Most college students don’t think that much about their online reputation and they often have no idea why it is so hard to land a serious job or gain the right kind of following online. The truth of the matter is that developing a solid online reputation takes a lot of effort and know how. If you’re not putting a lot of intention into the way that you present yourself online, then you are probably hurting yourself in the long run. If you’re not careful, you could sacrifice a lot of amazing opportunities in life simply because you didn’t have the wherewithal to project your online presence with a certain level of poise and professionalism. Here is how to improve your online reputation in college.
Take Your Social Media Accounts Seriously
There’s a good chance that you spent most of your high school years posting photos and comments on your social media accounts that were mostly intended for your friends. Unfortunately, what your friends are impressed with and what the rest of the world is impressed with are two very different things. In fact, you can probably assume that they have an inverse relationship. If you really want to improve your online reputation, then you’re going to have to go through all of your social media accounts and delete all photos and comments that make you look immature in any way. You also want to try and replace those posts with content that shows off all of your accomplishments as a college student, or that attracts the audience that your future employers might be trying to reach.
Build an Impressive Website
It’s not enough to just have a presence on social media. Some people like to use Tumblr as their website, which lives kind of between the realms of social media and website. As a college student this will do, but if you plan on developing your site further after college, then you should definitely build a legitimate website. Your own website is not only the best way for you to present yourself as a professional individual, but it’s also a great way to start a business with almost no capital if you have an entrepreneurial spirit. If you go to a prestigious college like University of New England, you can expect that many of your cohorts will be taking this kind of initiative.
Always Follow Up with People
There’s nothing that can tarnish your online reputation more than a record of not following up. Whether someone important writes you an email, messages you on social media, or writes you through your personal website, you want to make sure to get back to that person within 24 hours. If you do not reply to people quickly, then you will be seen as a flake and people often won’t give you a second chance.
Keep Everything Up to Date
One of the best ways to be at the top of your game is to always keep your website and your social accounts up to date. If it looks like you’re not keeping up with these channels, then it will be clear that your finger isn’t really on the pulse. There’s no bigger red flag than a website or social media account that hasn’t been updated in half a year.
