Here's a rather obvious statement: The advent of the Internet has totally changed the way people conduct business. You can surely think of a hundred different examples of this, ranging from e-commerce to digital marketing and social networking. Some of these technological revolutions might surprise you, though. For example, people talk a lot about the dearth of privacy on the Web, but they seldom stop to consider the fact that this isn't just a personal matter; it's a business matter, too. People can find our information about you just by typing your name into a Google search engine, and what they uncover could have serious ramifications for your professional life.
This is all part of a thing that's become known as online reputation, and what it means, in brief, is that the online information that exists about you or your company paints a picture in people's minds. It forms a complete image of who you are and what you have to offer, and it could be either a good thing or a bad thing. That goes for any profession you can think of-including plastic surgery.
Consider this, if you will. Someone is looking for a good plastic surgeon in the area, and they stumble across your name. So they type it into Google or Bing. What are they going to find about you? They might find positive reviews from your previous patients, reviews indicating that you're great at what you do and have a great bedside manner. Or, they might find complaints. They might find negative postings from your previous clients who were dissatisfied with your work. Rather shockingly-but nevertheless true-they may uncover false information about you that was created and distributed by one of your competitors.
And obviously, whatever this information is, it's going to color what they think about you, and ultimately influence their decision to visit your practice. Clearly, if they read only negative reviews, they are going to seek out a different doctor-and who could blame them? That's why online reputation management is so important. In fact, there is a whole industry devoted to it, with plastic surgery marketing professionals who work to ensure that whatever people find about you on the Web is purely positive.
Not everyone needs this service, of course-but everyone does need a good online reputation, at least if they expect to be successful in business. At the very least, be aware of what people are saying about you online. Google yourself regularly, and ensure that your online reputation is one you can be proud of.
