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Anyone who has ever worried about a Facebook picture a friend posted from that wild frat party or the blog he kept in high school might consider online reputation management when applying to business schools. After all, more business schools are admitting to Googling applicants to see if their online rep matches the presentation of themselves in the application. Recently, Todd William (screen name: ToddWilliam), founder and chief executive of Reputation Rhino, an online reputation management company in New York, took questions from Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Francesca Di Meglio (screen name: FrancescaBW) and the public about everything from how your online reputation influences business school admissions and employment to how to create a positive image online. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
FrancescaBW: Tell us about Reputation Rhino and what you do for your clients.
ToddWilliam: Reputation Rhino is an online reputation management solutions company. We help clients promote, protect, and defend their reputations by offering reputation repair, monitoring solutions, and a unique way to promote a positive online identity by creating an optimized social media profile on the top 100 social media websites in the world.
FrancescaBW: What are some of the big mistakes people make when posting things online?
ToddWilliam: The most common mistake I see people make is thinking they are just talking to friends when they are talking to the world. And now the world has a transcript called the Internet. So, whether it is pictures from Spring Break, a blog post about an ex, or an indiscreet Twitter message, there are a lot of potential pitfalls.
FrancescaBW: What are some of the pitfalls?
ToddWilliam: The risk is that when you are applying to school or for a job or dating or trying to grow a business, you will have to explain something you wrote or posted years ago. It becomes a distraction and a disability in a very competitive job or admissions marketplace.
DWeston: I am assuming being on Facebook is completely off limits, right?
ToddWilliam: Actually, Facebook can be a great tool if you take the time to understand the privacy settings and audit your personal profile. On my blog, my most recent post will show you how to “go private” on Facebook in about a minute.
DWeston: Should we use anonymous names?
ToddWilliam: I think it is better to build your own positive image and use your real name as a tool for self-marketing and promotion.
FrancescaBW: How exactly can you promote yourself in a way that is professional? In other words, how can you use the Internet to impress the admissions committees at top business schools?
ToddWilliam: According to a 2011 Kaplan study, 80 percent of America’s top colleges and universities use social media in the recruiting process, and 70 percent of colleges [in a Schools.com survey] say that Facebook profiles of candidates are also a medium or high priority in the admissions process. To use the Internet to impress admissions, here are a few easy tips: “Like” the schools to which you are applying on Facebook, “follow” their feeds on Twitter, and “subscribe” to their YouTube channel. Most schools are using social media to build a community and share information, not to snoop. With LinkedIn and Facebook, you can reach out to alumni and faculty to create a powerful reference network. Social media allow you to demonstrate your expertise and experiences, highlight past accomplishments, and share achievements and innovations in a new way that a paper application cannot.
EHY: Should I build a website all about me?
ToddWilliam: Yes. You should build either a website or a blog that can be a digital business card. WordPress and Blogger are free and easy tools, and you don’t need to know any code to create a professional looking website in minutes. I usually advise clients who are trying to build a reputation online to “be the master of your domain”—and buy firstnamelastname.com. Or if you have a common name or happen to also be named Justin Bieber, use a middle initial or middle name.
