Here’s How Social Media Can Ruin Your Reputation

Ali Raza September 5, 2017 No Comments Blog

We live in a digital world with a lot of activities going on online- from shopping for groceries to hiring a freelancer for a service. Many people have come to accept the internet as part of their lives. While a lot of people use the social media as an avenue to connect with many other people for relationships, friendships, and even business patronage, hackers are inventing new means to hack privacy which can lead to disastrous occurrences if affected. Many people who have fallen prey in the past are celebrities and public figures. However, very recently, more and more people are taking to the social networking sites to promote their businesses or brands, making them also easy targets to these internet marauders.

If you are a business owner, an internet marketer or even an individual who has gathered a lot of fans on social networking sites, be careful as your reputation may be at stake!

Sites like Facebook and twitter are becoming easy targets for the internet marauders to perpetrate their evil acts. If you are an internet marketer, a public image, a business owner or just any individual, you are at risk of falling victim to the hackers’ tactics. Nevertheless, your soiled reputation can be as a result of your undoing and this the reason for this piece.

There are many ways you can get a soiled reputation either single handily or through a hacked account. With the former, you can learn to stay on the good page with fans but on the later, you can divulge your access to these hackers without your knowledge.

I will be sharing with you, how to use the social media to your advantage as an individual or a business owner to place you on a good page and not ruin your repute. Many entrepreneurs make use of forum that addresses a similar business to promote their brands and is, in fact, one of the proven ways to drive targeted traffic to your website or business. If your business has the online presence, then you want to remain on a good page with your followers, otherwise, if not used properly, you could soil your reputation.

Here are the biggest social media blunders to avoid totally to maintain a good reputation before your followers and fans.

Avoid mundane posts

Such posts are commonly called “boring posts”. If you are in a constant habit of posting contents that lack unique personality or perspective, you should stop this boring habit! No one is going to take note of posts that lack a personal tone or vibe. Some people are in a habit of repeating the same exacts opinions of others. The social media game doesn’t work this way. You don’t have to be controversial either to be heard. Even if it’s a topic on a previously discussed subject, you can invent a new opinion or perspective.

If you are at this, please, be a bit humorous. People will only follow you for your witty statement, intelligent posts or humorous contents. The number one rule is to engage your audience. Let them look forward to reading a new post from you; give them a reason to log on to Facebook or Twitter or any other social media site. It’s your page, spice it up with humorous but intelligent posts, and don’t ruin it.

Avoid using swear words

Social media was made for connecting with people and so, it should remain that way. Using swear words and insults to get back at people is a BIG No on your reputation. You can’t afford to taint an image you have worked so hard to build, do you? A lot of people make the mistake of getting disrespectful to gain attention and increase their publicity. It does work but let this sink: It isn’t the way to play the social media game. Supposing you were an entrepreneur or a public figure, do you honestly think anyone would want to associate with someone who has no respect for people? Like it or not, everybody wants to be respected. So, denying them of this, will put you off and soil your reputation.

A lot of celebrities have fallen victim of social media assaults; however, the best way to go about it, is not to retaliate. This will put you in a bad light and you will come across as someone who has no self-control. The higher you climb on social media as an entrepreneur or a public figure, expect stones to be aimed at you. The best you can do is to simply delete comments or block the cyber bully. The decision to address the issue publicly is totally up to you.

Ignoring comments by fans

A lot of celebrities may be in the habit of ignoring comments from fans; this doesn’t make it right. If you have made a post or shared a picture, you expect to get likes and comments, not so? Ignoring the comments that come thereafter isn’t cool. If anyone drops a comment, acknowledge it with a response. Who knows? You may be the next big thing. Keep your fans and followers engaged that’s the essence of social media. Ignoring the comments is like starting a conversation and whisking away into thin air.

It’s time-consuming to respond to every post back to back, but then again, remember your reputation is key to sustain your brand or business. Therefore, create a little time for this.

Failing to give credit to others

Building your reputation does not end with creating a brand and being responsive to comments. If you fail to give credit to others when due, you may come across as someone who does not have the ability to highlight other people’s success. There are notable ways to highlight people’s success on social media.

Tag people on Facebook and twitter to acknowledge a great piece of advice or endorse people within your network on LinkedIn.

Let’s assume you abide by the above rules and so think you are playing the social media game well and cannot be a victim of a soiled reputation, you should have a rethink. There are a number of scams that can soil your reputation and leave you devastated. Here are the most common tactics you should be watchful of, so you don’t get your repute soiled.

Ever seen the Facebook color changing tools?

This is a trick by the internet marauders to steal your private information to allow access to your Facebook profile so that all your Facebook friends can be spammed. The idea is for you to click the link to change your Facebook color. Once you do this, you have fallen into the deadly trap! This threat has been ongoing and people have been sharing on their profile, thereby, making the job for the hackers really easy. If you come across this on your social media timeline, ignore and walk away.