Who Controls Your Digital Reputation?

If you Google your name, what do you find? Does your LinkedIn profile appear? What about your professional biography? How about an article you wrote and/or were quoted in? Rather, is it something different? When you do a digital audit (Googling yourself), you learn what is said about you on the internet.

Once you learn what is on the internet about you, you can use that information to curate your digital reputation.

Want to see more? Take a minute and pull up a Google Chrome “Incognito” tab and then type in your name and city, state. What do you see?

One question we hear is, “Why is this important?”

There are few key reasons why it is important: the first is if you’re not managing your online presence, then what information are your prospects finding when they search your name? Also, if you’re not aware of your digital reputation, the internet could be filled with inaccurate information about you.

If the internet is inaccurate and you’re not trying to fix it, the internet is winning. Whatever the internet says is true (whether it’s actually true or not).

The good news is that the internet is editable. No matter what it says today, it’s editable. Posting content linked to your name will overwrite what is there today and push older information to the background of the search engine results.

By managing your online content, you can own your digital reputation. When a plan sponsor prospect is researching your experience, their parameters will include your professional biography, head-shot, LinkedIn profile and content materials that all demonstrate your retirement plan expertise and why they should hire you as their new plan advisor.

Here are 5 ways to enhance your digital reputation

1. Biography. Update the URL on your About Us biography page to include your name. Then include a professional head-shot, phone number, email address and relevant social icons. Example: www.YourCompany.com/YourName

2. LinkedIn. Make it easy for your clients, prospects and centers of influence to find you by using a custom URL. Update your LinkedIn profile webpage to your First Name and Last Name. But what if that is taken? Use your First Name, Last Name and Company Name. Example: www.linkedin.com/rebeccahourihan

3. Get social. When you regularly post on social media, your profile increases in digital importance. The more you like, share and comment, the more the social media platforms favor your profile content, which leads to your posts being displayed on the top of social media news feeds.

4. Images. Save your image files so it is easy for search engines to find you. For example, if your name is Larry Griffin, save your image as Larry_Griffin.png. Many times, we find our clients keep the names the photographers gave their head-shots, e.g. 76899_FINAL. Change that immediately! Your head-shot file name should be your name because it is much easier for search engines to identify it as you.

5. Create content. Yes, this takes time and commitment, but if you truly want to own your digital message, you need to create content. This could include blog articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, and more. By linking content to your name, you will curate your own digital reputation. When your prospects, clients and centers of influence are looking for you and wonderful pages of your content appear in their search results, you truly own your digital reputation.

Thanks for reading and Happy Marketing!

About 401(k) Marketing

We believe the retirement plan industry can do better. Our clients are the best professional retirement plan advisors and TPAs in the business. They care deeply about saving America’s retirement future. We are proud to share their voices through industry writings, professionally-designed marketing materials (including websites), and expert content collateral. We lend support by promoting businesses through ongoing awareness campaigns. www.401k-marketing.com

About Retirement Plan Marketing

Retirement Plan Marketing is a product of 401(k) Marketing and is an ongoing turnkey marketing solution for retirement plan advisors. It is an easy-to-follow, consistent marketing program designed to get you noticed in your community and generate new retirement plan sales. When you deliver relevant plan sponsor content, you add value to your conversations and can work your way up to become known as the “go-to” retirement plan advisory office. www.retirementplanmarketinginabox.com

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