Fact or Fiction #1

Here's something new. It's called Noah's Fact or Fiction.

These brief little posts will be based on a number of things. Such as: things I read or see, thoughts I have, things that people say to me and more. Some will be ridiculous while others will be worthy of further discussion.

1. Someone said: "We have an online reputation and an offline reputation. We've hired a web firm to manage our online reputation. That firm will monitor the social networks for mentions or conversations about our organization, and they'll respond accordingly.

Answer: Fiction

You don't have an online reputation.

You don't have an offline reputation.

You have a reputation.

This idea of "Online Reputation Management" is incorrect. It's really just a buzzword that's been used by social media strategists and others to sell us piles of stuff we dont need. The simple fact of the matter is, you have a reputation. It's 2013 folks. I'm not sure why you're still thinking of these as separate entities, your customers aren't.