Imagine that you, as an entrepreneur, were to meet someone for the first time. Perhaps they are a potential investor, client, or perhaps an acquaintance. What would you do before encountering them? In this day and age, the number one answer would be to type their name into a search engine. Following this, you are treated to a plethora of information about this person who was previously a stranger to you.
What you need to realize is that this isn’t a one-way process. When you research people, they are analyzing you right back. This means that other people are already arriving at a conclusion about who you are, even before they have met you. Now, this is one thing when it is an online date checking up on you. It means something completely different when it is an investor. If this sends a chill down your spine, this is good because you do need to clean up your online profile. Fortunately, here are some guidelines on how you can do this:
Table of Contents
1. Research Yourself Thoroughly
The first thing you will need to do is to see precisely what information about you is floating around on the web. This is something that becomes particularly important before starting your own venture or approaching investors. See, what is both impressive and frustrating about the internet is that nothing that is out there, ever really goes away. This includes pictures, articles, and even posts from as early as middle school (depending on your age).
So, to get an idea of the information that the worldwide web has compiled on you, you will need to type your name into a search engine. The key here is to simply skim the articles, social media pages, or sites that come up about you. If there is anything particularly negative, you should attempt to visit that page no more than once. You can take a screenshot but you should definitely avoid any future visits. You have to keep in mind that every time you visit that site you could be inadvertently causing it to move up on the search engine results page.
2. Determine How to Section Your Online Presence
In the beginning, social media was simply a means for people to connect on a personal level. Now, however, companies and businesses are just as much a part of these platforms as anyone else. When running your own organization, you will have to decide whether or not you will be separating your personal and professional profiles.
One of the options you have is to set up two separate profiles – one for your friends and family and the other for clients and business partners. This way, you have the freedom to be a bit more relaxed with your personal profile. That being said, you need to realize that in the modern digital age, it isn’t quite so simple anymore. Unless you decide to make your personal profile completely private and inaccessible to the public, you can expect some overlap between your two identities. In fact, just to be on the safe side, it is best to be very careful about what you post on your profile. You should be aware that pictures and posts may be viewed by people who are a part of your professional circle.
3. Hire Professional Services
If you want your business to succeed in an era where the internet is king, then you need to monitor your online profile vigilantly. This has several benefits for you. First, you are able to keep track of what kind of news you and your company is generating. If it is positive, you know that your particular endeavors are working. Secondly, this approach ensures that you are able to catch bad publicity immediately. This gives you the chance to begin cleaning up a potential disaster before it gains any real traction.
The truth, however, is that with all that you have going on, it will be virtually impossible for you to manage this task as well. This is why it is best to hand it over to the professionals. There are numerous companies that construct positive identities, use specific methods to help them grow, and then keep a track of them. You can learn about Online Reputation Management here and how they are one of the best businesses around.
There is no denying that maintaining a professional online persona isn’t all that easy these days. However, with a bit of time, commitment, and the right help you can keep it all under control.
About Carson Derrow
