If you haven’t figured it out already, personal branding is imperative for many professionals, no matter if you’re a job seeker or a highly successful CEO for a Fortune 500 company. Additionally, how you portray yourself online can directly contribute to your personal brand, even if you don’t think you have a lot to worry about. How is this possible? By your online footprint.
Your online footprint is literally the footprint you’ve left behind based on your online activity. Like an actual footprint, it may leave a mark in whatever you decide to step on, whether you’re arguing politics or promoting your job hunt.
However, unlike a footprint in the sand that’s bound to fade away, your online footprint is much harder to erase. Simply put, the Internet is written in ink. Whatever you do or say can have a large impact on your personal brand because it can always be traced back to you, even if you’ve deleted the issue.
However, by proactively realizing that you need to take care of your online footprint before you land yourself in a mess, you are taking the first step to ensure you’re on the fast track to positive personal branding. What tactics should you actually use though?
●Figure out what kind of brand you want to portray
●Erase all platforms you don’t use
●Defriend, unfollow, and block those that pose a negative risk to your online footprint
●Use MyWebCareer as a personal brand resource to weed out the bad and get suggestions to obtain the good
●Commit yourself to promoting positive content, posting industry related news and comments, and creating a brand that equates a quality image, not a negative one
Sure, it may take a while to reach a level that you’re happy with, particularly if you have some negative content within your personal brand. However, the sooner you take care of your online footprint, the more control you will have over your brand, which may translate into a job, a promotion, or even a recommendation from an influencer.
Remember, the Web has already given you the tools and resources you need to be successful. You just need to use them properly. So, the question is, what are you waiting for?
Is your online footprint affecting your personal brand? How?