Online reputation management trends for 2022 represent a partial rehash of last years’ as well as a pivot to new and uncharted directions, in my view.

On the one hand, Zoom calls and unthoughtful posts will continue to wreak havoc to online reputations resulting in poor web presence. On the other hand, fresh mediums on the rise such as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and the metaverse could bring unexpected challenges.

The antidote for poor reputation management, however, remains the same. Focus on excellent content, be personal, connect in meaningful ways, and always keep in mind what is of paramount interest for your readers or clients.

Here are four or so predictions for 2022.

1. Online Employees Meetings Can Cause Problems

It feels like we’ve been living on Zoom and other related platforms for a year and a half, and this trend looks like it will continue unabated into 2022–and maybe even forever. Given this ongoing development, it opens up many online reputation management challenges (which you might have experienced yourself). 

Things ranging from embarrassing moments to trade secrets can inadvertently–or purposely–be shared via screenshots, audio/video capture, or just through regular written posts, all of which damage a business’s brand and reputation. Also, executives are not immune from these problems: remember Better.com’s CEO who fired 900 people via teleconference?

Wherever possible, lockdown sharing credentials and have a reputation management policy in place that stresses positive but well-crafted postings made at all levels in a company, from interns to upper management and all in-between.

2. Honesty and Authenticity Continue to Be Paramount

Both honest and authentic interactions will continue to be the main drivers of positive online reputation building for the foreseeable future. Attempts to “game” the system with poorly written content or posts made on unrelated platforms still don’t/won’t work, and Google’s unrelenting algorithm tweaks continue to try to deliver the best search results for readers. 

What this means is to be your true self and have your brand connect with clients in meaningful ways. Be personal, helpful, engaging and thoughtfully give away information. This should be part of an ongoing and sustained reputation strategy. 

Examples are to write a targeted white paper aimed at solving clients’ problems; make meaningful comments on key industry influencers\’ Tweets; post presentations; get constantly active on local or industry-specific sites; share videos, or add anything else that provides real-world solutions.

3. NFTs and Crypto Currencies

Non-fungible Tokens or NFTs along with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum could lead to reputation damage. As they start to enter the mainstream business world, more people will jump in, and as a result, lead to reputation issues. Damage could be due to buying/selling a controversial NFT, not understanding the market, or having your work posted without your knowledge. Negative issues, if they occur, don’t just stay solely on NFT platforms. Rather, they can appear quickly in Google searches as clients look for you or your business.

As always, behave as you would in real life: connect with people in an earnest way and share good information, but always be especially cautious when developing a presence using new technology. 

4. Metaverse

This might be a stretch for 2022, but my hunch is that the metaverse, or virtual worlds, could start to impact online reputations in unexpected ways. If you’re not familiar with the metaverse, it’s an online platform where people can buy or otherwise interact in a 3-D environment. As with any “gold-rush” opportunity, problems invariably occur, which could quickly flood traditional online platforms leading to negative articles, comments or posts.

Note, by the way, that even if you have no interest in the metaverse (and don/t want to know more), your online reputation can still be damaged. Someone could impersonate you, use your name/identify, make false claims about your business, etc. Also, if you choose to jump in and make a presence there, you might misunderstand the new needs of the metaverse client, which–just like in the “brick-and-mortar” world–could result in dissatisfaction and complaints. 

Bottom Line

What will really happen in 2022? Who knows. 

But there will always be new ways an online reputation can be ruined. A good idea is to always keep the focus on creating and sharing excellent work on the right platforms. This is an online reputation management strategy that never goes out of style.

Update: Covid

Covid, and its variants, continue into 2022. Besides the obvious health issues (be safe!), there are some related online reputation management issues as well. These could be from people being infected at your location; the discovery of false vaccine cards linked to your company; covid-related social media posts by employees or clients that mention your business; covid comments that are political; and the distraction and drain on resources all of this may cause. Remember too that because of less in-person meetings or ‘brick-and-mortar’ buying, a positive web presence is ever more important as clients turn more and more to Google searches. During covid, take time to continually build, boost and monitor your online reputation.