Reputation Management 101

   In October and November I’ve had a number of opportunities to present to groups of parents about Internet Safety, Social Networks and kids.  I try to do this regularly.  It’s a great way to give back to the community and talk about subjects I enjoy.

   One of the themes I often cover is Reputation Management.

   Parents are concerned that their kids share too much information online.  So much of what our kids do is documented online.  Everyone is carrying a camera and video camera with them and it all gets posted online.  For those of you who are parents with kids… imagine if there were cameras everywhere when you were young and everything you did was photographed or videoed and available for anyone to see!

   Reputation Management is simply being aware of, and controlling ones online presence.
   Here are 3 simple ways to do that:

1. Remove or untag inappropriate pictures – if your child has a photo posted that possibly shouldn't be out there, have them remove it. Or another option is to"untag" it. The tags associate names (or locations or other keywords) with the picture. If your child's name is not connected with the picture then it's a bit more difficult to find with a search, at least until facial recognition is perfected.
2. Ask friends to do the same – and if the picture was posted by someone else you can ask them to remove it or untag it.
3. Generate positive publicity – Have your child post some positive information about themselves online. Blogging is one way to do this, but not the only way. Many kids are involved in some kind of community service or charitable work. So make sure that those pictures get posted and tagged! Write an article for a local or school newspaper. Create and post some kind of positive content so that if someone searches online for your child, like a future employer or college admission counselor, that’s what they find first.

   And here are some more great ideas:


4. Blog – A blog (or weblog) is kind of like an online diary or personal space to post articles or opinions… like this site! Anyone can create a blog. Everyone has something interesting to say. There are many programs that can be used, like blogger or wordpress. So… give it a try!
5. Limit info on public profiles – this can be tough for some kids, but ask them to look at what personal information they posted to see if some can be removed.
6. Establish a LinkedIn.com profile – LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. Most people post things like resumes and work experience, school experience and other subject matter.  Someone can create a profile even if they haven’t graduated nor have a full-time job.
7. Use attribution sites like ClaimID.com or Naymz.com – both of these sites, and others like them, allow one to list what sites have information by them or about them… and what sites have information that is not about them (for instance, if someone else with the same name has social media profiles).
8. Avoid online arguments – no one wins in an online argument.  Both sides come off looking poorly.  So just let it drop.

   You may need professional help – the technical kind!

   What good Reputation Management ideas do you have?  Have you or your kids tried any of above ideas?  What are other sticky online reputation issues?