Online Personal Brand Management

Recently, a commenter of one of b5media’s branded properties got in touch with the company about deleting a comment she had written on a blog post from 2007. Two short years ago, this commenter had not considered the effect of leaving a single comment. However, now, with the practice of Googling oneself becoming commonplace (and so it should), she realised that a search of her full name yielded a LinkedIn result in first place and the comment she had made in second.While the comment was not inappropriate, it was a glimpse into her personal life at a particularly vulnerable and sensitive time. She may have regretted sharing that much or maybe she just didn’t want that piece of information to be the second search result for clients seeking her professional help.

So what can you do to manage your online presence? Well, in this case, she kindly approached the blogging network and requested it be removed. Fair enough. However, you may not always be so lucky. What if you leave a comment or participate in something that is no longer actively managed? There may just be permanent and nasty traces of yourself on the web that you cannot erase. If that’s the case, it’s time to bury it in a Google search.

In terms of those positive things to get out there that will manage your personal brand, Seopedia.org referenced a CareerBuilder.com survey that illustrated the things that attracted hiring managers:

Hiring managers said the following information discovered on the Web helped to confirm their decision to hire a candidate:

• 64% – candidate’s background information supported their professional qualifications for the job
• 40% – candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests
• 34% – candidate had great communication skills
• 31% – candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
• 31% – got a good feel for the candidate’s personality, could see a good fit within the company culture
• 23% – other people posted great references about the candidate
• 23% – candidate was creative
• 19% – candidate received awards and accolades

Is it dangerous to have a facebook account visible to the public? Probably. But it also shows your personality which I believe is important. It can display your interests and show that you’re well-rounded. But your facebook page is not the right place to wow clients or potential employers. Think instead about a personal or professional blog.

Bottom line, if you want a blog to talk about personal or touchy subjects, write under a pseudonym and brand the blog separate from your professional branding.