes Steven Wyer. By partnering with the right online reputation management firm, over time a client can have confidence in a solid online defense that protects the most valuable thing they own; their name.
If you have any questions please contact Reputation Advocate or Steve Wyer at
888-229-0746 or request
a free consultation regarding your online reputation.