A reader asked me to recommend a company that will help her manage her online reputation.

Here’s my advice, which every Publicity Hound should pay attention to, before the you-know-what hits the fan:

“I don’t remember recommending a specific company.  Many companies do this.

“Of far greater importance, I believe, is being proactive long before something bad happens to harm your reputation.  I suggest you listen to the recording of the teleseminar that Tom Antion, my mentor, conducted a few months ago on Reputation Management: How to Build & Protect a Great Reputation Online (affiliate link).”

Too many companies wait until they’re in the middle of a crisis to create a blog, or monitor what’s said about them in online discussion forums and at social media sites. Tom shows you how to create systems, like a blog, that will help you communicate with the public within seconds. He also shows you how to respond to bad reviews, nasty comments and rumors.

The added bonus to this program is the dozens of high-traffic, authoritative websites where he recommends you have a presence. They’ll help push bad news about you off of the first page of Google’s organic search listings when someone seaches for your name or your company’s name.

When I spoke last week at the Meetup hosted by the Wisconsin Business Owners Network, the audience couldn’t get enough information on blogging.

And tomorrow, when I speak about social media to a CEO Roundtable at the Milwaukee Athletic Club, I hope to convince at least one CEO to start a blog.

But I’ll need success stories.  And that’s where you come in.

I’m curious about the one post you’ve published that makes you glad you started blogging. 

Did you take a strong stand on a controversial topic and start a brawl in the Comments section?  Did you write something that brought you a new consulting client?  Or sold dozens of books?  Or started a relationship with someone who has turned into a trusted business friend? Or got a link from a top-tier blogger in your industry?

If you’re on Facebook, please share a link to the post on my Fan Page.

And then share it in the Comments section here. I’m planning more training on blogging next year, and I’d love to use your own success story as an example.   

This week’s Help This Hound question is from Bonnie Boots of Tampa Bay, Fla.:

“I’m working with a client who offers training for business consultants through a membership site, Consultants Gold.

“The faculty is made up of top-shelf experts who’ve successfully transitioned from business executive to independent business consultant. The ideal member for Consultants Gold is a business executive close to retirement age who wants to transition to a second career as a self-employed consultant.

“I’m finding it a real challenge to locate this target market. Extensive keyword research has turned up very little. Can your readers suggest some ways we can connect with age 50+ executives?”