How to Monitor and Clean Up Your Personal Brand Online

​Your personal brand is represented online, whether you know it or not. You need to review two types of data to ensure your digital presence reflects a positive image: active and passive data. Active data includes things you intentionally share, such as social media posts and other online content. Passive data, on the other hand, consists of information you may leave behind unintentionally, like your browsing history. Regularly reviewing your online brand is essential, and while it can be time-consuming, it's important to remember that the internet never forgets. Here are some tips to help you regularly check and manage your personal brand online:

1. Review Your Social Media Accounts – Check your privacy settings, review and remove any inappropriate tags, and keep your profile information up to date. Also, look for and delete any unused accounts.
2. Google Yourself – Search for your name using different variations and do an image search to see what comes up.
3. Manage Your Email – Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters, delete old emails containing sensitive information, and tidy up your inbox.
4. Use Strong, Unique Passwords – Ensure all your social media accounts and email have strong, unique passwords for better security.

5. Review Your Browser Settings – Clear cookies and browsing history regularly. Use private browsing when on an unsecured network, or consider using privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo.
6. Use Services Like DeleteMe – These services can help you remove your data from sites that collect and sell personal information.
7. Set Up Google Alerts – Create alerts for your name to get notified whenever new information about you appears online.
8. Review, Third Party Apps – Revoke access to any third-party apps you no longer use to keep them from collecting or using your personal information.

​Thanks for reading.  Let me know if you have any questions or additional tips!
Kellie Emrich
Follow @thesocialprof on Facebook