According to Sikich, 70% of digital marketers see email marketing as a top channel for ROI. High praise for sure, especially when you consider how much of a return on investment a channel must have in order for that amount of experts to agree on its effectiveness.

However, studies show that about 30% of marketers are not quite satisfied with this promotional method. And, as it turns out, 30% is still a lot.

Countless forum posts and articles question the effectiveness of emails when used as a marketing channel. While the specific problems people have with email marketing vary, a general consensus among those doubting its effectiveness is that this strategy simply does not generate enough leads to be a worthwhile channel.

So, why do some companies get great results from email outreach while others struggle to generate any leads? As it turns out, the only thing separating the two groups can be summed up to two words: email optimization.

In most cases, email optimization is what makes the difference between good marketing and not so good marketing.  Email optimization is how to adapt the emails you’re sending to the specific requirements of your targeted audience.

Email optimization also entails making sure your emails differ from the other thousand messages that arrive in your audience’s inbox every day. It is how you get your emails to go viral, for the right reasons.

The following infographic, brought to you by the team behind 99 Firms, shows precisely how email optimization can optimize your outreach campaign and allow you to get the most out of it. [Read more…]

Any business, regardless of the industry, needs to have a good reputation. It comes with a lot of benefits and paves the way for success, bringing a loyal following and making a business stand out from the competition.

The tricky part is that it takes a long time to build a good reputation, and just a single crisis can have a significant impact on the image of the business. And once the reputation is ruined, it is hard to bounce back and it can even lead to a business shuttering its doors.

That’s why it’s crucial to ensure that businesses are protected from risks that can tarnish their reputations, and the key is to determine reputational risks and know how to mitigate them. This is where having insurance policies that protect reputation come in. Here are some of the things business owners need to know about their online presence:

Protect against Cyber Liability

A data breach or cyber attack is a common risk that can tarnish the reputation of any business. While the General Liability insurance covers risks related to property damage and injuries incurred, it is not enough to protect against cyber attacks or exposures including data breach, system failure, rights to intellectual property, and system failure. Cyber Liability insurance protects against these risks and exposures that are not usually covered by the General Liability insurance. [Read more…]

Share this image on your site:

<img src="http://www.reputationrhino.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FJ10171445-revisedv4-01.png" width="100%" alt="Why Online Reputation Matters for Business"><br /> <a href="http://www.reputationrhino.com/online-reputation-matters-business/"><br /> </a></p> <p><strong>Why Online Reputation Matters for Business</strong>, courtesy of <a href="http://www.reputationrhino.com/online-reputation-matters-business/">Reputation Rhino</a></p> <p>

Share this image on your site:

<img src=”http://www.reputationrhino.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FJ10171444-revisedV2-01.png” width=”100%” alt=”Why Online Reputation Matters for Individuals”><br /><br /> <a href=”http://www.reputationrhino.com/online-reputation-matters-individuals/”><br /><br /> </a><br /> <p><strong>Why Online Reputation Matters for Individuals</strong>, courtesy of <a href=”http://www.reputationrhino.com/online-reputation-matters-individuals/”>Reputation Rhino</a></p><br /> <p>

A European privacy ruling known as the “Right to be Forgotten” allows people to ask for URLs specifically related to their name to be removed, essentially deleting Google search results. Known by its shorthand, RTBF went into effect in May 2014 and was considered a landmark ruling that allows the delisting of online information from search engine results.

Considered to be a right of privacy, any European person can request that Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines delist URLs that may contain information that could be considered “inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant, or excessive,” according to the ruling. The most critical piece of this ruling rests on the requirement that search engine companies determine whether or not a person’s right to privacy outweighs access to information by the public. [Read more…]

Social media networks allow people to share their photos, videos, thoughts and opinions to hundreds of millions worldwide. While it may seem like “anything goes” in terms of the breadth and depth of topics and images posted, the truth is offensive photos or video that could be construed as pornography is against most social media sites’policies. Yahoo is one such medium that will not tolerate any abuse. “We are committed to providing an enjoyable and harassment-free experience on our network, and as part of that commitment, nonconsensual pornography is not tolerated,” according to Yahoo policies.

One of the most disturbing types of posts is called “revenge porn.” This occurs when the perpetrator posts pornographic images or video of another person without that person’s permission. This can be extremely damaging to the victim as often times the images are syndicated to hundreds or other sites. The perpetrator often means to harm the victim through harassment, blackmail and even embarrassment. Even third parties who see the offending images can pose harm and try to physically harm or blackmail the victim.

Yahoo works in tandem with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative to spot nonconsensual or revenge porn and does everhing in their power to take down the offensive posts.

If you are a victim of revenge porn or even a third party who comes across the content, here are steps you can take to flag Yahoo and get the offending posts of the social media site. Since Yahoo has many different forums, there are several methods to help report revenge porn.

Flickr

· Visit the Flickr website on your computer.

· At the bottom of the page that contains the photo or video, click Report Abuse.

· Select Intimate content posted without my consent.

· Enter your email address.

· In the “What’s the problem?” field, let us know that you (or another individual) appear in an intimate image or video without your consent. Be specific and add in any additional details that may assist in Yahoo’s investigation.

· Enter the word “flickr” in the security field.

· Click Send.

Groups

· From the content, click on the downward facing arrow

· Click on the Flag icon

· A menu opens, showing your default email address

· In the “Reason” field, provide the following:

o A detailed description of the concern (Note: emphasize that you appear in an intimate image without your consent)

· Any additional information or alternate contact details

· Next to “Report to” select Yahoo

· Click Report

Answers

· Toll your mouse over the content and click on the Flag icon

· Select I think this question violates the Terms of Service

· In “Additional Details” provide the following:

o A detailed description of the concern (Noting you appear in an intimate image without your consent)

o Any additional information or alternate contact details

· Click Report Abuse

Mail

(Note: Yahoo is only able to investigate instances where a Yahoo user appears to be the sending party in the email exchange)

· Mouse over the Settings menu icon

o Then select Contact Us

· Select Abuse and Spam > Received Threats and Harassment > and then Email

· In “Detailed Description of Issue” provide the following:

o A detailed description of the concern (Noting you – or another user — appear in an intimate image without your consent)

o Any additional information or alternate contact details

· In Yahoo ID of person reporting provide the Yahoo email address for the offender

· In Provide the headers of the inappropriate message, copy and paste the *full* headers (Read more on how to identify full headers)

· In Provide the contents of the inappropriate message, paste message details

· Click Create Request

Helpful Yahoo Links: · Get help if someone posts intimate content of you without your permission here.

 

Revenge porn is a nasty way to harass, embarrass as well as terrify a victim. The term occurs when a perpetrator posts pornographic images or video of another person –without that person’s consent. Once the image is posted, the content is often picked up by hundreds of other sites perpetuating the harm. Some of the immediate fallout could be that third parties may take it upon themselves to harass or blackmail the victim.

Revenge porn is against the law. In addition, many of the major social networks, where revenge porn is often posted, also have rules banning any images or videos of porn or any depiction of sexual activity or nudity. Tumblr is one such mega-social media site that allows users the ability to report any illegal or offending images. According to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, there are two ways that you can report such content to Tumblr. You can flag the post while being logged in OR report the content via Tumblr’s Privacy Violation Form.

Many of the social networks, including Tumblr, will keep your identity secret when reporting offensive content. However, Tumblr will need to verify your identity and will request your photo ID or a photo of you holding a sign to prove that you’re the one filing the report. “They have implemented strong security measures to keep this material private,” according to Tumblr.

How to remove offensive images while logged in to Tumblr’s Dashboard:

o Click on the ellipses to the left of the re-blog icon.

o Select Flag this Post.

o Select This violates Tumblr’s Community Guidelines.

o Select Someone is at risk of harm.

o Select Privacy violation and answer the remaining questions to give Tumblr all of the information they need to take action.

Reporting ffensive content via Tumblr’s Privacy Violation Form. o Click on Tumblr’s Privacy Violation Form.

o Click Yes (to “Is it your privacy that’s being violated?”).

o Click Private images of me have been posted.

o Provide the information that is requested*.

 

 

No one should ever have to suffer through “revenge porn.” Revenge porn, which is against the law, occurs when a perpetrator posts nude or pornographic photos of another person on a social media site or platform – without that person’s permission. Usually the intent behind posting non-consensual porn is to embarrass, harm and intimidate the victim. The content is then syndicated to many different sites – making it even harder to locate the material and take it down.

Microsoft, like many giant technology companies with search engines and social media platforms that have hundreds of millions of users, have strict rules guiding the posting and distribution of pornographic images. However, it is usually up to people – victims, third parties, loved ones and friends, to report the content to Microsoft to ensure the content is removed. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative is working with major social media sites and search engines to help them locate and remove content construed as “revenge porn.”

Here is how you can report non-consensual porn on Microsoft’s Bing platform/search engine:

Bing Search Results:

There are two ways to get nonconsensual pornography removed from Bing search results. In all cases, you can use our nonconsensual pornography takedown form, which asks for information such as the URL that contains the offensive materials, whether or not the images/videos are consensual, and a few other questions.

Additionally, if a website owner has already taken down the content, and the page is still showing in Bing results, you can use Microsoft’s content removal tool to ask Bing to update the view of the web.

More information on how to use the content removal tool for this scenario is below.

Content Removal Tool Instructions

There are two cases where you may use this:

· Page is no longer available, but still shows up in Bing search results.

o Enter the URL in the content URL field

o Select “remove page” as the removal type

· Page has been changed to not contain information about you, but Bing still has an older copy of the page showing up in search results.

o Enter the URL in the content URL field

o Select “remove outdated cache” as the removal type

o Enter the outdated text that is no longer appearing on the current site but still shows up in Bing search

Powerful social media sites such as Google have very specific rules about what kind of content they will remove from their platforms – should they come across the content. This usually includes blatantly illegal activities such as “child sexual abuse imagery.” They will also remove pornographic or nude images of a person – especially if that person was unaware that the images were posted. Generally, most social media sites and platforms do not allow pornographic images and/or video.

Posting “pornographic” images of a person, without their expressed permission is against the law and is called “revenge porn.” The perpetrator will often post the offensive material for the expressed purposes of hurting the victim in some way, including blackmail. Third parties may see the images and use them as an excuse to further harm the victim. While “revenge porn” is not a term many are familiar with, it is widely used and many social media platforms are working with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative to revmove any instances of revenge porn on their sites.

Google says, that according to its policies, it will automatically take down any images or content that could harm a person including the following:

· Nude or sexually explicit images that were uploaded or shared without consent

· Bank account numbers

· Credit card numbers

· Images of signatures

Before removing content, Google also will consider the following to ascertain if the content is potentially harmful:

· Is it confidential, or is it publicly available information?

· Can it be used to obtain more information about an individual that would result in financial harm or identity theft?

· Is it a personally identifiable nude or sexually explicit photo or video shared without consent?

We apply this policy on a case-by-case basis. If we believe that a removal request is being used to try and remove other, non-personal information from search results, we will deny the request.

Therefore, when reporting offensive or dangerous content such as revenge porn on Google, here are some steps you can take, as provided by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative:

Google Search Results

Before requesting that a link to an offending photo(s)/video(s) of you in search results be removed by Google, consider the following:

· It depicts nudity or is otherwise sexually explicit, and

· You certify that you appear in the content and have not previously consented to its distribution.

· Its inclusion in search results violates your copyright.

Also, Google suggests that you first contact the hosting website’s webmaster, if possible, to request removal of the content at the source.

To request removal of nonconsensual porn, click here.

You will then have to answer a few questions to load the removal request form which looks like this:

When prompted for what you would like to remove, select A picture of myself.

· On the form, you will need to provide the contact information, along with the URL(s) you would like removed, a URL of a Search results page linking to the requested URL(s), and one or more screenshots to help identify the content and verify it is still live when Google reviews the request.

Follow these steps to report abuse on a file or Google document:

· Open the file.

· Click on the Help menu.

· Select Report abuse/copyright.

· Select Nudity.

· Click Submit Abuse Report.

Blogger Visit this link and complete the information in the form provided to report that someone has posted nude or sexually explicit images of you without your consent. Then click Submit.

Reporting Abuse on other Google Products

On YouTube, Google+, and Google Play:

· Depending on what kind of device you have, you’ll see an icon that you can click

· Click it and click Report Abuse. If prompted, select the appropriate abuse type, usually “Nudity” or “Pornography.” More detailed instructions can be found at the following links:

YouTube: Flagging content OR Other reporting options Google+: Report spam, abuse, or inappropriate content Google Play: Report content issues or violations

Please note, even if Google deletes specific URLs from search result pages, the webpage hosting the content still exists. Google offers specific information on helping users understand how to contact a site’s webmaster in order to ask that content be removed from a website. This site also offers information on finding webmaster contact information via Whois. Removal of the content from the source is the only way to actually get the content removed from the web.

 

Reddit is a user-generated social media site where news and trends are posted.  Users submit the content and can build chat rooms to discuss the topics and/or images, and can also vote on content on Reddit to see what topics and images are trending.  

“Revenge porn” comes in when someone decides to use the social media site in the wrong way and publish pornographic images of another person – but without that person’s permission.

Revenge porn is also called “involuntary” porn by Reddit.  The social media site allows users to click on the comments below the post and report content that is “inappropriate” such as pornography, nudity, child pornography and otherwise abusive and offensive material.  Whether or not you are the victim on revenge porn or a third party, Reddit is obligated to look at the sites you flag and take them down.

Even if the content is removed from the social media site – the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative encourages everyone to report illegal postings to the local authorities that may be construed as child pornography or revenge porn.

Removing Content from Reddit:

Step one: reporting the post

If you have an account:

• Click the “comments” link under the post.
• Click “report” under the title.
• Type in “Involuntary Pornography” as the report reason.
• Click “submit”.
• Send the URL of the comments page to contact@reddit.com with the subject “Involuntary Pornography Report”.

If you don’t have an account:

• Click the “comments” link under the post.
• Send the URL of the comments page to contact@reddit.com with the subject “Involuntary Pornography Report”.

Step two: requesting removal from the image hosting site

• Click the title of the photograph — this should take you to the hosting site.
• Determine the site that the image was uploaded to.
• Save the URL to the photo on your clipboard.
• Find the contact page for page removals, and ask for the photo to be removed from their site.
• Be sure to include the URL that you copied onto your clipboard in the report before you submit it.
• Some common image-hosting removal request pages are:
  • imgur.com
  • twitter.com
  • photobucket.com
  • instagram.com