Did you know 54% of employers are deciding not to hire you based on your social media profile?
Online reputation audits for individuals are increasingly in demand. Today, and certainly in the future, your personal reputation and your professional reputation are more subject to scrutiny than ever before.
What Is Your Online Reputation
Your online reputation is like your digital first impression—it can open doors or shut them before you even realize. Whether you want to grow your career, build your business, or connect with other people, maintaining a positive online presence is essential. This means monitoring reviews, engaging in social media conversations and responding to feedback to reflect the best version of you, the one you want the world to see. By taking the first steps and being proactive, you can start taking charge of how people perceive you and make sure your online reputation works in your favor.
Why Your Online Reputation Matters
What people see when they search for you online, and what other people are saying about you in the press, social media, online forums, profiles and more have a huge influence on how people perceive you. We’re talking about everyone from your professional circle and employers to your family, friends and the communities you live and work in.
Try it yourself, Google your name and see what comes up in the search results. Focus particularly on that first page of results, which is the online equivalent of the front page of a national newspaper – aka your ‘headlines’.
- Are you visible?
- Do you like what you see?
- Does it reflect you in a good light, would you trust you?
- Would you hire you, or do business with you?
- Would you want to be associated with you?
- Does it really reflect who you are now?
- Or, is the past interfering with your future?
An online reputation audit discovers, and assesses, all of the above and more.
Ready to improve your online presence? Contact Igniyte for a free consultation today.
DIY Online Reputation Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide
Conducting an online reputation audit for yourself can be a great way to start taking control of how you’re seen online. Heres an easy-to-follow guide to help you take charge of your online presence and show yourself in the best light.
Identify Key Search Terms
Start by brainstorming a list of words people might use to look you up. Include:
- Your full name (and any variations or nicknames).
- Your job title, industry, or business name (if you have one).
- Any achievements, projects or things that might stand out
Perform a Thorough Search
Search for each term on multiple search engines, like Google and Bing.
Steps to follow:
- Search your name and associated terms, then check the first few pages of results.
- Use the image and video tabs to see if any pictures or clips linked to you appear.
- Check related searches or suggestions to uncover additional mentions.
Look at what stands out, whether it’s an outdated article, an unflattering photo or even a great review.
Take a look at these results as if you were a stranger finding you for the first time. How is it looking?
How to Audit Your Social Media Accounts
Social media profiles are often the first place people look, especially employers. Take a critical look at your accounts and posts.
Ask yourself:
- Does the content show who I am?
- Are there any old posts that could be misinterpreted?
- Are my privacy settings set properly?
- Does my profile photo look professional?
Imagine a potential employer scrolling through your social media—what would they think?
Monitor any online reviews
One of the most critical aspects of your online reputation management is online review management. Reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook can influence the way that people see you. Monitoring these review sites and responding to feedback in a timely and professional manner can help improve your image. Positive reviews can enhance your credibility while addressing negative reviews will work against you.
Getting started with an online reputation management strategy
Once you have done an audit of yourself online, you could have a go at improving your reputation online.
Go through past posts and delete or archive anything irrelevant or that doesn’t align with how you want to be perceived. Update your bios to ensure they highlight your current roles and goals. Consider launching a reputation management campaign to systematically address and improve your online presence.
Address the Negatives and Build the Positives
If you come across negative mentions or online reviews, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to manage them:
- Reach out to site owners to correct outdated or false information or online reviews.
- Gathering customer feedback can also provide insights into areas that need improvement.
- Create fresh, positive content to push negative online reviews further down in search results.
- Respond professionally to critical reviews or comments where appropriate.
At the same time, work to strengthen the positives by sharing your successes online, publishing thought leadership pieces or updating your LinkedIn profile. Actively engaging with your audience also helps build a strong, positive presence.
Crisis Communication
Crises can pop up out of nowhere online, and how you handle them can either protect or damage your reputation. Crisis communication is about being ready to deal with tough situations, whether it’s a negative review or backlash on social media. Key steps include having a clear plan in place, responding to criticism quickly and professionally, and taking action to reduce the fallout. Being prepared means you can tackle issues calmly, protect your reputation, and move forward with confidence.
Monitor Your Online Presence
Set up tools to monitor your reputation going forward. Google Alerts is a good starting point, but you can also use platforms like Mention to keep an eye on new mentions across the web.
Keeping up with your online reputation doesn’t have to be a one-time task—schedule regular check-ins every few months to ensure you stay on top of any changes.
By following these steps, you can stay in control of your digital footprint and ensure that your online reputation reflects the person you want the world to see.
When to Call in the Experts
You can conduct a DIY online reputation audit, but you should really think about hiring a reputation management company with a proven track record in auditing and improving personal reputations. A DIY online reputation audit is time-consuming and probably won’t uncover everything you need to know. But, a rigorous professional audit of your personal online reputation will reveal everything you need. AND your reputation experts will evaluate, interpret it, and tell you what to do about it.
Online reputation management companies use specialist tools and tactics to conduct personal online reputation audits. And, they know exactly what it takes to build and protect your personal reputation online.
A professional online reputation audit should reveal:
- What people are saying about you online, where and when.
- Your search engine results – visibility is key.
- An assessment of your online sites, profiles, social media accounts, any content, PR, images, videos and more.
- An assessment of ranking content/sites/forums and more.
- The factors that are driving people’s personal and professional perceptions about you.
- How positives and negatives are affecting your personal online reputation.
- Actions for dealing with negative content online.
- Actions for promoting existing positive content online.
- A strategy/action plan with recommendations for short and long-term success.
A professional personal online reputation audit is worth the investment. Data-rich insight enables you to:
- Understand what your personal and professional online reputation is.
- Examine how you measure up against your peers.
- Identify what to do to improve your search results.
An online reputation audit should also evaluate how effective your own online activity is and the key influencers/peers.
Key Insights from an Igniyte Audit
At Igniyte, we work with individuals from around the world to audit their online reputations. People in business – from CEOs, entrepreneurs and senior directors in large corporates and small businesses – to celebrities, sportsmen and sportswomen and government officials. And professionals and members of the public caught up in a media crisis.
We use their audit findings and recommendations to improve their search results and reputations. An Igniyte Personal Reputation Audit uses specialist tools to dive into your online reputation and recommends improvements to influence all your audiences.
If your online reputation audit uncovers good results that’s great. You can maintain and build on a positive reputation. But, if your online reputation audit uncovers anything negative, you’ll want to address it quickly. A good online reputation audit will highlight HOW.
Negative results are a huge worry for individuals. But highly visible positive search results on page 1, really influence perception, reputation, trust, and opportunities, which is why it pays to look after your online reputation.
Ready to improve your online presence? Contact Igniyte for a free consultation today.
Addressing Concerns and Benefits of an Online Reputation Audit
Your online reputation is a digital extension of your personal and professional identity. For many, it’s the first impression others have before meeting you in person or considering you for an opportunity. A poor online presence—or worse, a negative one—can have lasting consequences. A thorough audit can help you understand and improve your image.
The Impact of a Poor Online Reputation
Imagine missing out on a job interview because of an outdated social media post, or losing a client because negative search results overshadow your professional achievements. Here’s how a poor online reputation can affect you:
- Missed Career Opportunities: Employers are increasingly using search engines and social media to vet candidates. A lack of visibility or unflattering search results can cause hesitation.
- Tarnished Professional Image: Negative news articles, bad reviews, or unprofessional content on social media can damage your reputation and how peers, employers, and clients perceive you.
- Lost Business Deals: Entrepreneurs and freelancers risk losing clients if their online reputation suggests unreliability or controversy.
- Personal Stress: Constantly worrying about what others may find online can be emotionally draining and impact self-confidence.
Why Invest in a Professional Reputation Audit?
A professional online reputation audit provides actionable insights to help you regain control of your online narrative. Here’s what makes it invaluable:
- Increased Trust: A positive online presence builds credibility, ensuring employers, clients, and peers see you as trustworthy and professional.
- Better Opportunities: From career advancements to new business ventures, a polished reputation can open doors you didn’t know existed.
- Proactive Crisis Management: Addressing negative content early helps you control the damage and prevent long-term consequences.
- Expert Insights: Professionals uncover hidden content—good and bad—that you might miss during a DIY audit. They provide tailored strategies for improvement.
- Streamlined Process: Conducting an audit on your own is time-intensive and may lack thoroughness. Professionals use advanced tools and expertise to deliver comprehensive results quickly.
Taking charge of your online reputation isn’t just about damage control; it’s about positioning yourself for long-term success. With the right support, you can transform your online presence from a liability into an asset.
Online reputation facts and stats – for individuals
- 93% of recruiters say LinkedIn is the most popular in-house digital recruitment platform.
- What’s also worth knowing is that 70% of employers are actively using social media to screen potential candidates and 57% of employers are less likely to interview you if they can’t find you.
- If employers see something they don’t like, it heavily influences their decision-making – 54% of employers are deciding not to hire you based on your social media profiles.
- 69% of job seekers are likely to reject a job offer from a company with a bad reputation.
- A strong online presence is essential for securing more business online.
- Consumers expect brands to respond promptly to inquiries on social media, with 79% expecting a reply within 24 hours.
Ready to improve your online presence? Contact Igniyte for a free consultation today.
An experienced digital PR, marketing and social media marketing strategist, Claire leads PR strategy and delivery at Igniyte across multiple countries and sectors.
With 16 years’ experience in marketing, communications and PR, she seamlessly directs all elements of B2B and B2C online PR to gain high-ranking positive coverage for our clients in regional, national, international and specialist online media – and she helps ensure that any risks are managed and mitigated.
