Bonnie Ann Cain-Woods and Valerie Trammell joined OSU PRSSA on Sept. 29 for a Social Media Makeover, or how you’re perceived online based on content shared, etc.
Future and current employers, coworkers, clients, colleagues and media could be watching your media.
They search for you through Google, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and open records (OSCN.net).
They’re looking to fact-check your resume (job title, start and end dates); what you’re saying about them, about their competition, etc.–always be positive; they’re looking at your writng samples and personality traits. Pick three traits that you’d like to portray you and strive to include them in your social media and online presence.
Case study: Marissa Chaves.
Google yourself, go back at least 10 pages and try different keywords.
Clean up your Facebook pictures, about me, groups, etc. If you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see it, take it off or untag yourself. If you’re tagged in an inappropriate pitcure in someone else’s album, untag it and any other photos in the album.
Twitter, be professional but express some of your interests. Have a variety and include people in your conversations with @ replys and hashtags #.
Future employers use this as an informal resume check–make sure your job history and information is consistant across the board.
Don’t inflate your salary–open books will give you away every time.
Check OSCN and open records. Be aware of what’s there and be prepared to talk about it. “It was poor judgment,” is a good reply.
Establish your reputation–from www.chrisbrogan.com/tag/reputation –take a decent photo of yourself (100×100 pixils are best), add photos and a location to your social media. Participate in blogging–create a wordpress.com or Blogger accout–you don’t necessarily have to blog; commenting is great, too. On Facebook be yourself, but professional. Get YouTube, Gmail and LinkedIn accounts. Add professional content.
Monitor yourself on Google–try different searches like news, blogs, Web, images, etc. Search Twitter. Create and keep up with search feeds. Watch conversations and where others tag you. Be responsive.
Maintain your reputation; keep it clean; watch out for controversial topics; point people where you want them to go through links, hyperlinks, etc.; be honest, thorough, active and interactive.
Don’t post photos with underwear showing or with sexual connotations, don’t look drunk and keep the booze out of the picture.
Stay way from awkward groups or topics like prolife, extreme views, drug use, civil disobediance, -isms, personal ads.
Don’t get comfortable with privacy settings. Expect what you’ve added online to be available to anyone. If you’re not comfortable showing it to the whole world–don’t put it online.
Just because you can delete something, doesn’t mean it’s gone from the Web. The Way Back Machine on Google has Web sites archives from the beginning of the Internet.
Thanks to Bonnie Ann Cain-Woods, Valerie Trammell, Marissa Chaves, Chris Brogan and everyone who attended.
