A recent survey by Terrapinn in November 2009 discovered that the top three challenges to brands when implementing a Digital PR and Reputation Management strategy were:

1. Shortage of time and resources
2. Lack of in-house knowledge of how to engage online
influencers and how to interact on social networks
3. Keeping up to date with the pace of trends and
technology

Having recognised a shortage of in-house skills, businesses are turning to specialist companies for help with their online PR and reputation management strategies, with 56% of respondents saying that they wanted to employ a specialist Online Reputation Management Company.

As well as this, 93% of those businesses surveyed agreed that “online PR and reputation management will become more important over the next 5 years.”

Undeniably.