Some students are turning to online reputation management companies to help brand themselves, as more admissions offices check candidates’ social media profiles.
Our social media accounts can reveal so much about us. With Twitter, we’re using 280 characters or less to give insights into our personality. Sometimes rushed and offhand remarks are posted online for many to see. But what are the real-world ramifications of our careless tweets? An article in the Financial Times reveals that what you post on social media can affect your odds of getting into business school.
According to education services company Kaplan Test Prep, more than one-third of US schools now screen candidates’ social media accounts to decide who gets in and who doesn’t. Aspiring MBAs need to carefully brand themselves online to help them secure a place.
It also reveals that 61% of schools see what gets posted on social media as “fair game” to use when making admission decisions. Kaplan’s survey notes that half of the admission officers who visit candidates’ online profiles have found content that hindered applications. The importance of exercising caution with what you post online is vital. Your social media posts are under more scrutiny than ever before from potential admission boards and future employers and clients. This is where online reputation management comes in.
Some students are turning to online reputation management companies to help brand themselves. Igniyte’s Managing Partner Simon Wadsworth told the Financial Times : “A lot of our clients are University students who have found themselves in the public eye for the wrong reasons, such as being the subject of inappropriate content of a sexual nature.
Simon advises: “If the content infringes your copyright, is abusive or slanderous, we can contact Google or the website hosting it, and ask them to pull it down.”
You can read the full article in the Financial Times here.
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.
