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Jeanh
Guest
There are all sorts of things you can do to get ahead, as a thousand plus self-help books testify to, but not many mention the need for shining online profiles. But the law of the boomerang, everything that we say and do has a habit of coming right back to us, is equally applicable online as it is in the real world, in fact more so given that social media platforms reach so many more people. So, read on to discover how to ensure you have a positive profile that protects your online reputation and always presents you in a shining light.
There’s no doubt about it, a positive online personal reputation is important. Whether it’s hooking a date, impressing an employer or building business contacts, a positive profile is essential. But it’s so easy to get it wrong. A few ‘funny’ comments, photos that are a bit ‘off’, or posts that are questionable, and you’ll be pigeon-holed in a mentally negative category quicker than you can say ‘compromising selfie’.
This isn’t to say that you should come across bland and without character but you need to be careful and measured about how you create your online profile, because people do make judgements. It is so easy for people to get a completely wrong idea about you. And what is worrying is that nothing on the internet ever really disappears.
Here are some tips to help you manage your online reputation to ensure you put your best face forward all the time.
Construct a positive online profile
Whenever you join a site that allows you to add a profile, use the opportunity to show your best side. Draft the profile carefully and highlight the things that matter to you and that you’d like to be acknowledged for. Humour is good but remember there should be no ambiguity. And try to be consistent about the information you provide.
Grammar and spelling
Proof reading and grammar are important. You don’t want to come across as illiterate or as some dude or dudette that is more concerned about street cred. One person’s street cred is another’s recidivist delinquent. And if you are aiming at potential employers, poor grammar and spelling is about as appealing as gum-chewing, tattooed indifference.
Fun, positive and shining
We all know that the sun doesn’t shine every day and the reality is that sometimes life can be harsh and a grinding trudge. But when you’re putting together a profile, make sure to banish any sense of being hard-done by and scepticism because it will surely reflect in your profile.
Focus on the positive; share information, photos, videos, and other online things that reflect well on you. Don’t include embarrassing photos, defamatory or degrading posts, crass comments, or trolling commentary. Anything along these lines won’t go down well. Think about adding fun and interesting information that can help and enlighten others. Be like the sun, it shines on everyone without discriminating.
Stay cool
If you were to bump into the mythological wise man (or woman) and ask for advice about online behaviour they’d probably say ‘don’t react’ or ‘think before your click’.
While you’re unlikely to have a nuclear type impact if you’re feeling angry, upset, frustrated or even seriously mischievous don’t post anything until you’re got a clear and straight mind. Even if someone has goaded you online to the point of eye-spinning, mouth frothing ranting, walk away from your computer and don’t return until you’ve cooled down.
Be the epitome of good manners
Politeness is cool. It makes others feel good, doesn’t offend anyone and generally spreads goodwill. Keep this in mind with your online interactions so it smooths the ground. Remember everything done online is cast in digital stone and if you have a heated exchange with the virulent posts being fired back and forth not only can lots of people see it, but it’s pretty much there for all time – even when you’ve cooled down.
Keep it private
There are some things that have just got to stay private, between you and a close friend or two. As such you need to make use of the privacy tools on social network platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
And be careful what you share with ‘friends’. Unless you’ve known one another for years in a social context, You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. and colleagues are most definitely not your close friends. You don’t know how they will react to the things that you share.
If you have a blog or personal website you should also take advantage of the privacy and security settings, even more so if you allow visitor comments. If anything offensive is posted by visitors remove it as soon as possible. If there is a feature that allows you to approve comments before they are posted, make use of it, so you can head off any malicious or negative comments.
But if people are posting constructive criticism you should also respond to it in a positive manner. This reveals an openness which is certainly good for your online reputation.
Use an alias
It’s a good idea to use an alias online – that is an alternative email address to post comments. This protects you should some You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. or someone with malicious and vindictive intentions seek to harm you or post negative comments. That said you shouldn’t use aliases to engage in mean-spirited behaviour yourself.
Search yourself
Searching for your own details online is a useful exercise because it can reveal just what is out there about you. You might be surprised at what you discover, for instance websites that you created profiles on, never used and then completely forgot about them.
The great thing about these searches is you can really get some insight into your You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. and then edit accordingly. On the other hand it might reveal that you don’t have any kind of digital profile. If you have a common name it’s a good idea to add in other identifying features when you search such as profession, home town and so on to widen the search.
Making the changes
If you’re a prolific social media user there will be lots of stuff with your name attached to it. If any of it was posted in haste and you’ve lived to regret it you might want to consider some of the following options to ensure your online profile is shiningly bright and positive:
- Delete profiles or messages from specific sites that you’re no longer interested in or don’t reflect where you are today
- If you discover damaging images, information or videos that have been posted by others, politely ask them to remove the material
- You can also try contacting site web masters and ask them to remove your details or offending information
- If the returns on your web search are largely negative and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. or some of those who may have posted content, you can try over riding the negative with the positive. In practise, this means creating lots of positive things online with your name but this may be a mighty job demanding lots of time and effort
If you’ve been a serial social media offender in the past and have catty comments, ‘witty’ putdowns and general unedited spewing all over the internet you might just want to delete all of your online accounts and start again.
It might seem a dramatic step but only you will know whether it’s the right thing to do. If so, you should not only be looking at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YøùTùbé and LinkedIn but other accounts too like eBay, PayPal, MySpace, Gum Tree, and Flickr.
This radical step will certainly obliterate your digital profiles but as You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. so kindly informed us it won’t wipe You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. or You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. but that’s another story and you probably wouldn’t be interested in anyway unless you’re engaged in some form of nuclear related industrial espionage?
And of course, from a wider perspective you also need to ensure you’ve got You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. on your computer. If it was unprotected and plundered by häçkers or You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., your personal information could be used, and often is, for all sorts of things, from dodgy dating site profiles to applying for whopping big banking loans – without you knowing anything about it.
