Introduction

The internet today is a bigger part of our lives than it has ever been before. It has become so intertwined with our lives that our online Reputation functions in the same way as our credit score. It won’t be wrong to say that my online reputation score is the new credit score. No official score is associated with online reputation but still its importance and significance can’t be undermined in any way. Internet searches are used by employers to screen applicants, by landlords or banks to screen applications for loans. It is also used by government agencies while deciding on grants and so on. Internet searches are widely used in today’s day and age for almost everything imaginable.

Why your online reputation is more important than you think it is

Today your chances of securing a job, getting an affordable home mortgage or renting a house is determined by your online reputation in some way or the other. Whether for a business or for a working professional, what is being said about you on the Internet carries more weight today than it has ever done in the past. What is being said or written about you is so important that it can make or break your credibility, in more ways than one. Online reputation is a lot like credit score with the only difference being that the former can’t be quantified. There is no way to check reputation score and come to a definitive figure.

As we increasingly live more of our lives online, our credibility gets more dependent on our digital footprint than ever before. This includes things being said about people on social networks, news sites, e-commerce websites and also review systems in on-demand service apps. There are millions of reviews out there for every kind of product, service and service provider. People look up these reviews are influenced by them in some or the other, and this inevitably has an impact on their eventual decision. Often it is seen that companies with bad reviews end up hurting their business in one way or the other. The perception of a company is more important to drive the majority’s willingness to buy or recommend a product, than the quality of the product.

Who is searching you online?

Your online reputation is more important than you could ever realize. People from all walks of life and all vocations search you every day, this include but are not limited to the following :-

• Hiring Managers screen the social media presence of their candidates during their hiring and applicant screening process.
• A lot of employers monitor the social media presence of their employees at some point of the job tenure.
• 60% job seekers research the business before applying for the job, or accepting the interview.
• More than 80% potential customers go through local business reviews before visiting the company.
• Many colleges have denied and continue to deny admission due to inappropriate content or social media activity

Here’s how to build a positive online reputation

Banks take your credit history into consideration because your ability or inclination to repay loans, can be judged from it. People who have a poor credit score face a lot of difficulties in securing loans in the future. The same goes with google reputation score. It takes a lot of time to cumulate and it can be, on occasions, very difficult to change. Often, most of the things that you have done on the internet are very easy to find and employers, landlords, loan agents use different ways to verify the credentials of people. You like most people may be using the internet for a diverse set of tasks which would make your online reputation difficult to monitor and repair. Fortunately for you, there are some tips that you can use to ensure that you have a positive online reputation. You can also choose to hire the services of experts who provide online reputation management services.

Here’s how to get past the online reputation screeners

If there are holes in your online reputation, it may end up harming your interests in more ways than you can realize. The prospective employer may not hire you and the landlord may not be willing to respond favorably to your tenant application. It is tough because things completely out of your control can easily impact your image online. Just like identity theft happens with credit cards, in the case of online reputation it maybe

• Any person with a grudge against you spreading rumors about you online
• A police or legal matter in which you are somehow involved and which stays on your online record
• It can be something unflattering or distasteful that you may have posted years ago, but no longer reflects the person you are currently or the values that you have
• On some occasions there might be no clarity as to where the damaging content is coming from or what the modus operandi is.

One thing is for certain. If there is information about you online and if it is negative, it will continue to harm your reputation until you take steps to minimize its harmful and negative effects.

What can you do to maintain a positive online reputation?

Credit score is somewhat like online reputation score but its ill effects cannot be changed simply by paying loans on time. It is a far more complicated process because there is no way to dispute inaccuracies in online image, as it is with credit agencies. Search engines often don’t have the time or inclination to respond to complaints and delete erroneous information. Further, if the data is sourced from reputable websites then search engines see no reason to take down information.

There is a part of online reputation you can control and some part which is beyond your control.Our advice is to control what is possible for you to control. This means thinking twice before posting anything on Social Media. Limiting your settings so that the public at large can’t see your tweets or posts and the viewing remains limited to your friends and followers. You need to think of the ramifications of your actions when you are about to post anything on the Internet.

If there is some content where someone has tagged you and it shows you in an unflattering light, you can reach to the person and request him or her to take down the status update or tweet. Almost all social media platforms allow for ways which you can use to report malicious and defamatory content. When it comes to handling factors beyond your control, it may be wise to opt for the services of an online reputation management agency. If you own a business who is suffering harmful effects of a negative online reputation then you hire expert brand reputation management services.

The post Here’s why your online reputation score is your new credit score appeared first on Course Inbox.