Clean Up Your Social Media Image

Though social media can definitely be positive, sometimes you might find that it has caused you more harm than good. Perhaps in the past you have used your social media to post some not so flattering information, or perhaps others have posted negative things about you, and you are looking to clean up your accounts and rebrand your image. This can be achieved through assessing all of the information that can be found about you online, changing your privacy settings, and posting positive information to replace the negative.

Steps

Scanning the Web

1. Google yourself. Doing a simple Google search of yourself will alert you to what information or pictures come up about you. This will help you better assess what things you need to change or add so that the message people see is more positive.
   • Do an incognito Google search to see what the results are. You can open an incognito browser on your phone or computer.
   • You can open an incognito tab in Chrome by clicking the three vertical dots or horizontal lines in the top right corner of your browser and selecting “open an incognito tab.”
   • On a phone, if you open your browser, you can often select the icon that looks like two sheets of paper or two rectangles on top of each other. Once you select that, you can enter into “private mode.”
2. Google different variations of your name and identity. After doing an initial Google search of your name, do a few more detailed searches. Search for your first and middle names. Search for your first and last name and the city that you live in. Search for your name and the company you currently work for.
   • There are likely dozens of people with your name but if you search for yourself in a more detailed manner, you may find more information.
3. Go onto Facebook and see how different friends see your page. Facebook has a feature that will allow you to view your page from the perspective of other’s viewpoints. You can simply go to your profile, click the ellipsis by “View activity log” and click “View As”. From here, you can view your page from the perspective of others.
   • You might also consider making another temporary Facebook page that you can use to see how your profile looks to those who you are not friends with.

Cleansing Your Pages

1. Remove any embarrassing photos or pictures. The first step you can take in your social media cleanse journey is to delete any inappropriate or unflattering photos of yourself. Should an employer or school search your name or social media accounts, you don’t want them to find photos of you behaving poorly or engaging in any illicit behavior. Consider deleting photos that depict any of the following activities:
   • Drug or alcohol use or photos of you under the influence
   • Sexual behavior
   • Nudity
   • Use of any gang signs or lewd hand gestures
2. Request removal of these images, if necessary. If you did not personally post the picture, you may need to request removal either from the social media site or from the person who posted it. You can untag these photos so that they don’t show up on your personal pages, but be aware that these images will still be online unless you get them removed.
3. Review and delete any inappropriate statuses or comments. Though this might take some time, go through and review any negative statuses, tweets, or blog posts you may have put out. Delete anything related to sex or drugs or anything you may have posted that could be construed as racist, sexist, or homophobic.
   • Exert extreme caution when posting anything in the future.
4. Clean up your friends list. Though employers will not likely care how many friends you have on facebook, you may notice that some on your friends list tag you in inappropriate or spammy posts. Delete any such friends so that they do not damage your online image.
   • If you don’t want to delete them, consider reporting them when they tag you in such things or edit your settings to prevent them from tagging you.
5. Trim down your apps. If you find that you are not truly utilizing all of your social media that much or that you have not checked one for months or years, consider deleting some of your accounts. The less you have, the easier it will be to monitor.
   • Delete any unnecessary apps that you have added onto your social media. For instance, perhaps you play a lot of games on Facebook that crowds your wall or your friend’s newsfeed. Edit your settings so you are not posting each time you play.
6. Try a social media cleansing service. One way to do all of this cleansing a bit quicker is to utilize online services designed to assess problem areas on your social media sites. Consider using websites like Rep’nUp or Reputation defender.
7. Start over. At the end of the day, you may have entirely too much to delete. If you feel this is true, you can simply delete all of your social media accounts and start from scratch. This will allow you to be much more intentional with what you post and who you add from here on after. It will also alleviate your worries about what others might or might not being seeing on your pages.

Maintaining Privacy

1. Set profiles to private. In addition to cleaning up your image, you can also work to maintain more privacy so that only those you want to see your information are viewing it. Set all of your accounts to private, particularly while you are still in the clean up stages.
2. Restrict tagging. You can also restrict who and when you are tagged in any posts. Go into the settings of your social media accounts and request to be sent a notification before being tagged in a picture or post.
3. Don’t use your full name. Another way to establish some privacy online is by not using your full name online. This will make it more difficult for others to find your pages. Consider using only your first and middle name and not your last name for your social media sites if you are looking to keep a low profile.

Sharing Positive Content

1. Flood your pages with information that is positive and interesting. Just as important as it is to remove any negative things from your social media, it is imperative to replace it with positive posts. Share articles that are factual, interesting, and non-inflammatory. Share positive posts about your life, family, and job. This will serve to replace any negative information that was previously circulating.
2. Create a blog or website that is related to your interests or career. Another way to create a more positive online footprint is to create a blog or website that markets you and your skills positively. Consider creating a blog writing about any interests, whether personal or professional, that you might have. Create a website that showcases your talents.
   • When people google search you, this may be the first thing that comes up, so make sure that it is quality.
3. Have mature sounding social media names and email accounts. Make sure that any email addresses or social media names that you are using are positive and appropriate. When in doubt over what name to use, simply use your first and middle name. For email accounts, use your first and last name.
   • An example might be heather.chavis@123.com
4. Chose a good profile picture. Choose a profile picture of you that is good quality, flattering, and not revealing. You can use your professional headshot or a picture of you doing something positive like volunteering or spending time with family.
   • Make sure that your eyes are open, as well.
5. Like or follow positive pages. You can also like and follow other pages to further rebrand yourself. Follow people whose work aligns with your interests. Share any articles or posts that interest you from these pages. Unfollow any pages that are lewd or obscene in any way.
6. Consider hiring an image consultant. If you are looking to start a business or are recovering from a particularly damaging scandal, you may want to hire an image consultant to help you clean up your online footprint. This person will be able to instruct how and when to post certain information. They will also be able to assist you in deleting or spinning any negative information about you.
7. Think before posting anything. Finally, as you are entering into this new, cleaner social media presence that you have created, strive to maintain it. Before you post anything, ask yourself the following questions:
   • Is this true?
   • Is this positive?
   • How would I think of someone else if they posted this?
   • Will it bring joy to others?

Tips

• Get any mugshots or police reports removed through using a mugshot removal site, contacting your local court system, or hiring an attorney.
• Remaining calm after your search, even if you find some unflattering or untrue posts about yourself. Take some deep breaths, step away from the computer for a few moments, and then plan a course of action.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Block Someone's WeChat Moments on Android
• Post WeChat Moments on Android
• Ditch Social Media While on Vacation
• Stay Off Social Media
• Deal with an Internet Troll
• Defeat a Social Networking Addiction
• Use the Functions of WeChat
• Avoid Being Stalked on Social Media
• Deal with Not Having a Facebook or MySpace
• Use Tumblr

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