Social media is a wonderful thing. It keeps you connected to your loved ones, friends, and strangers. It can be beneficial for businesses, as it allows you to easily connect with customers, and it can even help you improve your brand.
You are being judged based on what you post online. This includes your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin. Your digital footprint is being viewed by people all over the world, including your mom, future or current employers, and even family members. What does your digital footprint say about you?
You’re probably familiar with the idea of clearing out your workspace seasonally to improve your workflow and clearer your head space. But what about your social media accounts? To improve your digital footprint, give your online presence a makeover.
This checklist will help you get started.
You might consider deleting any offensive photos, videos or posts, discriminatory comments (either from yourself or friends), and any posts that are negative about a former employer or business.
You might consider adding: content that reflects your honesty and community, a professional appearance, and a positive personality.
Take a look at your social media through the eyes of a decision-maker. Is there anything in your content that raises red flags? Does it offend anyone else? If so, you should take it down
Don’t take too many selfies. Take a look at your social media pages as if they were your hiring managers. Are your pages full of filtered selfies with duck lips? You might consider deleting some, but not all of these selfies.
Are you running an online blog?
- Re-read your blogs to ensure they are consistent with the image you want.
- You can Google yourself. You should immediately address any images or negative content you find.
Take the time to go through all your social media channels. Make sure to review your profile and blurbs. You can remove any pages, books, movies that you have liked. This could reflect badly on you.
Make sure you are reviewing your privacy settings. You can manage your privacy settings and prevent tagging without permission.
Modify your Twitter feed. Any questionable tweets? They could come back to bite even if they’re 10+ years old. You should delete them.
All accounts that are not in use should be deactivated. It is important that you do not leave any personal information unchecked online. Otherwise, it could be misused by strangers without your permission.
Remember that what goes online stays online. Although social media can be a great way to build a positive reputation it is just as easy to make a bad one. Be mindful of what you share and don’t post anything that could cause embarrassment to you, your friends, or your company.
- Social media is a dangerous topic.
- Follow these best practices to stay safe when using social media.
- Do not share too many personal details on social media
When you travel, don’t give out your phone number, email address, or address. This includes sensitive photos and financial information. This information is used by identity thieves to track your movements and hack into accounts.
- One of the most important gateways to malware is social media
Short links and ads can be used to spread malware. Pay attention to what you click! To see the correct URL, hover your mouse over it. It will be located in the lower left corner of your browser.
- Catfishing is one of the biggest problems with online dating and social media.
Catfishing is when an individual uses a fake online identity to find relationships. While this individual might be bored or just trying to make friends online, the motives of catfishing can often be more sinister. Some catfish are out to get revenge or steal personal information and money. You can spot a catfish by looking out for the following signs: They are too good to be true, their profile is incomplete or new; they move fast in the relationship; and they won’t meet you.
- Excited about your upcoming vacation? It’s great, but don’t share it on social media
If you reveal your vacation plans online, it’s a signal that strangers have the right time to enter your home and steal your belongings.
Are you able to access social media from your smartphone?
If your phone is stolen or lost, ensure that it is password protected so that you can remotely wipe it. Strangers shouldn’t have access to your data and conversations. This could lead to a loss of reputation.
Accept no friend requests. It can be dangerous to grant strangers access, especially if your sensitive information is shared. Followers and friends should be careful!
Please read the privacy policies
Although it can be difficult to understand and read the policies, you should make sure that you are comfortable with how each social media site uses your data. You can also customize your privacy settings to limit who can view your content.
