Branding requires a full-time commitment.

You cannot start a branding effort, then stop, and expect to be successful.

Protect your brand while continuously molding and shaping it.

5 things to consider:

1) You can run, but you cannot hide. In a world where social media hold everyone accountable for their actions, you need to accept the fact that if you upset your customers, or your fans, you will likely hear about it on one of the social-media platforms. Many companies are scared that social media will ruin their brands’ reputations, so they hide from it. Confront the problem or questions head-on, and go to bat for your brand.

2) The lens is everywhere. In a world where citizens have become journalists with their mobile devices, assume that you, and those using your products and services, are being photographed or videotaped. Watch what you say or do in the public eye.

3) Be transparent. Candor is at a premium when managing your online reputation. If you’ve inadvertently angered someone, come clean. If your customer service didn’t live up to expectations, or your brand did not perform as advertised, be straight as to why, and how you plan to rectify it. If you don’t, you will inflame the situation, which can quickly get out of control in the social world.

4) Educate those who use the tools. Little has been said or written about the importance of educating the next generation about reputation management. The more intelligently people use social tools, the more they will use them in a productive way.

5) Get out ahead of the noise. You never want to have to be reactive when managing a reputation, though there are times when you need to respond to a situation. The best way to enhance a reputation, whether for an individual or a company, is to have a plan. Develop your message. Identify your most important social platforms. Build and engage an audience with thoughtful content.

In an era that has seen reputations rise and fall in spectacular ways online — and very quickly — it is prudent to take the most thoughtful approach possible to managing one’s brand.