We all remember our parents telling us to be careful of what we post on social media, but how many of us continue to watch what we’re putting out there?
Almost everything has a digital aspect in today’s word, and everybody has access to Google. This can be both a good thing and bad thing, depending on the digital footprint you’ve created.
If you’re proud of showing off those party pics holding red solo cups, you might get into a little trouble when applying for internships or a job after college. Many employers do more than a little research on their applicants now, and if profiles are public, this can definitely put doubt in their minds about hiring you.
Now, not everything is bad when it comes to posting on social media accounts. Many people use their pages as a way to promote their personal brand. And yes, you have a brand that’s all yours, even if you haven’t put much effort in to creating it yet. Every profile you create helps your brand grow.
Not sure what kind of footprint you’re making? Check out these tips to see what you need to be doing to make sure it’s a positive one!
1. Google yourself.
We all know you’ve googled a guy at some point in your life to do a little research before a date, so now just do it for yourself! You never know what hidden links will pop up, or maybe there’s a newspaper link to an award you’ve won! Hopefully the good outweighs the bad here, because this is one of the most important steps to displaying a positive footprint.
2. Check your privacy settings.
Social media can be a great way for people to stalk you online and find endless amounts of information! There won’t be much to find out if you’re set to private in all aspects and get to choose who views your profile! However, there’s still a way for someone to see your posts, especially if they know someone who may be on your friends list!
3. Delete, delete, delete!
If you have tons of pictures, statuses and tweets, it might be time to weed through and get rid of some! But beware – it’s harder to erase something on the Internet than you’d think.
4. Scale back on posting.
It’ll be hard to dig up something bad if you’re limiting yourself on what you post. Try only posting things that will shine the best light on who you are to ensure there’s more good than bad when someone looks you up!
Creating a positive personal brand and digital footprint is growing in importance, especially with our generation. Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal now, you’ll definitely thank yourself later for making a few little changes!