In a recent Marketing Profs article released in May by online reputation management expert, Herman Tumurcuoglu, he reveals the 9 takeaways from his transparent and success ORM career. Here are the top three take aways:
Takeaway 1: Business ethics matter
Most problems happen when in you, as a reputation expert, and forced to cross a legal or ethical line. In the pre-mandate stage, you have an important, reputation altering decision: to accept or reject the potential client, including on the basis of ethical concerns. Therefore, before deciding to take on a mandate, reputation experts must learn as much as you can about the clients and their motivations.
Takeaway 2: Respect legal boundaries of the industry whether the client wants to test them or not
Next, what does the client expect you to do? US customers sometimes call Tumurcuoglu because he is based out of Canada and the potential clients think they can get around FTC rules regarding fake reviews. In fact, fake reviews were the cause of most of the reputation management agencies that I referenced earlier. The FTC works with ICPEN, which is a network of consumer protection authorities from nearly 60 countries that engage in cross-border cooperation. ICPEN’s guidance, like that of the FTC, reflects basic truth-in-advertising principles.
Takeaway 3: There is a right way to solicit reviews
Endorsements must be truthful. If they are misleading, it can get you, your client, and your company in trouble. There must not be a material connection between endorser and the provider of the product or service. In the same way, Tumurcuoglu helps clients only if they allow him to engage and interact with their clients online through social media and other channels.