When you stop and ponder the vast indexable depths of the Internet it can be easy to think nobody is going to care what you do or see what you post. This could be true, but more often than not someone will see what you have hidden away in various corners of the web. Right now is the time to start managing the content you have published or is connected to your name and make sure it correctly reflects you.
Your name is your personal brand and it is up to you to protect your good name!I've put together 10 actionable items that
you can do today to reinforce your personal brand, keep yourself out of trouble, and protect against a future Internet based PR disaster.
1. Google Yourself It sounds kind of dirty doesn't it... Everybody on the planet with an Internet connection is capable of a Google search. It may be in your best interest to see what this Google fellow has to say about you. Don't forget your friends, parents, present employers, prospective employers, etc. all have access to the same Internet you do.
The best way to go about this is to Google your name in quotes (i.e. "your name"). If you're like me and have a borderline unpronounceable last name the results you see are probably going to all be about you. If you have a really common name you may have to add in a city or a state to get results specific to yourself.
2. Set Up Personal Google AlertsGoogle Alerts is a cool, free program that allows you to basically subscribe to a search query via e-mail. For example whenever my name pops up in a blog or somewhere else on the web I know as soon as it is indexed. That way I can react quickly to a little problem should it arise as opposed to being completely unaware until it turns into a big problem that is much more difficult to handle.
3. Buy Your Name as a Dot Com Now!There isn't very much downside to having your own name as a dot com, it's cheap and it allows you to own a bigger slice of control over your own name. Even if you're not very tech savvy having a web site isn't very hard. You can usually get a basic content management system from your hosting provider or use a free tool like Blogger or WordPress to manage your site. Load it with things that are professionally beneficial like your resume, articles you have written, and other good things like that. Personal stuff is ok; just make sure it isn't too personal. Topics like politics, religion, and the escapades surrounding your drunken Saturday night, are best left alone unless you happen to be a politician, a pastor, or Paris Hilton.
4. Check All of Your Existing Profiles, Blogs and Other Pages and See if You've Said Things You Shouldn't Have SaidChances are if you did something you shouldn’t have online it has already been saved and indexed somewhere, but you can still manage what people can see on your profiles current version. Look for things you've written to other people as comments, things you've written in your own pages, and things people have written on your page that wouldn’t help you get hired somewhere... or worse yet would help you get fired from somewhere. And don't just check out the sites you're using right now, think about all the places you may have left your mark in the past. Still have a Friendster account that you haven't signed into since 2002? Go find it and see if you still agree with yourself.
5. Set Anything Not Business Related to PrivateIn social networks private is a relative term, but it is one more step between your personal profile and people you don’t want to share with.
6. Sign Out and See What Your Private Profile Will Show Someone That is NOT Your FriendI’ll admit I got caught in this one recently. I didn’t realize that my "friend status" on Myspace was broadcast onto my private profile page. Luckily I didn't say anything all that bad, it was just poorly timed and marginally embarrassing between me and about 3 people. But it serves a good reminder that even if you think something is private it isn't.
7. Build Up Search Results in Your Name Now to Defend Against a PR Problem That May Pop Up LaterI’m going to go ahead and call this Strategic Web Based Narcissism. There are a lot of sites out there that you can use to generate free content that have the potential to rank well in the search engines. Go out and set up a professional looking Myspace profile with your name as the customized URL, set up a professionally slanted Facebook page, make a page about yourself on Squidoo.com, write a blog... the list goes on... There are hundreds of ways to promote yourself online and dominate the Search Results for your name. Just remember to keep it professional and to build good content.
8. Remain VigilantThe Internet doesn't stop growing so you can't stop watching! Make sure you are proactively managing all the content you create, moderating comments left on your profiles/blogs/etc, and watching the search engines to see what they have to say about you.
9. Don't Bad Mouth Your Boss/Workplace In WritingComplaining about work is a time-honored tradition carried on by essentially anyone with a job... basically ever. That’s all well and good; however if you publicly project your distaste for your boss on your Myspace or in a Forum don't be surprised if you find yourself in search of new employment in the near future.
Also while we are talking about work... don't write about internal events like firings, pending litigation, and projects that aren’t public yet. Chances are your Facebook page is not the corporate Public Relations point of contact!
10. Don’t Post Anything You Don’t Want To Be Famous For!!!!!If you remember anything I've written this is the one. Think about everything you write and post being in the newspaper available for anyone to read. And if you're not sure about something, chances are you probably shouldn't!
Labels: reputation_management
