Commentary

Search Engines, Social Media And Personal Reputation Management

Undoubtedly the biggest news of last week was the revelation that now-former New York governor Eliot Spitzer was a client in a "high-class" prostitution ring. Within two days, Spitzer, aka "Client 9," was parodied in a sing-along video on YouTube. The New York Times and Comedy Central ran paid search ads promoting their stories about the scandal, and the woman who was his escort has had her MySpace pictures reposted all over the Web.

In all the fallout, very little came from Spitzer himself, besides an apology the day the news broke and a resignation statement a couple of days later. His Web site is now just a page with a link to a contact form.

The situation got us thinking: what should politicians do online to help manage the bad press and public ridicule after they make very public mistakes? Although Spitzer is undoubtedly an extreme example, he's only the latest politician to get in trouble in a career-damaging or career-ending way.

Remember George Allen, the U.S. senator who called someone "macaca," ended up on YouTube, and subsequently lost an election? Searches for "macaca" and "George Allen" still bring up the YouTube video that features his gaffe. There's also Larry Craig, the senator whose alleged lewd conduct in a public restroom got him arrested. And who could forget Ted Stevens, the senator who drew the ire (and parody efforts) of geeks everywhere by infamously calling the Internet a "series of tubes"?

In the age of the Internet and search, paradigms for trying to salvage one's reputation have shifted: it's no longer enough to make a statement at a press conference. Content produced--whether news or public mocking--in the wake of a political mistake lives online forever, and politicians and other public figures should think of themselves as a vital part of that conversation, much like companies have realized they can participate.

Last year, for example, Yum Brands used paid search advertising to get its message directly to the public after video of rats in one of its KFC/Taco Bell restaurants in New York made it to the news. Politicians should take a page from that strategy, taking advantage of paid search--and contextual advertising, which often runs alongside major media articles and blog posts--to get out their own messages in the face of damaging breaking news.

Of course, using paid search means there must be somewhere to direct the traffic. Spitzer shut down his site, but for most politicians it would make more sense to write a longer statement of apology--preferably something more personal than what's sent to the press--posting it on their blog or Web site and using search ads to drive traffic to that post.

And when it comes to social media, politicians should be aware that most social media sites can become echo chambers of more ridicule. The comments on Spitzer's Facebook Fan Page are a perfect illustration of why politicians should consider disabling user-submitted functionality on their profiles right after a scandal, until the smoke clears. They also make a case for public figures to create profiles and own their own brands on highly visible social sites, so they have some control over their presence on these sites. Seeing that EliotSpitzer.com is down, it's likely the Spitzer Facebook page wasn't created by him or his people.

At the end of the day, politicians make mistakes, and they should recognize the role that the Internet and search engines play in indexing and essentially archiving all their missteps. Paid search and social media can be used as tools for them to make sure their voices are being heard, whether that's to apologize further or just to set the record straight.

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