Our mothers may have taught us, “honesty is the best policy,” but the lines between fact, opinion, and exaggerations have been blurred in the Internet age. In our digital world, people often fabricate their qualities, talents, and experiences, or just straight-up lie about who they are. 

There are apps to make us look thinner and filters to improve our complexion. A recent study found 16 to 32 percent of people admit they are dishonest online. Researchers said, “online deception is the rule, not the exception.”

You may ask, “Why should I be honest online? What’s wrong with making myself look better by stretching the truth a little? Online deception is so prevalent, it’s accepted as the norm, right?”

While we may think nothing of taking steps to improve our appearance or stretch our talents online, there are very real consequences. Let’s look closely at the case for maintaining an impeccable online reputation and why honesty online is an important part of your success.

Why Online Deception Is Viewed Differently

While no lie is viewed in a favorable light, lies in an online environment carry a particular stigma when exposed. In fact, one study found people who are bad face-to-face liars are actually very good at lying online, and the digital age has provided the perfect platform.

“Deception is one of the most significant and pervasive social phenomena of our age,” noted one of the researchers. Face-to-face lies are often spontaneous. Forgiveness is warranted because we can blame it on miscommunication or a misunderstanding. 

However, online lies require planning. They are in writing. There’s no miscommunication or misunderstanding. The liar definitely intended to deceive viewers. He or she put thought into their lie. In essence, lying was part of their online strategy, and people do not take it lightly. 

Wondering why is honesty important? Because once a lie is discovered, the person’s credibility is damaged. It’s not just the liar’s online reputation either. Your overall reputation is at stake. Note what Forbes magazine concluded:

“Meeting someone in person isn’t so much a first impression as it is your chance to confirm or refute what you’ve already found online.”

Why Do I Need To Be Honest Online?

Curious to discover more about why honesty is important? Keep reading!

Honesty matters because people are looking. Are people really passing judgment based on your online content? Absolutely. Eighty-six percent of people in one survey said they have used Google to find out more about a person. Note these areas where online people searches are regularly conducted.

Job Applicants

One study found 75 percent of Human Resource departments research candidates online before hiring them. Further research shows 90 percent of executive recruiters “Google” their candidates. 

What HR managers found definitely influenced their hiring decisions. 75 percent said they have not hired someone based on what they found. 85 percent said they did hire a candidate based on positive information in their search, according to the first study. 

Employers are not just looking for red flags via Google. Sixty percent of employers are screening candidates via their social media accounts.

Business Owners

Forty-two percent of adults in the U.S. say they have searched someone before doing business with them, and 45 percent have decided to not do business with the person based on what they found.

Political Candidates

Nearly one-third of U.S. adults say they have looked up a politician online, and more than 50 percent said their search results influenced their voting decision.

3 Areas For Vigilant Honesty Online

For the sake of an example on why honesty is important, let’s follow a job applicant named John. 

According to HireRight’s 2017 employment screening benchmark report, 85 percent of employers caught applicants lying on their resumes. That’s up from 66 percent five years ago. 

However, lying on a resume or online profile doesn’t always mean a huge lie. Most of us know it’s wrong to make up job experience or list degrees we don’t have. However, sometimes we do not view minor exaggerations as lies.

Let’s assume John views himself as a fairly honest person. However, he knows the job market is competitive. So, he stretches the truth a little to give him an edge over other candidates on his social media profiles. Although he thinks twice about blatantly lying on a job application, what he has posted online still hurts him. Here are three of his errors in judgment.

1. Education

John took two online classes at a prestigious university before transferring to a local community college to complete his degree. Even though he didn’t graduate or even attend in person, he lists this school on his social media profile.

He omits dates and lists the program of study he started at the prestigious university after his degree from community college, making it appear he continued on to this university. He’s not technically lying. He’s just formatting his profile page so the reader will draw certain assumptions.

Next, he puts in an online application for a job. 

Since the application has required fields for schools, degrees, and dates attended, John thinks it’s better to leave off his exaggerated academic credentials. However, the recruiter searches for John’s name and finds his social media profile. Instead of confirming the information in his application, the recruiter wonders why it’s contradictory. 

She concludes he is either lying online or he didn’t take the time to fill out his application completely. She has a stack of well-qualified candidates and decides not to waste her time doing further research on John.

What’s the lesson? John should stick with the facts. 

He could have bolstered his profile by including his time at the university under a category such as “extra coursework” instead of making it appear he was a full-time student who graduated. Add to your education credentials by including professional development, honors or awards, and any other training instead of stretching the truth.

If a recruiter smells a lie, they are not going to waste time investigating. They will simply move on.

2. Dates

When looking at why honesty is important online, we should not forget about dates. 

Dates also matter. If a recruiter contacts your former employer, one of the first details they will ask about is when you started and when you left.

Let’s assume John took six months off to care for his newborn when his wife went back to work. He doesn’t like how it seems he was unemployed for six months. So, in his online profile, he stretches the dates in between jobs a little to cover the gap.

Once again, though, he knows better than to be deceptive on a job application, so he lists his dates truthfully. Per protocol, the HR manager performs a Google search and finds John’s profile. She notes the contradiction. Although she knows this could be a simple type-o, she decides to move on to less questionable candidates.

Even if she decides to pursue John further, and specifically ask, John is going to have to explain the contradiction. 

When the recruiter discovers he wasn’t completely honest, his credibility will be damaged along with his odds of getting the job. If John was really concerned about the time gap, he should list the time he spent at home with his child. Many working parents can identify with this situation and will most likely look favorably upon it.

There are all types of reasons for gaps in employment. Some people may take time to go back to school, take care of an ill parent or simply pursue a hobby. Be honest about how you’ve spent your time. It might be what attracts an employer to you.

3. Skills

If you are not sure if you are proficient in a certain skill, you are probably not. As a rule, don’t list any skills you aren’t prepared to demonstrate during an interview. Just because you used a program once back in college doesn’t make you proficient.

John bolstered his online profile with a laundry list of skills. 

Let’s assume he has a business degree and is applying for a job in a marketing department. While he has marketing experience, he is not a graphic designer. He used Photoshop for personal use, so he decided to throw it in. A marketing manager who knows how to use Photoshop is valuable, right? 

John gets the interview, and it includes an online proficiency test for Photoshop. He fails and doesn’t get the job. Even though the marketing department has a position available that doesn’t require Photoshop skills, John is not considered because he damaged his credibility. 

See why is honesty important? If he lied about his skills, what else is he lying about?

Stretching The Truth Kills Your Credibility

The bottom line on why is honesty important? 

Don’t lie about yourself, online or in person. Be sure your online profile matches what you would put on a resume or job application. Lying is more common on social media because we want to make ourselves appear better.

After all, high school friends, former colleagues, and even our ex-boyfriends and girlfriends are looking.

However, remember our future employers are also looking. Discrepancies are red flags. Don’t lose a great opportunity by embellishing the details. Employers are checking. It’s common for candidates to take skills assessments.

Part of today’s vetting process involves social media research and background checks.

If somehow you slip through with false information, you are never fully off the hook. The vetting process may start again if your company merges or undergoes restructuring. It’s not uncommon for employers to check up on current employees through social media as well. 

So, even if you are not actively looking for a job, still keep it honest.

Who Is The Real You?

Besides lying about tangible things like skills and education, the Internet is an easy place for us to be someone we are not.

Rest assured that both your business and personal acquaintances can spot a disingenuous online presence a mile away. 

Does your online presence confirm your real identity or are you portrayed as a poser? 

Something as simple as drastically altering your picture will create a bad impression when someone meets you in person.

And, what about your online “friends?” Research about honesty reported on by Forbes found “people’s standards for morality are dramatically influenced by the behavior of people around them.“

Does your boss follow your social media account? 

If so, he’s not only seeing what you post but also what you like. Do your “likes” promote a dishonest attitude? Do you condone behavior that might raise a red flag at work? 

Your Online Acquaintances Matter 

No matter how much we try to suppress it, what’s on our minds and hearts will eventually become evident through our speech (or online speech). 

Think carefully, not just about what you say and do online, but also about what your followers say and do. Do you follow public accounts which might question your credibility?

Think of your online activity as a dynamic resume for everything business and personal. Always assume someone is “Googling” you. Take the time to write down your personal code of ethics. Apply it equally to your real life and your online life.

Questions To Gauge Your Own Online Presence

• Have I exaggerated my skills, education, or job experience in any online forum?
• Does my online activity match how I portray myself in real life?
• Do I engage in dishonest activities and brag about these online?
• Do my online friends improve my reputation or tarnish it?
• Am I careful about the content I choose to “like” or forward?
• Would a potential employer hire me if they “Googled” me or viewed my social media account?
• Would a potential client want to do business with me based on my online persona?

Why Is Honesty Important? Wrapping Up!

Note the power of honesty as described in The Mission Podcasts:

“Honesty is not just about telling the truth. It’s about being real with yourself and others about who you are, what you want, and what you need to live your most authentic life. Honesty promotes openness, empowers us, and enables us to develop consistency in how we present the facts. [And] honesty sharpens our perception and allows us to observe everything around us with clarity.”

Honesty Online Builds Trust, Empathy, And Authority

A last word on why is honesty important online? 

Clearly, being honest is not just about getting a job, winning over voters, or getting new clients. It’s about being true to yourself. Honesty empowers you to be the best you can be, both online and in the real world.

The team at Reputation Sciences is dedicated to helping you develop an online reputation to showcase the real you. Contact our team to learn more about how effective personal reputation management can be. Call Us Today to learn more about our Online Reputation Management Solutions – ReputationSciences is owned by NetReputation.com

You might also like:

• Reputation Score: What You Need To Know About My Life
• Companies with The Best and Worst Reputations
• Corporate Reputation

The post Why Is Honesty Important On The Internet? appeared first on Reputation Sciences.

Humans are inherently emotional. We all get angry or sad at times, just as we can experience feelings of joy and contentedness. Experiencing them is never a problem. What we do with these emotions, and how we act on them, however, is a choice.

It’s tempting to vent. After all, when we feel angry, we want to let it all out. And it’s certainly easier to do if we don’t see the faces of the people we might be offending. What we don’t consider in these moments is just how much damage venting and other types of strong emotions can do to our online reputation.

If you truly want to build a positive personal reputation online, you have to be able to control your emotions. It doesn’t mean suppressing them, of course. But it does mean making sure you keep your emotions in check as you post and publish content. The alternative could lead to mortal danger to your online reputation.

How do you control your emotions? How can you make sure that even as you experience understandable feelings, you don’t translate them into animosity and offensiveness? The answer is complex. Still, a full consideration of it can be absolutely crucial for your personal reputation management.

Why is Everyone Angry Online?

In recent years, news stories have begun to pile up: engaging online is bad for our emotional health. Frequent social media usage will increase stress, worsen your mood, and even lead to anxiety and depression. Once you scroll down a comment section on a popular website or your favorite social media newsfeed, it’s easy to reconcile these research findings with reality. The obvious follow-up question: why?

Studies have shown we look to online interactions for social affirmation. We want to present the best version of ourselves to others who do the same. The trouble: reality doesn’t always match up. As others share an (often fictional or overstated) account of their personal lives, we get frustrated our lives aren’t as great. This leads to frustration.

Online, we can express these emotions much more easily. After all, we don’t have to worry about someone sitting directly in front of us. We don’t have to look into their face as we insult them and build up our argument into a rage. Instead, we can type a few angry words, share them—and experience at least temporary catharsis.

Take these two components, and you get a potentially dangerous combination. We’re more likely to be stressed out and in a worse mood because of social media interactions. At the same time, we also feel more empowered to share that emotion. Is it really a surprise, then, how everyone is angry all the time online?

The Power of Emotions on Social Media

Social media especially tends to act as a willing catalyst for emotions; positive or negative. For years now, industry publications like Advertising Age have encouraged marketers to embrace emotional language when posting online. They cite studies that show just how much more successful brands who embrace emotions tend to be in getting shares, comments, and likes than those who choose to remain neutral.

There’s only one problem with the advice, and it applies to both business and personal reputation management: social media algorithms don’t care about what type of emotions you feel or express. In fact, anger is among the most relatable and frequently shared emotion online. As a Smithsonian article highlighted a few years ago:

The likelihood of content going viral (has) less to do with the positive or negative tone of an article, they say, and more to do with how activated the person felt after reading it… Joy moves faster than sadness or disgust, but nothing is speedier than rage.

So we’re all angry. We see others getting angry, and we start to agree with them. We share anger with our friends, followers and connections. Algorithms ensure plenty see it, and start to agree with it. And so the vicious cycle turns. Emotions are undoubtedly powerful online—but it also means they can go very wrong, very quickly.

The Consequences of Losing Control

We know now why it’s so tempting to share emotions and frustration online. It’s why, especially around politically charged and controversial topics, the sentiment on networks like Facebook, message boards, and comment sections tends to be so negative. Now, it’s time to understand just why it matters.

Let’s start with a clear statement: your online reputation is all about credibility. Audiences need to feel like they can intuitively trust you, and recognize your expertise and level-headedness. Naturally, it requires a clear head at all times. After all, would you trust someone who could burst out with angry or even offensive comments at any time?

The answer is a clear no. So when you lose control and start to get emotional, even if it’s on a topic you feel to be justified, the consequences can be devastating. Take Roseanne Barr as an example, who ignited a huge controversy earlier this year despite a hugely successful relaunch of her show because of emotionally charged social media posts. She, of course, had a right to expressing her opinions. But it didn’t stop her fall from grace.

Another example comes from the sports world, where Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo had to resign after fake Twitter accounts surfaced in which he bashed his own team, insulted reporters, and more. What must have seemed like a release valve from a stressful job to him instead was taken as a core violation of organizational principles. As of the time of this writing, Colangelo is still searching for a new job.

Can You Take Emotions Out of Your Personal Brand?

All of the above may cause you to go to the other extreme. If emotions are contagious, and the most tempting emotion is anger, it’s best to keep them completely out of the equation as you build your personal brand, right?

Unfortunately, the simple solution is not quite right either. Emotions are, after all, undoubtedly powerful. Tap into the right source, and you can quickly build expertise and credibility. Take them completely out of your personal reputation management, and you might actually run into similar issues as you would when letting them run loose.

Consider the case of Oscar Munoz. After a well-publicized incident in which his airline injured a passenger while dragging them off the plane, the United Airlines CEO released a statement entirely removed from emotion and devoid of compassion. He quite literally went through the motions as he mentioned how his staff followed the rules. United Airlines stock tanked, and Munoz (while still heading the company today) saw the PR disaster cut his pay in half for 2017.

Of course, it’s an extreme example. More often, taking emotions out of the equation simply means releasing bland statements which may as well be press releases. These messages won’t be consumed, shared, or enjoyed by anyone. They simply fill the digital void, but will not contribute to your reputation building.

The key, then, is not ignoring the emotional appeal and power of the internet altogether. Instead, if you truly want to build your personal reputation online, the key is to control and harness emotions into a positive force that magnifies and expands your message.

How Can You Control Your Emotions Online?

In other words, how can you still leverage them for good while taking out the potential harm they can do when left uncontrolled? An easy start is to ask yourself a simple question:

Would you say or do that to your mom/child/significant other?

If the answer is no, there should be no incentive to share it online. Whether you see them or not, and whether or not you’ve ever met them, real people consume your content. They will be just as offended, and even angry at your emotionally charged content as someone close to you would be. Don’t post something online you wouldn’t say to a person near to your heart.

Of course, this general rule leaves room for plenty of interpretation. After all, you have built up a relationship and rapport with anyone close to you over the years. That same rapport does not exist as you interact with strangers online. In these cases, a more measured approach is often necessary.

The SPACE to THINK Approach for Controlling Emotions

There are plenty of advice pieces and methods for regulating your online emotions. Our favorite is the SPACE to THINK approach, shared in a recent article by The Conversation. The acronym both sums up the core philosophy behind the method, while the individual words it stands for go into detail about a process you can take any time your emotions bubble up. Let’s begin with the SPACE acronym:

• Stop: Write down what you want to post, but don’t post it yet. In other words, grind the wheels to a halt before you publish.
• Pause: Take at least an hour, preferably more, to think about the content you’re about to post.
• Assess: Apply the THINK framework below. Also consider how it fits into the personal brand you’re looking to build, and the audience likely to read it.
• Confirm: If you think the content is ready to post (edited or not), run it by someone whose opinion you trust to see how they would react.
• Execute: Send the post only if you and the person you showed it to felt comfortable with it. If not, delete the content.

As you go through the SPACE concept, it makes time to THINK about a number of questions related to the content you’re about to post:

• Truthful: Can you objectively say you believe what you’re about to post to be true? If not, how can you make it that way?
• Hurtful: Is there a good chance what you’re about to post could cause emotional pain to a portion of your audience?
• Illegal: Does your post fall into the category of illegal speech, such as language which could be interpreted as blackmail or physical threats?
• Necessary: Do you really need to write what you’re about to publish? What do you have to gain from it?
• Kind: Are you, by publishing the post, improving someone’s day? Is your content uplifting, rather than depressing or worse?

In short, it’s all about consideration. You have to make sure before every post you make, you think about it first. Pay special attention to the way your audience might react to it. If you don’t, you risk even unknowingly making posts which can come back to haunt you at a later time.

Naturally, even this degree of consideration can mean something slips through the cracks. When that happens, be honest to yourself about it. See what went wrong, and where you can improve. Issue an apology if needed. Don’t try to run away from it, but use it as a learning experience for future posts.

Are You Ready to Build Your Positive Reputation Online?

Reputation building, for both business and personal brands, has to take emotions into account. After all, we all experience them. The key, then, is controlling and leveraging the right emotions rather than leaving them free reign whenever they bubble to the surface.

You can build a reputation of winning through understanding others. Ask questions, discover how your audience feels, and remove your biases from the equation. When the public court is in session online,  ask questions to discover and uncover all without bias. It’s how you build trust over time, and how you make sure your audience and credibility grow simultaneously. Then, you can ensure you have a trusted reputation.

Getting to that point takes time. Strategy is also essential. After all, the emotional component is only one piece of your online reputation. Your strategy has to be comprehensive, taking emotions into account even as you build a larger messaging basis.

You might need help sorting through this process. Personal reputation management is as complex as it can be rewarding. We specialize in helping individuals build a positive reputation online, using emotions as leverage rather than a harmful deterrent. Contact us to learn more, and to discuss a potential partnership.

The post Leveraging Emotions to Build a Positive Reputation Online appeared first on Reputation Sciences.

You’re Not So Vain!

“Ego surfing” is the somewhat misleading term for searching your own name or the name of your organization online. In the digital age, searching your name on Google and Bing is an essential defensive practice. And it goes well beyond propping up an individual’s ego. While you personally may not place much importance on the results associated with your name online, rest assured that the rest of the world does. Ego surfing today isn’t an exercise in vanity. It’s an exercise in vigilance.

In fact, ego surfing is frequently quite humbling for more than half of those who take the time to search their names online and find themselves less than satisfied with the returns they see about themselves on the almighty SERP, the Search Engine Result Pages. This can happen when a forgotten “blast from the past” resurfaces. Even worse are the tangled results which can pop up with an ill-defined web presence. Imagine the repercussions of political candidate Jack Williams being confused with this Jack Williams.

Make Sure Your Name is Associated With the Real You

In order to get a thorough look at all of the data associated with your name in the search engines, you’ll need to search beyond “mentions” of your name. If you’ve got a common name, such as Jack Williams in our example above, you’ll need to add some modifiers such as city or town, and state, middle name, profession, or previous places of employment. Check the results under the “all”, “news”, and “images” categories.

In Jack’s case, he would need to distinguish himself from the author, athlete, disc jockey, professor, and other politicians and numerous citizens with his very common moniker. Not to mention the Jack Williams accused of robbery and burglary. Those with common names need to put extra effort into defining themselves as individuals online. But every name produces multiple results, and none are immune from mistaken identity errors.

On the internet, there is no such thing as yesterday’s news. And ego surfing is essential for remaining aware of everything associated with your name online. We live and work in the age of screenshots, shares, retweets, and File-Save As. And anyone with a smartphone can post anything about you at any time.

The mighty search engine algorithms are great for locating names in their massive databases. But when it comes to distinguishing between similar personas online they can often generate confusion which is potentially damaging to your personal online reputation. Ego surfing can uncover misassociations to others online which need immediate correction. The best discerning authority concerning you is you yourself.

You can’t rely on the due diligence of others to distinguish errors in the initial Google search. It’s true that interested parties such as employers and lending institutions will usually perform a more intensive background check later. But a negative online reputation can screen you out of that process long before that happens.

Why No Web Presence is Worst of All

There’s also the possible scenario that a searched name produces no results at all for those who cherish their online privacy and have intentionally avoided establishing a web presence. We’ll talk more about how having no online personal reputation at all can be just as damaging as a negative reputation further on in this post.

Maintaining a positive personal online reputation is now paramount in our hyper communicating world. 97% of consumers rely on internet searches for business referrals and professional background information. And an astounding 85% believe in the credibility of what they read online. Ego surfing isn’t about vanity at all. It’s a necessary practice for anyone who has established a web presence via social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Ego Surfing is Defensive Googling

Searching your own name is the best first defense for personal reputation management in order to monitor those critical top listings in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) which are all about you. In order to address a problem, you’ll first need to be aware that a problem exists. Ego surfing is your online reputation radar.

When someone mentions your name online, tags you in a photo, or retaliates because you’ve unknowingly stepped on their toes in some way, you need to know about it. The practice of ego surfing is even more essential when we find ourselves at those turning points in life. Buying a new house, leasing an apartment, or making a career move all elicit an online search. All of these turning points bring an increased level of online scrutiny and burying your head in the sand while hoping for the best is not an option.

The term “defensive Googling” is a much more apt description of this essential reputation management practice. And anyone seeking employment, building a professional career, or even beginning new social relationships will benefit. It’s best to make it part of your regular reputation management routine. Defensive googling is a must before entering any scenario in which your online reputation will be the subject of scrutiny. That includes making a career move, buying a house, applying for loans, or launching a startup.

Googling the name of a new applicant is now the norm. Recruiters, employers, prospective clients, college admissions administrators, and even that potential match with your significant other all hop online to learn about you first. Add to the list realtors, landlords, investors, and loan officers, and it becomes obvious that maintaining an accurate online reputation is important for anyone who isn’t living off the grid. For the rest of us in the mainstream of today’s digital society, online reputation management is a skill which is arguably more vital than writing an effective resume.

93% of Employers Are Searching Your Name

Susan P. Joyce is a career coach and job search expert. Her informative article for Forbes titled To Be Hired You First Must Be Found provides a vital perspective on establishing a positive web presence for career opportunities. Joyce leaves no doubt about the importance of online visibility and the questions it can raise in the minds of recruiters and employers as they search and screen for qualified talent when web presence is lacking.

As she reported, by 2014, 93% of recruiters used or plan to use social media for initial job candidate evaluations. That number was up from 80% in 2010, and if the trend continues it is safe to assume that Googling all candidates will be a standard business practice for nearly 100% of employers. Joyce refers to an individual’s web presence as the “online footprint.”

Why Your Online Footprint Matters

That online footprint can be the first step to a rewarding new job. Or, it can be the muddy impression that rules you out as a good fit. The offhand comment or bawdy image of you on social media might have been funny to your Facebook friends. But it may be totally inappropriate for your future boss to view when it pops up in the initial Google search. Social media is a common source for negative search results. And the wisest candidates are those who ego surf and use defensive Googling to clean up those old muddy footprints before they make a career move. They know any major life change is sure to place them under intensive scrutiny.

Old arrest records, mugshots, and court cases can all appear in the massive search engine databases and affect your personal brand. When the source of negativity associated with your name is a third-party person or organization beyond your control Reputation Sciences has the proprietary digital tools you need to be prepared for that scrutiny by placing the reins of the search engine rankings in your hands.

As bad as negative search results are, no online footprint at all might be even worse. Online communication skills are frequently an indicator that a candidate is knowledgeable and able to thrive in the digital age. If your name produces no results at all in the initial search, searchers will raise doubts about your ability to use the basic business tool: the internet. Or, the screener may suspect that you’re hiding your “digital dirt” by using an alias.

As job search expert Susan Joyce points out: If you’re not ego surfing regularly, all of these factors affecting your career opportunities will be invisible to you.  

Securing Your Online Reputation

Writer Kim Komando offers some basic ego surfing tips in her 2015 article for USA Today, Why You Should Google Yourself Now. One of the basic tools is the Google Alerts feature which will keep you up to speed when your name is mentioned on the internet with a timely email.

The internet never sleeps. And the internet never forgets. The alerts are helpful in the ongoing process of defensive Googling. Komando also highlights just how much personal information is available on your Google account. A review of your Google security and privacy settings is in order.

Going beyond the original name search, Komando also wisely advises readers to search:

• current and former email addresses;
• old social media account usernames; and
• phone numbers.

This gives you the most comprehensive picture of just what’s out there.

Claiming Your Name Online

If you haven’t established a positive web presence, there are some ways to establish and enhance your personal online reputation. One of the best first steps is to establish your online identity with a detailed profile on LinkedIn. It’s one of the most reliable methods to ensure that people can find you online.

The site is respected by the Google algorithms and always ranks highly in the SERP after an initial name search. You can add modifiers such as middle name or initial. And you can include specific details such as profession and location that differentiate you from others with similar names. You can also publish a polished resume and influential posts to spotlight the positive aspects of your life. That may include working with charities or nonprofit organizations. Knowledgeable articles highlighting your communication skills are another way to take control of the online conversation about you.

LinkedIn offers a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advantage which shouldn’t be dismissed. When your LinkedIn profile appears prominently in search results, you can steer interested parties to your blog or website. You can even highlight prominent mentions in online articles or positive reviews by others.

Getting Your Head Out of the Sand to Protect Your Online Reputation

Reliance on the search engines is a two-edged sword. An established presence enables you to show up first online. And it opens the doors to a new career, as well as financial, and social opportunities. However, ignoring the effects of your online reputation can be disastrous. All of us in the digital age need to be proactive in the management of our personal reputations online. As reliance on the almighty search engines increases, this is one problem that certainly won’t go away by ignoring it.

If you’ve been repeatedly passed over for jobs, struggled to get past the application process with leasing agreements, or continuously rejected by lending institutions, it’s time to do some serious ego surfing. It’s your chance to survey the landscape of your online footprints. If your name has been associated with a mugshot of the felon who shares your name and city, you need to know about it.

Time Spent Ego Surfing is Time Well Invested

In many cases, once you are aware of a problem you have the means to take action and correct it yourself. You can clean up your social media posts and delete blogs and images which are no longer appropriate. You can increase your web presence if it’s been lacking and use ego surfing to monitor your progress.

These are good first steps to take in your personal reputation management. Just bear in mind that you don’t always have access to the delete button when the government databases or other third-parties allow access to personal information. If a particular comment or inappropriate image associated with your name has gone viral it will be quite a chore to contact each website administrator to have it removed. And even then their compliance with your wishes may not happen. Now it’s time to go beyond the basic fundamentals of personal reputation management and call in the big guns. The advanced technology at Reputation Sciences is here for you.

About Reputation Sciences

The age of digital information is an age of science. With the ever-increasing reliance on information technology that science can easily work against you if you aren’t vigilant about maintaining the valuable personal brand which is your online reputation. When science is the problem, better science is the cure.

At Reputation Sciences we have the proven proprietary digital tools that let you take control of the online conversation about you, your business, or your corporation. When you’re ready to take charge of your online reputation don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Today’s Internet: Everything Online is Permanent

In today’s digital age, it’s easy to forget that every comment, like, emoji, tweet, blog, and forum post we attach our names to is written on an unerasable whiteboard with indelible ink. Everything online is permanent. Despite assurances from the popular social media sites that we can delete at any time, the internet never forgets.

That frat party picture that everyone found so hilarious 15 years ago can disappear from specific sites. But the digital trail it blazed lingers on the internet permanently. Though you may not be able to see it, it’s out there and ready to be dug up, and what was funny for the carefree frat boy of yesteryear could be disastrous to the high profile executive he is today.

Everything Online is Permanent

There is no handy “undo” button to call back these digital bits of free-floating speech should we find ourselves in the regrettable state of “posting remorse.” In a blog post for the Princeton University Press Angelica Ana highlights the award-winning 2010 book Delete by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger which looks at the unprecedented phenomenon of “perfect remembering.”

Mayer-Schönberger’s book analyzes the unforeseen consequences in the digital age. She observes:

“Humiliating content on Facebook is enshrined in cyberspace for future employers to see.”

Add to the indelible whiteboard a dearth of outdated information, statements that have been taken out of context, compromising photos and videos, and the ultimate free-speech nature of the internet which allows anyone in the world to chime in at any time with any comment, screenshot, or file they choose.

Now consider that the indelibly inked whiteboard (with your name inscribed in bold title font at the top) is supported by technology that makes all of this data available with the click of a mouse. Today’s internet is more user-friendly than ever. And it doesn’t take an IT expert to take advantage of inexpensive cloud storage, increasingly powerful software as a service (SaaS), and easy global access. As the internet goes mobile, the worldwide whiteboard is wide open for posts from anyone with a smartphone.

In Delete, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger proposes that all information should have an expiration date. A brilliant solution, but not one which is likely to function retroactively, if it ever does happen. The book has been out since 2010. But more than 8 years later the internet is still the Wild West of unregulated, undeletable information with no expiration date.

What Happens When Professional Athletes Tweet Before They Think

Below we’ll take a look at the consequences of some prominent blunders committed by prominent athletes when they chose to venture out into the unpredictable social media world beyond the white lines. Then we’ll look at some of the solutions you can use to take charge of your web presence and control the conversation concerning your online reputation in the digital age that never forgets.

It’s a case of fighting science with science. And at Reputation Sciences, we have the proprietary digital solutions to offer control of the undeletable whiteboard of the internet. But for now, consider these cases of prominent individuals who should have thought twice before hitting the “send” button.

10-12 Million NFL Draft Dollars Up in Smoke

In 2016 Ole Miss football player Laremy Tunsil had high hopes for himself in the NFL draft for that year. The top-ranked tackle was expected to begin an illustrious NFL career from the number 1, 2, or 3 spots. Unfortunately, a picture of the talented prospect taking a bong hit with a gasmask surfaced on his Instagram account on draft day. Even though the bong picture had been shot two years prior at a fraternity house, it surfaced at just the wrong time for Tunsil.

The notorious bong picture led to text messages pirated from the young hopeful’s iCloud account. The messages discussed questionable money requests between Tunsil and the athletic director at the University of Mississippi. The disastrous timing of the two hacks is now an infamous case of malicious social media sabotage. It likely came from an embittered former “business advisor.” But that didn’t stop Tunsil from plummeting from the top 3 draft prospects at the time. The Miami Dolphins eventually picked up the left tackle at the #13 spot. That’s an estimated loss of 10 to 12 million dollars for Tunsil.

Your Past Can Always Come Back to Haunt You

Laremy Tunsil’s social media catastrophe demonstrates not only the potential for severe financial loss, but it’s an excellent example of the lingering effect of social media in the digital age. ESPN picked up screenshots of the incriminating text messages and they went viral. To this day, in 2018, Tunsil’s tarnished reputation remains because of that single bong picture. The incident is locked in for posterity, mentioned in his bio at Wikipedia, with the “draft day” fiasco appearing prominently in internet searches.

So, how was Laremy Tunsil hacked? The media circus continues to this day, involving NCAA investigators and the FBI. However, those involved are remaining tight-lipped about the incident. Apparently, the shadowy “business advisor” provided Tunsil with a new Apple device. And the naive youngster accepted an offer to have his account information transferred by that unscrupulous individual during the setup process. That’s when he broke the cardinal rule of the internet. He gave away his iCloud account password. That opened the gate to the barrage of social media attacks and the media circus which still haunts him today.

Olympic Swimmer’s Tweet Sinks Jaguar Endorsement

For Stephanie Rice, three Olympic gold medals for swimming and the Medal of the Order of Australia were no insurance. The blunt 17-character tweet cost her an endorsement and the late-model $100,000-plus Jaguar which was one of the luxurious perks of her sponsorship by Jaguar Australia.

In a burst of patriotic enthusiasm, then 22-year old Rice posted a short but ribald comment supporting her nation’s rugby victory when Australia’s Wallabies defeated South Africa’s Springboks. Rice tweeted “Suck on that f—gots” which she later admitted was done without discretion in “the excitement of the moment”, according to this report at Reuters. The 3-time gold medal winner has over 100 thousand followers on Twitter alone, so the retweets went viral and caught the attention of the ever-vigilant sports media. As they say, the rest is history.

The chagrined swimmer quickly apologized and removed the comment, but as we’ve already learned that couldn’t prevent an exponential storm of retweets heard around the world. This is one of the hazards for athletes and other prominent personalities on Twitter with huge numbers of followers.

The damage was beyond repair, despite the apologetic blog post from Rice. The Jaguar Australia general manager Kevin Goult made a public statement in a press release saying:

“Jaguar Australia today terminated its relationship with Stephanie Rice, who has been an ambassador for the Jaguar brand in Australia since the start of 2010.”

Stephanie Rice’s case underlines the fact that there is no such thing as yesterday’s news. The Reuter’s report we found as the source for this section carries the dateline SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 / 4:36 AM / 8 YEARS AGO.

Online Reputation Management: What Stephanie Rice Got Right

As an Olympic competitor, Stephanie Rice spends her career overcoming obstacles. She didn’t allow the fallout from the indiscreet tweet to rule the online conversation for long. While the internet never forgets, there are effective countermeasures you can take to prioritize what appears online. You can work to place the positive boldly at the top and suppress the negative to the bottom fine print.

When assessing Stephanie Rice’s web presence today it’s obvious that the former Olympian invested in her online reputation management strategy. A search for “Stephanie Rice Swimmer” (to distinguish her from the country singer of the same name) brings up an impressive list highlighting the positive aspects of her web presence. Stephanie has done an excellent job of “staking out her internet turf.”

Today she’s the swimmer-turned-glamour-girl, rather than the swimmer who makes homophobic tweets.

The top 3 search results include her name as a claimed domain for the website which she controls, her Instagram photos and videos, and positive YouTube video links. The infamous 8-year old tweet has a new home at the back of the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP). It ranks at about 20th overall. But eight years later, it is still there for anyone who wants to dredge it to the surface again.

How to End Your NCAA Career in 280 Characters or Less

The social media worlds of Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat can be a two-edged sword. Unfortunately, too many young athletes underestimate the lasting impact of their posts. On the one hand, 27% of college admissions officers have Googled applicants as part of the acceptance process. And a positive social media “footprint” can provide a competitive advantage. On the other hand, indiscriminate posts by carefree, innocently short-sighted high school student-athletes can nip NCAA careers in the bud, and the scholarships that come with it.

With social media “fails” becoming so prevalent among athletes at all levels, colleges are reacting with increased vigilance to reduce their chances of “press liability.” Administrators are now so sensitive to the issue that the high-school prospect who merely posts to Twitter 16 times a day may be seen as a loose cannon to be avoided because the frequency of tweets is considered “excessive,” without even considering the content of the tweets. That’s exactly what happened to a young quarterback up for a Division 1 scholarship in North Carolina, according to the article “Don’t Let One Bad Tweet Ruin an Athlete’s Future.“

Be Careful What You Tweet

High school athletes with a muddy social media trail of F-bombs, cyber-bullying, and hot-button topics can tweet themselves out of consideration. As one Rochester, NY coach wisely tweeted to his team “Never let a 280 character tweet cost you a $140,000 scholarship!”

For young athletes and students, and their concerned parents, the message is clear. You’re never too young to take personal online reputation management seriously. Concentrate your efforts on building a positive personal brand. Then you can gain an advantage in the college admissions process and the competitive world of sports scholarships, as well.

Reputation Sciences: Make ORM the Norm

ORM is the advanced digital science of Online Reputation Management. And Reputation Sciences provides the essential tools you need to control the conversation visible to the ever-expanding online world. The internet and social media are here to stay; indelible, undeletable, and compiling everything you’ve ever done online into the ultimately transparent permanent public record. Everything online is permanent. Smartphones abound, with high-resolution audio and video recording capabilities that put George Orwell’s Big Brother to shame. In the web-based world, we’re always on stage but we don’t always control the spotlight. ORM is the solution to take back that control.

All of us in the digital age are vulnerable to attacks on our online reputations. Whether attacks originate from a self-inflicted lack of experience or those reacting to a perceived injustice, they’re present. As we move up in society, we’re likely to step on a few toes. And we may not be aware of it until the “offended” party takes their revenge online.

Ex-spouses, disgruntled customers, professional rivals, rogue employees, and truly any individual can scribble all over our public profiles. That tarnishes our indelible worldwide whiteboard which records every aspect of our online reputations for public consumption. Whether we work in the spotlight or the local stage, we’re all on the worldwide stage of the digital age.

Everything Online is Permanent, but Silence is Not an Option

While everything online is permanent, hiding from the digital spotlight is not a viable solution in today’s world. If you don’t control the conversation surrounding your online reputation someone else will. Set social media aside for a minute. Even old public records have made the digital transformation from the basement file cabinet to the public internet. Mugshots, court cases, FCC violations, and arrest records are all there waiting for fresh eyes. And anyone with malicious intent or legitimate intent can evaluate your public profile for career opportunities or exploitation.

At Reputation Sciences we have the proprietary technology to protect your personal, professional, and corporate brands with a digital strategy you can count on. When you’re ready to take the reins of your online reputation and build a brand that shows you in the best possible light to the world don’t hesitate to contact us at (844) 458-6735 .

The post Everything Online is Permanent: How Your Internet History is a Public Record appeared first on Reputation Sciences.

Consider this. Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day. One billion of those are individual names. We’re searching for all types of reasons, from finding out information about a potential job candidate or board member to researching our date for Friday night. Unfortunately, Google’s algorithms do not care about making you look good. They simply sort by relevance. Therefore, it’s not surprising that 75 percent of individuals that search their own names, don’t like what they find. Needless to say, it’s imperative to understand why your online presence matters.

While anyone can be harmed by a negative online presence, business leaders, public figures and high net worth individuals are especially at risk. In fact, one study found that nearly half of a company’s corporate reputation is tied to its CEO’s reputation.

Is your online reputation helping or hurting you and your company? Let’s examine why your individual online presence matters and how you can positively cultivate it.

Why Your Online Presence Matters

Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” While those words were spoken more than 250 years ago, they hold significant meaning in today’s digital world. One post, tweet, comment or picture can set public opinion so firmly, it’s almost impossible to change. Researchers tested this evolution. They specifically looked at Twitter’s effect on public opinion and noted that it “often evolves rapidly and levels off quickly into an ordered state in which one opinion remains dominant.” The study concluded, “Once public opinion stabilizes, it’s difficult to change.”

No doubt we can all think of an example of a celebrity or politician ruining their reputation through an inappropriate picture, racist comment or just an outburst of anger that happened to be caught on video. While celebrities and politicians have a full-time public relations manager to monitor their reputation and clean up any mishaps, entrepreneurs don’t have that advantage.

Your visibility as a leader influences the whole company

The online presence of a business owner or senior level executive is directly associated with the brand of his or her company. Your online presence will impact your product or service. Pew Research Center found that 91 percent of people trust what they read in search engine results, and the Edelman Trust Barometer found that 65 percent of users trust search engine results more than any other source. The bottom line is consumers are searching online for products and services and trusting what they see. A negative online presence by either the brand itself or the individuals representing the company will affect profits.

Your online profiles can win or lose new talent

Customers aren’t the only ones affected by your online presence. Seventy-seven percent of executives say that a positive CEO reputation attracts new employees and 70 percent say it retains employees. Job candidates research companies and their leaders. Attract top talent and keep it by creating an online presence that portrays a leader your employees are proud to work for.

And, it goes both ways. Companies are also researching their candidates online. In fact, Forbes said seven years ago that “your online presence will replace your resume in 10 years.”

Your offline connections can boost your online reputation

A negative online presence also affects professional development. Imagine this scenario. An executive is being considered for a board of directors position or to give a keynote address at an important community event. Before the executive is even contacted, the selection committee does a search of his or her digital brand presence:

• What endorsements are on the LinkedIn page?
• What kind of posts are on Facebook?
• And what messaging is the candidate broadcasting on Twitter?

If a negative individual reputation is perceived, the executive will likely get passed over without even knowing he or she was a candidate.

One survey summed up the effects of a CEO with a good reputation with these five key benefits:

• Attracts investors
• Generates positive media attention
• Afford crisis protection
• Attracts new employees
• Retains current employees

How to Build and Maintain an Individual Online Presence

Just as you may have worked for years to build a good physical reputation, your online presence takes cultivation and maintenance. It’s not something that can be built or repaired in one day. There are over a billion users on Facebook alone, and it’s estimated that by next year there will be over 2.77 billion social media users around the globe. That leaves a lot of opportunity for a personal PR disaster.

You are simply not going to make every person happy 100 percent of the time. Is it a lost cause? No. You can take proactive steps to build a positive online presence.

How can you ensure your online presence is an asset and not a liability? Here are seven tips to get you started.

1. Don’t shy away

Staying away from social media or other online mediums out of fear of damaging your reputation is not an option. One study found that 93 percent of consumers adjust their shopping behavior based on reviews, comments and feedback they read online. Consumers are shaping their view of your brand based on what they see online from you personally and from your company, as well as reviews from other customers. They are using social media platforms not to just interact with each other, but to get information and make decisions. If you bow out of the online game, your competitors will rise to the top. Your customers will get to know them as individuals and build trust in their brand. Be visible. Be sociable.

2. Proactively participate

This means more than just setting up a profile on popular social media sites or industry forums. Push out quality content that positions you as a thought leader in your online community. Taking this approach allows you to take control of what you are saying, how you’re saying it and who you’re saying it to. Get to know your audience. Who’s following you? What content do they “like?” Don’t think of your personal content strategy as a self-promotion campaign. Share content on a broad range of topics that will pique the interest of your audience.

For example, consider the owner of a small financial planning office. The owner establishes himself as a thought leader by pushing out opinion pieces about investment questions, his personal thoughts about a recent conference he attended, or what he thinks about a change in legislation that affects millennials.

• Engage your audience
• Build relationships
• Answer their questions
• Take feedback

As your presence on these platforms increases, so will your presence in online searches. Consider starting a blog. A blog is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader. Get organized. Draft a content schedule. Promote your blog through your social media channels.

3. Get a little personal

Build your individual online presence by sharing some personal details, while being careful to not reveal so much that you risk your privacy. People love to see the human side of business leaders. Talk about your recent family vacation. However, do this after you’ve returned home so that you are not advertising that your home will be empty over the next week. For example, consider how sharing personal information might help attract top talent. Research shows that Millennials, who now make up the largest generation in the workforce, value things like work/life balance, family time and a volunteer spirit.

Through your personal social media account, you can post about family vacations, soccer games, a charity run you are participating in or a volunteer community board you are serving on. These posts shape perception of you as a person that cares about family and the community. As job candidates research the companies that have made offers, they are impressed with your reputation and feel that they would fit into your company’s culture. The same posts also affect your customers. One survey found that 87 percent of Americans will purchase a product because a company advocates for an issue they cared about. As you build an online presence that promotes social responsibility, your customers will translate the same values to the company you represent.

Be careful about your associations

The saying “guilty by association” certainly applies in today’s digital world. Be careful about what accounts you follow and what posts you “like.” Your followers can see this and simply “liking” a controversial post can affect your reputation. One mindless click could damage your online presence. The same principle applies when posting a news story. Always fact-check the sources. Aligning yourself with a story that turns out to be false tarnishes your credibility. Conversely, associate with the super credible. Align yourself with industry bloggers, social media influencers or other thought leaders that will add to your credibility.

Stay current

As an individual, you are constantly evolving. So your online presence should too. Old, outdated information will hurt your credibility. Regularly update your professional pages and profiles, including all social media sites, blogs, online boards and forums, and open source sites like Wikipedia. Be authentic. You are promoting yourself, but be careful to not embellish. One minor exaggeration turns into a full-blown lie, ruining your reputation.

View updating your digital presence as seriously as you would update your resume. If you wouldn’t include a photo with your resume, it’s probably not appropriate to be online either. Staying current also involves keeping up with how search engines operate and when they update their algorithms. For example, Facebook updated its search algorithm this past April to give priority to content viewed as “meaningful.” That means if you want your audience to see your feed, you need to produce quality content that they will “like,” share and comment on.

Combat negative reviews

Negative reviews do hurt. Ninety-two percent of consumers now read online reviews. Even though we usually apply negative reviews to company rating sites, individuals can have their own scores. Individual leadership might receive negative criticism on job search sites. When you hand a potential client your business card, it’s likely they will search for reviews of your company and you. What will they find? It’s difficult to control what an ex-employee, business partner or disgruntled client may write.

However, you can combat the negativity by seeking out positive reviews from colleagues, clients and both current and former employees. Nurture these positive relationships by keeping in touch through professional social media sites like LinkedIn. Comment on their content. Endorse their skills. Keep the value chain going. They will return the favor. A bunch of good reviews can offset the handful of negative ones you might get.

Monitor closely

The easiest way to monitor your online presence is to simply Google yourself. However, remember that Google does personalize search results based on the individual. So, to truly see what others see you need to sign out of your Google account or use an incognito window. This gives you neutral results, which is exactly what other searchers see. Are you happy with the top returns? Remember that over 50 percent of searchers will click on the first link. Is it actually you or someone else with your name? If it’s not you, work on your personal SEO.

One key way to do this is through your profiles on social network sites. Be sure your name is part of your handle and the profile URL. For example, on Twitter use a handle like “@myname.” On Facebook, you can claim your own personal URL with your name. It will look like www.facebook.com/yourname. Monitoring is easier than ever with tools like Rankur, Trackur, Social Mention and Google Alerts, which is free. These services will make you aware anytime your name or your company’s name appears on the Internet.

So, remember to view your online presence as a strategic asset. A positive reputation for both the company and the individuals that represent it is critical to success. Successfully building and maintaining a positive online presence requires strategy and the conscious investment of time and resources. The experts at Reputation Sciences understand why your individual online presence matters and are dedicated to helping you build a reputation that leads to personal and professional growth.

Contact us to learn more about the resources available to you.

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