7 (little known) Digital Reputation Stats and How to Use Them to Your Advantage

Digital Reputation is one of those topics where ‘what you don’t know ya don’t know’ could be very damaging. We often think of the mistweet or the incriminating facebook pic when we think of digital reputation, but it is so much more than that. Here are some of the little known stats related to digital reputation. Below each stat is a tip on how you can use this new information to your advantage.

1. 88 percent of online adults avoid doing business with companies who they believe do not protect their privacy.

Tip: If you are collecting customer email addresses or banking information, be sure to provide plenty of information and reassurance that their privacy will be protected. This could mean the difference between getting the sale or not. If you’re a small business, perhaps look into linking up with Amazon payments or another method for accepting payments online that is pretty widely accepted/trusted.

3. 4 out of 5 divorce lawyers are turning to Facebook for evidence.

Tip: I’m not even going to pretend to advise people not to post scandalous pictures on social media because that is a given. But, if you are going through a difficult time in your marriage, keep your thoughts to yourself. One status update posted out of anger can be misconstrued and used against you, even if you weren’t at fault.

4. 65 percent of recruiters frowned upon job seekers who sprinkled their posts with profanity.

Tip: Your friends and followers may not care if you drop an f bomb, but the truth is you never know what your future employer will think. Maybe they are part of the 45% that are cool with it, but chances are they are not. Keep it clean and stand out.

5. In the last 2 years, the number of people accessing the Internet via mobile phone has increased by 60.3 percent.

Tip: If you have a blog or website, awesome! These are great for amplifying your digital reputation. But, if your site is not mobile-friendly, it could hurt you. Chances are your name may come up in a search committee meeting, and next thing you know they are checking out your site on their phone before they get back to their desk. Look for plugins or themes that will make your site mobile-friendly.

6. If you have a 100% LinkedIn profile it will show up on the first page of Google search results for your name. (more of a fact rather than a stat)

Tip: Maybe you don’t have a lot of digital footprints out on the interwebs just yet. That’s ok! Start with LinkedIn and be sure to complete 100% of the profile. LinkedIn shows up high on Google Search results, so this way when someone looks you up they will find this before anything else.

7. 68 percent of hiring managers, hired candidates because of something they saw on social media.

Use social media as a platform to share your message with the world. Every little post that shows you in a positive light to employers can help you. Don’t focus solely on protecting or covering your tracks. Work on producing a positive and strong digital reputation.

Want more? Check out my post on the 17 Resources for Digital Reputation, it is chock full of great resources and more insights on the topic.

Sources:

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube, by Erik Qualman: http://bit.ly/1chaRvP

http://www.truste.com/about-TRUSTe/press-room/news_truste_launches_new_trend_privacy_index

http://digiday.com/platforms/1-alarming-stats-social-media/

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Study_70_percent_of_companies_have_rejected_job_ca_9704.aspx

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