Managing Your Online Rep…Your Digital Footprint Matters!

Presented by Elizabeth Ngonzi

Technology Instructor / Social Media Expert

New York University Heyman Center for Philanthropy & Fundraising

On October 29, 2011Footprint Source:

http://www.hotfrog.com/Companies/Your-Digital-Footprints

Source:http://

www.bitrebels.com/social/

facebook-has-a-huge-impact-on-

college-admissions-infographic/

• Google search results• Facebook profile• LinkedIn profile• YouTube videos• Online photos• Comments on articles / blogs / website content• Online purchases• Emails• Text messages

What’s a Digital Footprint?

• Permanently available• One of the first places people / institutions

go to check you out• Fairly easy to access• Can hurt / improve your reputation

Why Your Digital Footprint Matters

How Social Media ‘Mistakes’ Can Adversely Affect College Admission

“…One quarter of the admissions offices surveyed admitted to using both social networking sites and search engines to

investigate prospective students who were up for scholarships or candidates for “high-demand” programs. The reason?  Apparently, the close scrutiny was done to protect the school from

“potential embarrassment.”

"One example that I give is having an appropriate e-mail address," he says. "Create a

college admissions and financial aid e-mail account, so that the

colleges can use it to communicate with you, then

when you get in, close it out."

Communicating appropriately matters, too. "Texting language is

not appropriate in e-mail correspondence with admissions professionals or professors," he

says. "I tell them to be professional. Show us that you can write. Information can get lost in translation, or gives the

impression that you are in a hurry and don't really care about

getting in to college. I tell them to use good judgment with pictures

and their Facebook page."

Something To Think About

More college officials learn about applicants from Facebook

Important FactsTo Consider

Your Digital Footprint

10 Ways to Manage Your Digital Footprint

1. Search for your name / aliases on Google to see what’s out there

2. Setup a Google alert to inform you when your name shows up in a new search

3. Remove anything that can hurt you on Facebook and check the privacy settings on your Facebook account

4. Think before you comment on or “like” anything online

5. Avoid posting anything online that you wouldn’t want your mama or grandma to see

6. Don’t text anything you would be embarrassed about tomorrow

7. Be careful about the people with whom you associate online

8. Post positive information about yourself

9. Setup an email address that’s your first and last name only and create a signature that people can use easily to contact you

10. Make sure that your outgoing voicemail message is clear and doesn’t confuse callers

Setting Up a Google Alert

Source: http://www.google.com/sup

port/alerts/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=284

13&topic=28416

Checking Privacy Settings on Facebook

Source:http://

www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy

Posting Positive Information About Yourself

Source:http://

www.slideshare.net/

Posting Positive Information About Yourself

Source:https://about.me/

Setting Up Your Gmail Account and Signature

Gmail Signature Setup:https://

mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?

answer=8395

Gmail Account Setup:https://

accounts.google.com/NewAccount?

service=mail&continue=http://mail.google.com/

mail/e-11-11ce9a38850b098eb671

fac9572599-5f0495b231ec5e2ed270d58d64bad701dc94ab5

1&type=2