What comes up when you Google yourself? My bet is that it’s probably your social media profiles, right? Meaning that unless you’ve got secure privacy settings on your accounts, just about anyone, whether they be a potential employer, client, or colleague, can see exactly what you’ve been sharing with your network. So it’s important to put some thought into what content you share online and what kind of image it might give off about you.
But what about the content posted by other people? Could it be damaging to your reputation?
.Me conducted a study looking at the implications that online content about you can have on your life and career. Here are some of the highlights:
What impact can online content have?
- 66% of millennials are concerned that information about them online may negatively affect their reputation.
- 43% of millennials admit to being negatively affected by information about them online.
- 57% of millennials surveyed have changed their opinion of someone based on something posted online about them.
How aware are people of their online reputation?
- 53% of Americans report that they have not monitored what information is being shared about them online.
- 79% of Americans say that they have not done anything to manage information about them online.
- Only 22% found that the information that comes up about them in searches is exactly what they want people to know about them. The remainder found inaccurate, outdated, and embarrassing content.
- 77% of those who have been affected by damaging content are more proactive about monitoring their online reputation now.
What can be done?
- 61% of Americans surveyed think that a personal website could be effective for managing your online reputation as you can take control of how you present yourself.
- Work on creating a positive online reputation and professional personal brand for yourself through social media, blogging, etc.
- Regularly conduct an online search on your name to see what information comes up. If there’s anything detrimental to your reputation, take action to get it removed.
