This is the teaching handout for a course we taught for Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business MBA Business Leadership Center from 2011-2012. Covers the basics on how to protect your online reputation as an executive and how to leverage social media to grow your business. Includes examples of several measurement tools and thought leadership resources.

1. How Digital Data Impacts
Your Brand
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2. Agenda
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Strategic Overview
Audit
Research
Influence
Accept
Q & A

3. Strategic Overview
While this process is presented sequentially, it is a never-ending circular change
in your online behavior.
The key premise is simple: there is no such thing as private online content.
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4. ARIA
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• AUDIT: understand your current digital footprint
• RESEARCH: know where your expertise can grow
• INFLUENCE: find those discussions and engage
• ACCEPT: embrace your following

5. AUDIT
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6. We no longer live in a world
where our personal brand
and our professional brand
are two separate entities.
For better or for worse, our
digital footprints linger
behind us even if our strides
have changed.
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you = brand

7. 7
WHO ARE YOU?
Now is the time to audit
your online
presence and
understand how to
define your
BRAND.

8. In general, you should control what appears on the first page of Google for your name.
•If you are positioning yourself as a digital expert, you need to be in position 1.
•If you have a title of Director or above, you should dominate the first page.
•Make sure to check “images,” “news,” and “YouTube.”
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Google results

9. 9
Google, continued

10. 10
LinkedIn:
•Include photo for SEO.
•Use keywords and phrases to be
more relevant for offers you want to
be considered for.
•Also, put details of your successes for
each job description as opposed to
daily responsibilities.
•Participate, participate, participate.

11. Unless you use Facebook in a purely professional
capacity, I recommend you block all of your
visible content.
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12. Facebook Privacy
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Changes over time

13. Twitter
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It’s not enough to have a Twitter account; you should also be tweeting

14. it is actually
WORSE
for your brand
to have a
DORMANT
social presence…
…than none at all.
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15. SocialMention.com: know where and how people are talking about you
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16. 16
Google Facebook
LinkedIn …everywhere else

17. audit checklist 17
• Get out there and own the first page of Google
• Blog. Tag. Participate.
• Block, block, block your personal Facebook page from public eyes.
• Settings. Restraint. Common Sense.
• LinkedIn is the first place people go to vet you.
• Use the fields. Join groups.
• Start monitoring your mentions across social networks.
• Filter.

18. RESEARCH
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19. Google Alerts
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You should have at LEAST 3 Google Alerts set up to deliver
daily feeds to you:
– “your name”
– “your company’s name”
– “your field of interest” OR “your target employer”
Examples:
– “april wilson”
– “digital analytics 101”
– “social media measurement”

20. eMarketer Blog
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21. Smartbrief
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22. PR Daily
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23. Copyblogger
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24. Site Trail provides free, detailed
competitive analysis on any
website or public domain.
Make sure to refresh the data
(using the link at the bottom) if it
looks stale.
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25. research checklist
• Create a special email designed to funnel “intel” to you.
• Subscribe to at least 2-3 alerts and 2-3 industry newsletters.
• Set a rules engine to flag them separately from other emails to understand
effectiveness of that intel.
• Keep a Google doc open to jot down any topics that interest you or you may
want to expound upon.
• Know your competition.
• What are they doing?
• How can YOU do it better?
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26. INFLUENCE
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27. BufferApp 27

28. 28
Sprout Social

29. …and don’t ignore the power of
personal attention
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Remember to send personal messages from time to time to people in your
network who:
•Share your passions
•Share your content
•Inspire you
•Remind you of yourself

30. The key to success with influencing is:
RESPOND
-Comment on articles and posts
-Share content you like
-Mention people who influence you
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31. ACCEPT
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32. You may get followers or fans
you don’t expect.
People who follow you who are
different from your own brand
image is okay.
Accept everyone; engage the
most valuable to your brand.
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33. QUESTIONS?
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