Notes from “Managing Your Online Identity” by Anita Bruzzese at SOBCon08

Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Over the next several posts, I’ll transcribe my notes, and my Tweets, from the eight sessions at SOBCon08, Business School for Bloggers. All sessions have notes, but not all were Tweeted. Just fair warning. :)

Managing Your Online Identity
Anita Bruzzese

Ethics
The power of the written word
Stories can ruin reputations: yours and others’

You must make sure it’s right. Nothing made me feel more stupid than an editor saying, “Are you sure this is right, or are you jsut assuming?
Whatever I write has my name on it. Be prepared to stand behind it.
It must be fair. It is not moral or ethical to write something just to sell a product.

The Internet has not diminished the power of the written word. On the contrary.

“Walk the Bone” with Anita

What is the source? When you write it, you put your name on it and take ownership of it. You must verify it, and not just with Wikipedia. You’re saying, “Trust me.”
Who is the source? You are known by the company you keep. Relying on questionable sources makes you questionable. Don’t be lazy when disseminating information.
– If I put a blogroll on my site, I am personally endorsing these blogs, and I can’t control them every minute of every day.
– What is the agenda of the person giving you the information? What are they really asking you to do?
Is the info credible? Are you credible? Do you have an agenda you’re not being up front about? Don’t conceal your real motives or lie. It will come out.
Are you being fair? Be inclusive. “I hear what you have to say and it’s of value to me and to others.”
– Take the time to listen.
– Reach out. Include others.
– Stretch beyond. Don’t exclude.
– Putting limitations damages your reputation.
– People got into blogging because they felt excluded. Don’t alienate them.
– Include the nuggets.
How do you respond when you make a mistake? Post an immediate correction. Respond quickly. Check regularly. Post retractions when appropriate and post corrections. If you don’t handle it on your site, someone else handles it on theirs. Correct it on your site and attempt to notify others who duplicated the error. Post the correction with the original story.
What do you do when someone attacks you? No names, no smear campaigns. Respond with truth and the facts. Don’t sink to that level, don’t fume, don’t insult — don’t do it. Invite a rebuttal: “No name calling. I want facts.” Find a way to say thank you. “I’m not young enough to know everything.”
How do you encourage worthwhile comments? Letters from the readers are always valuable and help journalists do their jobs better. “What you say is important.” Reward the really good comments. And remember that you don’t have to allow venomous crap.
How do you have ongoing reputation evaluation? What is the “Hey, Martha!” content? Do you follow the rules? Get regular virtual roundtable feedback.
– Be true to who you are: strong voice, strong message.
– What you do can have a permanent, long-lasting effect on your reputation. Be smart.
What is your line in the sand? What is a 12-word mission statement you could say is someone put a gun to your head?
Will you stand the test of time? Does what you write home true to who you are and what you believe in and what you value and where you want to go?

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” — Warren Buffett

“Is this just for me, or will it really add value to the conversation?”

What did I miss? Leave a comment and let me know.

Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance writing, freelance, writing, communications, anita bruzzese, online identity, online reputation, SOBCon08, business school for bloggers, inkthinker, kristen king