{"id":6010,"date":"2017-06-21T07:50:44","date_gmt":"2017-06-21T07:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=6010"},"modified":"2025-09-18T13:16:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T11:16:05","slug":"clean-online-presence-build-personal-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/clean-online-presence-build-personal-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean up your online presence to build your personal brand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your online presence is out there, and it&#8217;s already shaping the personal brand the rest of the world sees.<\/p>\n<p>And because 3 out 4 hiring managers and recruiters check the social media profiles of candidates &#8211; even when they aren\u2019t provided &#8211; your online presence might be affecting your job prospects.<a href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/money\/4307975\/here-are-the-odds-your-boss-is-snooping-on-your-social-media-profiles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><sup>1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Whether you chose not to invest time into crafting your personal brand or you want to put in the effort to design a personal brand that speaks to your goals, you do need to clean up your online presence.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_3.png\" alt=\"managers use social media to vet you\" width=\"900\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_3.png 900w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_3-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_3-768x166.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Prepare your online presence with these 3 tips<\/h4>\n<h5><strong>Action 1: Google yourself to see what your online presence looks like<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>People make decisions about you based on what they can find on the internet and 92% of companies use social media for recruiting.<a href=\"http:\/\/www.adweek.com\/digital\/social-media-recruiting\/\"><sup>2<\/sup><\/a> The easiest way for someone to check your credibility is through a simple Google search.<\/p>\n<p>So, how are you faring?<\/p>\n<p>Type your name into Google and see what comes up in the search results.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Google checklist<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Were you <strong>expecting<\/strong> the results that came up?<\/li>\n<li>Are you <strong>comfortable<\/strong> with your colleagues, clients, employer or future employer knowing this information about you?<\/li>\n<li>Does this information <strong>support<\/strong> your professional image?<\/li>\n<li>Is this information<strong> in line<\/strong> with your career aspirations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your online presence should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/boost-your-online-presence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">add credibility to your CV<\/a>, confirming who you say you are, and add a sophistication and authority to your personal brand. Ultimately, you want to make sure the information that a Google search brings up about you is accurate, updated, and reflective of your personal brand.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Set up a free Google Alert for your name to ensure you know what&#8217;s being published about you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5><strong>Action 2: Make changes to factors affecting\u00a0your online presence<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The information Google reveals is what you, and what others, have shared about you on public online platforms. Knowing what you\u2019ve got out there is the first step to shaping your personal brand moving forward.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What <strong>privacy settings<\/strong> do you currently have on your profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-to-use-linkedin-to-impact-your-career\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have anything<strong> compromising<\/strong> on any of your profiles, such as inappropriate (or out of context) photos you\u2019ve been tagged in; opinionated posts or comments you\u2019ve shared relating to sensitive topics; information in your bio that could potentially position you in a bad light?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have any <strong>inactive<\/strong> social media accounts or blogs that you may have forgotten about?<\/li>\n<li>Are you mentioned on any third party websites that could be detrimental to your personal brand? If so, can you contact that website and remove the mention?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6026\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_2.png\" alt=\"using social media to screen candidates\" width=\"900\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_2.png 900w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_2-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_2-768x166.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Shying away from joining social media channels or ensuring everything about yourself online is \u201ctop secret\u201d may also negatively impact your personal brand. An online presence is the perfect way to build your personal and professional personality, and it&#8217;s possible to enjoy a personal online presence, while maintaining the professionalism of your brand.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5><strong>Action 3: Start your personal brand, with what you already have<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>If you\u2019ve gotten this far, you\u2019ve probably succeeded in wiping the slate clean and you\u2019re ready to start the real work involved in building and defining your personal brand. The key here is to define what you want to be known for and build it into your brand from the bottom up.<\/p>\n<p>Ask yourself the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What social media profiles do you have? Do some of them need to be deleted or are you missing vital opportunities for networking by not having the right ones?<\/li>\n<li>Have you defined which social media profiles you will use to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/3-linkedin-summary-templates-guaranteed-to-get-you-noticed\">position\u00a0yourself professionally<\/a>, and which will be strictly personal?<\/li>\n<li>Are you following the right influencers on social media to ensure you\u2019re up-to-date with the relevant industry trends and changes?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have your own blog or website? Do you post regularly, and is the content you\u2019re producing positioning as you as a thought leader in your industry?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_1.png\" alt=\"personal brand quote\" width=\"900\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_1.png 900w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_1-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/online_presence_clean_up_1-768x166.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While crafting the perfect personal brand, it\u2019s important to define the consistent image you\u2019re going to be presenting. A poorly defined brand that conveys different messages and values can be detrimental to your career advancement. You\u2019ll need to take into account who you are, how others perceive you, and who you want to become professionally. If you don\u2019t define these things, the public will define them for you, by what is already available. Now is your chance to define yourself, and your career<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Want to craft an online presence that sets you apart?<\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Add a skill set to your personal brand with an online short course from one of the world\u2019s leading universities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"button large postcta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BROWSE COURSES<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><em><sup>1<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/money\/4307975\/here-are-the-odds-your-boss-is-snooping-on-your-social-media-profiles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Time<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<em> <sup>2<\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.adweek.com\/digital\/social-media-recruiting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adweek<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring clean your online presence to build credibility<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":47173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[127],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-6010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","tag-career-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Clean Up Your Online Presence To Build Your Personal Brand<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before you begin designing your personal brand you need to assess the image that is already out there for the world to see through your online presence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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