Social media isn’t just for sharing fun selfies or bragging about your vacation plans anymore. The line between our digital and real lives has blurred, leaving many feeling the undeniable sting of a bad online reputation—even when they’re not connected to one of their devices

There are 4 major ways social media can affect your reputation management online, and the consequences can be either positive or negative. That’s why it’s crucial to have a strong, sound strategy in place for what types of content you’ll post, when you’ll be active, and how you will respond and interact with followers.

Build, Change, or Solidify Your Reputation

Social media creates a second identity for the user; an online identity. Two part, social media is all about leveraging your online presence whether you’re a business or individual user, however, with that, comes an extreme amount of reputation management that can be easily damaged. The importance, therefore, to properly influence your online visibility must be done with careful attention.
If you aren’t careful enough, then your social media presence can actually have a negative effect on the way others perceive you online. Whether you use these sites solely for personal reasons or you are trying to cultivate a professional brand, the things you share create an image of who you are to friends, colleagues, business connections, and strangers. As such, you need to ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward on these platforms. Only by doing so can you prevent them from taking a toll on your online reputation down the line.

You may have expected us to say you should avoid social media, but that’s a mistake. In this day and age, you simply can’t afford to shy away from social media if you’re looking to build or preserve your online reputation. You will only do yourself a disservice if you underutilise social media platforms. That said, you have to use them correctly.