This post was inspired and sponsored by Domain.ME, the provider of the personal domains that end in .ME. As a company, they aim to promote thought leadership to the tech world. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have You Google Searched Your Name Recently?

You might be suprised what you find, I was. After searching my full name on Google and few other search engines, I found all sorts of articles linked to my name. And, of coarse tons of social media outlets and shares. Have you thought about having a domian associeated with you, personally?

The importance of having a great domain name on the internet is very much so in this day an age. That’s where Domain.ME comes in, they will help you find just the perfect fit for you. With Domain.ME, they believe everyone should be able to represent themselves online the way they want.

Domain.ME #MentorME

According to study done by Wakefield in 2015 we don’t know what is personally online. The study shares all sorts of fascinating facts that prove that Americans are profoundly aware of the impact online information has on their personal brand. Here are a few stats to chew on about our (Your) online presence:

• Nearly one in four (24%) Americans admit to being negatively affected by information about them online. That number is even worse for millennials, nearly half of them admit to being negatively impacted.
• More than a quarter of Americans (including more than one in three millennials) now believe they are more likely to make a first impression online than they are at a party.
• 42% of Americans surveyed actually have changed their opinion about someone else based on content they saw online. Again those numbers are higher for millennials with 57% of them agreeing with that sentiment.

And for the stalkers among us, here’s some creepy stats:
• 23% search for people because a friend has mentioned them in conversation.
• 16% search people in preparation for a business meeting or work related event.
• 14% go online to check someone out before a first date or social gathering.

domain-.me_logo

So the jury is clearly out. We know that there’s all this digital information about us floating around the digital universe and it’s not always accurate or on brand! Even though we may know this, few people are actively monitoring what’s being said about them or doing anything about it! Some more surprising stats about our lackadaisical approach to our online reputation:

• More than half (53%) of Americans report that they have not monitored online information about themselves.
• As we mentioned above, a whopping 60% of Americans have never bothered to search their name on a search engine (like Google) and of those who do, less than half (47%) only do so once or twice a year.
• Of those who do search for themselves, only 1 in 5 find info that is exactly what they want to portray about themselves.

Domain.ME #MentorME

Control Your Digital Reputation

1. Go forth & search! Search for yourself regularly via Google. Set up a Google alert with your name. If you have a common name like “Jenn Smith,” add your employer, hometown or other distinguishing factors about yourself to make the search/alert more accurate.
2. Fix any wrongs: If you do see content online about you that is wrong, try to fix it. If you put it up, get rid of it. If someone else posted it, reach out to them to get them to correct it.
3. Take control of the message: While you can’t control everything that is said about you online, you can take control of your digital profile by creating your own website or starting your own blog. It’s pretty easy to secure your name with a domain that ends in .ME. On top of that, building out a site with your professional achievements, bio, awards, interests, and all the positive aspects about you is easy with as site builders that are out there today.

Just recently I have registered my Wife and I, along with my two older kids. This way I can hopefully begin the family standard in digital reputation management. Will you?