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Digital PR · Published May 3, 2018

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Online Reputation Management (ORM)

online reputation management explained with a person looking at a laptop
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That culmination of digital information is an online reputation. It's the combination of the things that someone says about themselves online, through things like websites and social media channels, and the things that other people say about the same person. Online reputation management, or ORM, is the process of taking control of the online conversation, through strategic marketing, SEO auditing, and social media strategies. When a professional, respected individual "Google's" themselves, there's a good chance that they'll see a handful of information appearing on the front page of the search results. Depending on how carefully that person has managed their online presence, there may be a selection of social media profiles, news reports, press releases, and website articles to browse through.

What is Online Reputation Management?

Online reputation management is about using specific techniques and strategies to make sure that people see the right things when they look for you on the internet. When done well, online reputation management helps to create balance, counteract misleading trends, and ensures that people can put their best foot forward. After all, in a world where everyone appears to be digitally connected, how you look online can have a direct impact on your career. When someone wants to decide whether they should hire a person, work with someone new, or even invest in someone else's future, the first thing they'll do is go online and use the information they find there to make a judgment call about what that individual is like. Every day, more than a billion searches happen Google, and people are constantly looking for new ways to decide whether they should trust people based on their online presence. Perhaps the biggest issue with online reputation management is the fact that anyone can say what they like about another person online without any repercussions what-so-ever. If someone doesn't like another person, then they're free to bad-mouth that individual on an open forum or public social media space. The only thing that can protect an individual against this negative press, is a strong personal brand, and a disaster management strategy.

How to Handle Your Online Reputation

For some people, handling an online reputation might be a simple as investing in social media tools and working on building industry authority. However, for individuals who rely on their personal brand - like politicians and authority speakers, the best way to invest in online reputation management is with a PR company that specializes in reputation maintenance. PR ORM experts know how to audit a person's reputation, listen out for problems, and provide their clients with the tools and strategies they need to overcome serious issues regarding negative press. Now that the online world has ensured that secrets are harder to come by, everyone who cares about their personal brand should have a defined strategy in place for online reputation management. In fact, it isn't just major politicians and celebrities that need to protect their image online. Even the average job seeker could miss that their chance at a critical career opportunity because of one bad review posted five years ago. The Bottom Line is That Online Reputation Management really matters in 2020. Learn how 5W can help you with your ORM campaign today.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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Tags

  • ORM
  • reputation management
  • seo

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