Coined sometime in the mid-1990’s, though nobody is positive by whom, the term “social media” wouldn’t become household for another 20 years.
\r\nToday, Facebook, Google, and other heavy hitters in the Internet industry are making a push to get the whole world connected sooner rather than later, hearkening to a future where everybody on the planet is always online, all of the time.
\r\nOlder folks will remember a time before the Internet, back before AOL startup CDs marauded mailboxes monthly, and before the sound of the Internet groaning to life preceded every session of “surfing” the World Wide Web.
\r\nPrivacy was a different thing back then. It existed on its own, without the word “settings” or “policy” attached as suffixes. Finding somebody meant looking them up in the local phonebook, provided that they were actually listed.
\r\nToday, social media has replaced the archaic phonebook, and in the same way, we’ve lost the white and yellow pages, the line between the personal self and the professional brand has also been blurred.
\r\nAs the web has evolved and grown more complex as a technology over time, so has our relationship with the web itself. Our identities live online, as do our bank account numbers, our lists of friends, and every public tweet, status update, and pin.
\r\nRelated Article: Real Talk: 6 Things No One Told You About Personal Branding
\r\nWe are no longer simply living with the Internet, we are living in it.
\r\nOnce dismissed as an impossibility, we now live in a time where a business that can survive without the Internet, let alone a social media profile of some kind, is very rare. In the same way, human beings without connected social media profiles or a digital/social footprint are also rare. We all know somebody (who knows somebody that knows somebody) who lives “off grid,” but, for most of us, that simply isn’t possible--especially if that grid is how we make a living!
\r\nKashmir Hill, a writer for Forbes, calls our obsession with the Internet, and more specifically, with social media, “digital dope”. She points out that social media has permeated our lives so completely, that most of us won’t trust somebody if they don’t have a profile on the Internet, preferring to believe that they’re more likely hiding something than that they’re technologically illiterate or simply “opting out”. Some might even go so far as to call the inability to be contacted easily at all times “socially irresponsible”.
\r\nInterestingly enough, the rules (or what you might call the “social norm”) regarding Internet visibility for both businesses and individuals have become almost indistinguishable, and this is why those with a career in blogging are poised so opportunely to succeed.
\r\nMarc Ecko, in his 2015 book \"Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out\", makes one of the most significant statements that an entrepreneur in the modern era should pay attention to. He says: “I am a brand, but I am not a label, you too are a brand.
\r\nWhether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not. A brand is not skin-deep. Labels are skin-deep, but a brand, a true, authentic brand, is made of blood and bones, skin and organs. A brand has a heartbeat.”
\r\nThis quote says a lot. It brings to attention the fact that even if you aren’t “self-employed” that you are still always visible to the rest of the world, “advertising” yourself via your social and digital footprint. That footprint is the closest thing the majority of this world will come to experiencing the “blood and bones, skin and organs” that makes up you.
\r\nThis is what the world sees as “your most authentic self,” and whether you think it’s mixed in with your personal brand or not, the rest of the world will associate your brand with the flesh and bone “you”.
\r\nRelated Article: You Are Your Best Asset: The Importance of a Personal Brand on Social Media
\r\nThe fact that fresh high school and college grads are regularly advised to review and purge their social footprints to appear more appealing during the job search serves well to prove this point, as does the fact that 48 percent of hiring managers in 2015 decided not to hire a candidate due to something they found on social media.
\r\nWith Internet Marketers, the stakes are even higher. Both a blog and its writers are constantly criticized for their authenticity. A faceless brand, even if it does have a social profile, is bound to be much less trusted than a brand with a spokesperson.
\r\nIn the same way, a blog without an author (beyond the “default” WordPress account it comes with) will not gain, and I daresay does not deserve to gain, the trust of its readers. Even bloggers that use pen names will either merge or create new social and digital footprints with and for those names.
\r\nThis is called providing social proof when applied to conventional business, and represents an opportunity for real people to connect with what they see as an “authentic” brand, but be wary. As the title of this article states, you can also be broken by your social footprint, and it’s much easier to do than you think.
\r\nFrom Home Depot’s infamous race-related Twitter debacle to Pigalle chef Marc Orfaly’s reprehensible Facebook tirade, it seems like the world can’t go a week without somebody attracting the collective ire of the Internet. Watching what you say in terms of political correctness and authenticity are going to go a long way.
\r\nTo put it more simply, you should always simply be polite and tell the truth. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t strive to be yourself on social media, or to say that you can’t make jokes or be risqué, it just means that you really need to watch what you say. One bad joke could mean the end of your career.
\r\nJustine Sacco provides the perfect example of a tweet gone wrong and how it can flip a person and their brand upside down. For anybody unfamiliar, Sacco, a PR rep with 170 followers at the time, tweeted a racially insensitive joke before boarding an international flight to South Africa.
\r\nBy the time she landed, her tweet was the number one trending topic on Twitter. She ended up deleting her account after being fired by her employer and goes down as one of the most well-known victims of online shaming in recent history.
\r\nIn the most extreme cases, losing your job, damaging your personal brand, and pissing off the entire world is just the tip of the iceberg. Just as social media can be used as evidence in civil suits, misuse of social media can also bring business lawsuits to self-branding entrepreneurs and freelancers.
\r\nInc.com’s advice on how to avoid a social media lawsuit mentions that copyright and trademark laws, FTC advertising laws, privacy laws, and laws concerning illegal app development are what most brands usually end up in hot water over violating. Illegal app development is the doozy here, as people and companies that use social media for promotion are generally most at risk of running illegal social media contests without even knowing it.
\r\nRelated Article: \"Formula for Success\" Series: How to Build Your Personal Brand
\r\nThe takeaway here is to remember that you, as a participant in the most connected time in history, are the living, breathing, flesh and blood embodiment of your business. Your social media efforts, and, in effect, your social footprint, can either be one of your greatest tools for driving traffic, or your personal brand’s death knell.
\r\nOhio University has a great infographic about the types of interactions a business might encounter on social media, many who are embracing “brand you” would do well to study and heed the advice give.
\r\nNevertheless, the most applicable piece of advice anybody on the Internet can follow regarding their social footprint can be summed up as such: Be authentic, be professional, and be nice, otherwise, don’t be surprised if you end up as one of the most hated people on the Internet.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_04a0b62d2ed48a4e6057e31db40884e0","lastModified":"2016-06-06T22:00:00.000Z","published":"2016-06-06T22:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":"How to Embrace Brand \"You\"","template":"legacy","title":"Digital Authenticity: How Your Social Footprint Can Make or Break Your Online Efforts","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"Andy O. is a writer, business owner, and artist out of Boise, ID. He likes writing about tech, business, and everything in between.","name":"Andy O. Heikkila","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/andrew.heikkila","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewheikkila","twitter":"andyo_thehammer","website":"http://earthlingsentertainment.com"},"status":"disabled","title":null,"type":"Old BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/undefined","profile":null}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Marketing","slug":"marketing"},"sub":{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"You, as a participant in the most connected time in history, are the living, breathing, embodiment of your business. Embrace brand \"you\".","title":"Your Social Footprint Can Make or Break - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[],"json":[{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Coined sometime in the mid-1990’s, though nobody is positive by whom, the term “social media” wouldn’t become household for another 20 years."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" Today, Facebook, Google, and other heavy hitters in the Internet industry are making a push to get the whole world connected sooner rather than later, hearkening to a future where everybody on the planet is always online, all of the time."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Older folks will remember a time before the Internet, back before AOL startup CDs marauded mailboxes monthly, and before the "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsNaR6FRuO0","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["sound of the Internet groaning to life"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" preceded every session of “surfing” the World Wide Web. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Privacy was a different thing back then. It existed on its own, without the word “settings” or “policy” attached as suffixes. Finding somebody meant looking them up in the local phonebook, provided that they were actually listed."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Today, social media has replaced the archaic phonebook, and in the same way, we’ve lost the white and yellow pages, the line between the personal self and the professional brand has also been blurred. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["As the web has evolved and grown more complex as a technology over time, so has our relationship with the web itself. Our identities live online, as do our bank account numbers, our lists of friends, and every public tweet, status update, and pin."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/careers/6-things-nobody-told-you-about-personal-branding/"},"children":["Real Talk: 6 Things No One Told You About Personal Branding"]}]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["We are no longer simply living "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["with"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" the Internet, we are living "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["in"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" it."]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["From Making a Living in It, to Simply Living in It"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Once "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.newsweek.com/clifford-stoll-why-web-wont-be-nirvana-185306","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["dismissed as an impossibility"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[", we now live in a time where a business that can survive without the Internet, let alone a social media profile of some kind, is very rare. In the same way, human beings without connected social media profiles or a digital/social footprint are also rare. We all know somebody (who knows somebody that knows somebody) who lives “off grid,” but, for most of us, that simply isn’t possible--especially if that grid is how we make a living!"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Kashmir Hill, a writer for ",{"component":"i","children":["Forbes"]},", calls our obsession with the Internet, and more specifically, with social media, “digital dope”. She points out that social media has permeated our lives so completely, that most of us "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/08/06/beware-tech-abandoners-people-without-facebook-accounts-are-suspicious/#5b0a622c8456","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["won’t trust somebody if they don’t have a profile"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" on the Internet, preferring to believe that they’re more likely hiding something than that they’re technologically illiterate or simply “opting out”. Some might even go so far as to call the inability to be contacted easily at all times “socially irresponsible”."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Interestingly enough, the rules (or what you might call the “social norm”) regarding Internet visibility for both businesses and individuals have become almost indistinguishable, and this is why those with a career in blogging are poised so opportunely to succeed."]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["You Are a Personal Brand, Whether You Like It or Not"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Marc Ecko, in his 2015 book \""]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out\""]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[", makes one of the most significant statements that an entrepreneur in the modern era should pay attention to. "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://books.google.com/books?id=4rO2CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=you+too+are+a+brand+whether+you+know+it+or+not&source=bl&ots=W4OVf7fPv6&sig=QhNzaYV_uZi9uKXZGpNDt3YjHIM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXnLm6t5vMAhXDuoMKHeqkBvEQ6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=you%20too%20are%20a%20brand%20whether%20you%20know%20it%20or%20not&f=false","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["He says"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[": “I am a brand, but I am not a label, you too are a brand. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not. A brand is not skin-deep. Labels are skin-deep, but a brand, a true, authentic brand, is made of blood and bones, skin and organs. A brand has a heartbeat.”"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["This quote says a lot. It brings to attention the fact that even if you aren’t “self-employed” that you are still always visible to the rest of the world, “advertising” yourself via your social and digital footprint. That footprint is the closest thing the majority of this world will come to experiencing the “blood and bones, skin and organs” that makes up you. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["This is what the world sees as “your most authentic self,” and whether "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["you"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" think it’s mixed in with your personal brand or not, the rest of the world will associate your brand with the flesh and bone “you”."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/social-media-marketing/you-are-your-best-asset-the-importance-of-a-personal-brand-on-social-media/"},"children":["You Are Your Best Asset: The Importance of a Personal Brand on Social Media"]}]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["The fact that fresh high school and college grads are regularly advised to "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://blog.bookbyte.com/2014/09/11/graduated-starting-a-career-time-to-clean-up-your-social-footprint/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["review and purge their social footprints"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" to appear more appealing during the job search serves well to prove this point, as does the fact that "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=5/14/2015&id=pr893&ed=12/31/2015","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["48 percent"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" of hiring managers in 2015 decided not to hire a candidate due to something they found on social media. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["With Internet Marketers, the stakes are even higher. Both a blog and its writers are constantly criticized for their authenticity. A faceless brand, even if it "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["does"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" have a social profile, is bound to be much less trusted than a brand with a spokesperson."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["In the same way, a blog without an author (beyond the “default” WordPress account it comes with) will not gain, and I daresay does not deserve to gain, the trust of its readers. Even bloggers that use pen names will either merge or create new social and digital footprints with and for those names. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["This is called "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://blog.hootsuite.com/what-is-social-proof/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["providing social proof"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" when applied to conventional business, and represents an opportunity for real people to connect with what they see as an “authentic” brand, but be wary. As the title of this article states, you can also be "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["broken"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" by your social footprint, and it’s much easier to do than you think."]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["Avoid Becoming Your Own Worst Legal or PR Nightmare"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["From "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://abcnews.go.com/Business/home-depot-apologizes-racist-tweet/story?id=20831402","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Home Depot’s infamous race-related Twitter debacle"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" to Pigalle chef "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240327/Pigalle-Chef-Marc-Orfaly-tells-diner-Facebook-f--pumpkin-pie-review.html","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Marc Orfaly’s reprehensible Facebook tirade"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[", it seems like the world can’t go a week without somebody attracting the collective ire of the Internet. Watching what you say in terms of political correctness and authenticity are going to go a long way. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["To put it more simply, you should always simply be polite and tell the truth. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t strive to be yourself on social media, or to say that you can’t make jokes or be risqué, it just means that you "]},{"component":"em","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["really"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" need to watch what you say. One bad joke could mean the end of your career."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Justine Sacco provides the perfect example of "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?_r=0","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["a tweet gone wrong"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" and how it can flip a person and their brand upside down. For anybody unfamiliar, Sacco, a PR rep with 170 followers at the time, tweeted a racially insensitive joke before boarding an international flight to South Africa. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["By the time she landed, her tweet was the number one trending topic on Twitter. She ended up deleting her account after being fired by her employer and goes down as one of the most well-known victims of "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_shaming","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["online shaming"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" in recent history."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["In the most extreme cases, losing your job, damaging your personal brand, and pissing off the entire world is just the tip of the iceberg. Just as social media "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.pittsburghcriminalattorney.com/can-social-media-comments-be-used-as-criminal-evidence/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["can be used"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" as evidence in civil suits, misuse of social media can also bring business lawsuits to self-branding entrepreneurs and freelancers. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Inc.com’s advice on "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.inc.com/guides/201102/how-to-avoid-a-social-media-lawsuit.html","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["how to avoid a social media lawsuit"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" mentions that copyright and trademark laws, FTC advertising laws, privacy laws, and laws concerning illegal app development are what most brands usually end up in hot water over violating. Illegal app development is the doozy here, as people and companies that use social media for promotion are generally most at risk of running illegal social media contests "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.businessesgrow.com/2015/02/11/social-media-contests/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["without even knowing it"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["."]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/careers/formula-for-success-series-how-to-build-your-personal-brand/"},"children":["\"Formula for Success\" Series: How to Build Your Personal Brand"]}]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"strong","children":["Just Be Nice and Tell the Truth"]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["The takeaway here is to remember that you, as a participant in the most connected time in history, are the living, breathing, flesh and blood embodiment of your business. Your social media efforts, and, in effect, your social footprint, can either be one of your greatest tools for driving traffic, or your personal brand’s death knell. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Ohio University has a "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/types-of-social-interactions-businesses-might-encounter/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["great infographic"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":[" about the types of interactions a business might encounter on social media, many who are embracing “brand you” would do well to study and heed the advice give. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Nevertheless, the most applicable piece of advice anybody on the Internet can follow regarding their social footprint can be summed up as such: "]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["Be authentic, be professional, and be nice, otherwise, don’t be surprised if you end up as one of the "]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.oddee.com/item_98806.aspx","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["most hated people on the Internet"]}]},{"component":"span","props":{"style":{"fontWeight":"400"}},"children":["."]}]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":null,"caption":"Fizkes / Getty Images","isBlurred":true},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"Digital Authenticity: How Your Social Footprint Can Make or Break Your Online Efforts","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/digital-authenticity-how-your-social-footprint-can-make-or-break-your-online-efforts/","slug":"digital-authenticity-how-your-social-footprint-can-make-or-break-your-online-efforts","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/marketing.jpg","dek":"How to Embrace Brand \"You\"","lastModified":"2016-06-06T22:00:00Z","published":"2016-06-06T22:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"YouTube Views for Brands Have Doubled In the Last Year: Are You Onboard?","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/youtube-views-for-brands-have-doubled-in-the-last-year-are-you-onboard/","slug":"youtube-views-for-brands-have-doubled-in-the-last-year-are-you-onboard","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/55b/788932f87b1e6348b45fb/1500-0-","dek":"YouTube has proven to be a booming playground for brands. The stats to know, plus how to work with vloggers to increase your reach.","lastModified":"2015-07-28T16:00:00Z","published":"2015-07-28T16:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"\"Formula for Success\" Series: How to Build Your Personal Brand","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/formula-for-success-series-how-to-build-your-personal-brand/","slug":"formula-for-success-series-how-to-build-your-personal-brand","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/570/6a6813287b1795ecd871e/1500-0-","dek":"Creating a strong personal brand is arguably the most important step in self-marketing. Make sure you're doing it correctly.","lastModified":"2016-04-08T17:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-08T17:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Effective Branding: 4 Ways To Build a Brand Through Social Media","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/effective-branding-4-ways-to-build-a-brand-through-social-media/","slug":"effective-branding-4-ways-to-build-a-brand-through-social-media","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/571/a340b3187b17216345778/1500-0-","dek":"The age of digital marketing has become a tad bit difficult and building a personal or brand reputation has become more important than ever.","lastModified":"2016-04-22T13:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-22T13:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"What is More Important: Building Your Business Brand or Personal Brand?","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/whats-more-important-building-your-business-brand-or-personal-brand/","slug":"whats-more-important-building-your-business-brand-or-personal-brand","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/55c/b80142f87b178128b4581/1500-0-","dek":"Which is more important, your personal brand, or your company’s? Short answer: it depends.","lastModified":"2017-02-22T23:56:50Z","published":"2015-08-12T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"What is More Important: Building Your Business Brand or Personal Brand?","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/whats-more-important-building-your-business-brand-or-personal-brand/","slug":"whats-more-important-building-your-business-brand-or-personal-brand","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/business-basics.jpg","dek":"Which is more important, your personal brand, or your company’s? Short answer: it depends.","lastModified":"2015-08-12T18:00:00Z","published":"2015-08-12T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"5 Costly Blunders That Could Compromise Your Blog in 2016","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/5-costly-blunders-that-will-compromise-your-blog-in-2016/","slug":"5-costly-blunders-that-will-compromise-your-blog-in-2016","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/568/abf803287b1b92f9b4c5d/1500-0-","dek":"Learn the blogging mistakes that you should avoid and the solutions for each so you can make the most out of your blogging.","lastModified":"2016-01-08T15:00:00Z","published":"2016-01-08T15:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Search Alert: How to Find Your Brand’s Social Audience","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/search-alert-how-to-find-your-brands-social-audience/","slug":"search-alert-how-to-find-your-brands-social-audience","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56e/30d7a3187b17a57cf3a3d/1500-0-","dek":"Social media is one of the best marketing tools out there for businesses, but it’s only effective if you’re targeting the right audience.","lastModified":"2016-03-12T00:00:00Z","published":"2016-03-12T00:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Your Personal Branding Strategy is Failing: Here’s Why","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/your-personal-branding-strategy-is-failing-heres-why/","slug":"your-personal-branding-strategy-is-failing-heres-why","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/574/8a6092f87b14a6d9eec25/1500-0-","dek":"Branding yourself can have a significant impact on how your business performs. Your personal brand is most likely failing. Here's a fix.","lastModified":"2016-05-31T17:00:00Z","published":"2016-05-31T17:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"7 Ways Your Personal Brand Sucks","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/7-ways-your-personal-brand-sucks/","slug":"7-ways-your-personal-brand-sucks","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/572/12a852f87b1644ceb8ffa/1500-0-","dek":"Is your personal branding not going as good as you hoped? If so, check out these seven things that could be making it hard for you.","lastModified":"2016-04-29T15:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-29T15:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Identity on Social Media","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/how-to-balance-your-personal-and-professional-identity-on-social-media/","slug":"how-to-balance-your-personal-and-professional-identity-on-social-media","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/54a/ce0752f87b11e338b465e/1500-0-","dek":"You know those people who share anything and everything on Facebook? Don't be one of those people if you're also a business owner.","lastModified":"2019-07-31T20:58:04Z","published":"2015-01-07T20:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Identity on Social Media","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-balance-your-personal-and-professional-identity-on-social-media/","slug":"how-to-balance-your-personal-and-professional-identity-on-social-media","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/marketing.jpg","dek":"You know those people who share anything and everything on Facebook? Don't be one of those people if you're also a business owner.","lastModified":"2015-01-07T20:00:00Z","published":"2015-01-07T20:00:00Z","sponsored":false}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5b99633151ee47a8528b4582/Call_center_bbernard.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/call-center-services/","title":"The Best Call Center Services for 2021","dek":"Our team has compared the best call center services for 2021. See up-to-date reviews for the top-rated answering services.","slug":"call-center-services","lastModified":"2021-02-26T14:22:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5df7b1b69c658a61728b4567/Answering_Service_scyther5_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-answering-services/","title":"The Best Answering Services of 2021","dek":"Our teams have compared the best answering services for 2020. See up-to-date reviews and prices for these top-rated services.","slug":"best-answering-services","lastModified":"2021-02-26T14:18:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d4c65367b43741a258b4572/Laptop_Sfio_Cracho.png","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/crm-software/","title":"The Best CRM Software of 2021","dek":"Looking for the best CRM software? We have easy-to-read, expert unbiased reviews and feature comparisons of the best and cheapest programs.","slug":"crm-software","lastModified":"2021-02-24T14:09:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2016-06-06T22:00:00.000Z","template":"legacy","title":"Digital Authenticity: How Your Social Footprint Can Make or Break Your Online Efforts","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"digital-authenticity-how-your-social-footprint-can-make-or-break-your-online-efforts","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/digital-authenticity-how-your-social-footprint-can-make-or-break-your-online-efforts/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}