How to Manage Your Reputation Online
I remember when the internet was first taking form, into something resembling what we have today. I was a kid. My dad was explaining to me the concept, how we were starting to have “digital” lives, and how our behaviors could be tracked according to how we spent them. I remember thinking “Wow. You won’t be able to pretend you’re something you’re not.” That’s a heavy statement, but it’s pretty much true, as countless e-scandals have broken out on the internet, revealing people to be slightly (or drastically) different than they say. You can pretty much tell who a person is by who they appear to be online. But not totally.
This is a big issue for individuals. But it’s an even bigger issue for brands. Sometimes individuals are brands. And at some level, we all want privacy, a part of our lives that doesn’t become available on the internet. There are those of us from whom privacy is a matter of convenience and preference. There are others for whom privacy and online reputation are very, very important. Here are some strategies for managing your reputation, if that’s something you’re struggling with.
1) Be a Luddite. Luddites are people who spurn technology. It’s weird when one of your friends cancels his or her Facebook account, right? They’re there for months, making status updates, dishing out likes. And then suddenly they’re gone. You wonder if they’re OK in real life. If you have ever gone so far as to do this yourself, you know the weird dose of reality that is canceling your social media self. But that’s what a lot of brand-conscious people are doing. Think about it. For every Twitter-active celebrity, there are five who never make so much as a peer (or ‘tweet’ I guess). Maybe you don’t like social media. It’s not a crime. It doesn’t mean you don’t like people. Take some time away and think about whether or not you could spend all of your time away. There’s much less chance of ruining your brand or reputation online if you just don’t contribute to internet culture.
2) Be Super Active. Some people take this strategy. Rather than sign off, they’re on all the time. They’re constantly talking, arguing, putting out fires. Some people do this really well, and there is a benefit. When you put it all out there online, people really get to know you. You come across as a 3 dimensional person, and this can ingratiate people to you. They grow to like you, or at least accept you. By being very vulnerable and accessible (not necessarily nice, even), you stand a chance of lengthening your career or earning hardcore fans/colleagues/friends/whatever you want.
3) Get Someone to Manage Your Reputation. Online reputation management services from Profile Defenders are a way you can kind of blend these two strategies. Rather than end your social media life, you can interact online, but you’ll also have a team to scrub up any mistakes you may make. You see this in action on Twitter all the time. It’s something people know about and accept, and it can save you from putting your foot in your mouth. It can also help manage your reputation in internet spaces that have nothing to do with you.
There may be other strategies, but these are the three broadest categories for how people earn a good reputation online. Online, not everybody’s going to like you. But it’s important to build the reputation you can and protect the reputation you’ve got.
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