Presentation – World Business Institute's International Business Conference

1. Putting Your Best Foot
Forward in a Digital Landscape
Don Anque, J.D.
Christopher Doval, Esq.
Reginald F. Lewis School of Business at Virginia State University
Elin Cortijo-Doval, PhD.
Reginald F. Lewis School of Business at Virginia State University

2. You and your business gain instant
credibility with a strong, often simple,
web presence.
Any potentially self-identifying piece
of information is now a commodity.

3. Your Digital Identity
• Victor asks for directions.
• 7 Christopher Dovals have discovered the Internet.
• Athletes
• Cuban
• Pete, Dealer of Drugs
• Former Congressman Anthony Weiner
• The Internet is forever
• A young girl and her grandmother’s millions.

4. 1(a). Plan of Attack
• Every interaction is valuable.
• First impressions happen in the first 3 pages of a Google search.
• Who do you want to be?
• You can be anyone!
• Who are you now?
• Can you be saved? Maybe

7. Keeping it professional…

8. 1(b). Plan of Attack
• What will you put on the Internet?
• Michael Phelps – Photo smoking marijuana
• Rashard Mendenhall(Steelers Runningback) via Twitter
• “It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard
speak. We’ve only heard one side…”
• Twitter remarks – From what you are doing to your thoughts on
homosexuality.
• Conference attendance and important work
• Watch for breach of confidentiality

9. 2. Consolidate and Repair
• Submit takedown requests to public records aggregators
• Pipl and Spokeo
• My father’s first wife
• Delete old and unused accounts
• Blogs
• Email Accounts
• AIM
• Twitter
• Myspace or Friendster
• Flickr, Picasa
• Decisively set to Private or Anonymous
• Job search problems
• Posts on Forums – Asking IT help
• Public computers
• Cut off the dead wood
• You are who you hang out with

10. 3. Adopt
• Domain name/URL
• AIM
• Email
• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter

11. 3. Adoption Examples and Shameless
Self-promotion
• christopherdoval.com • URL
• chrisdoval • AIM
• christopher.doval@gmail.com • Email
• www.linkedin.com/in/christopherdoval • Linkedin
• www.facebook.com/chrisdoval • Facebook
• N/A • Google+
• @chrisdoval • Twitter
These were all that were available.

12. The Minimalist approach is easiest to control.

13. 4. Create – Regularly and Well Placed
• Content • Strategic Guest Content
• Blog and Collaboration
• vCard • Blog posts
• Resume • Podcasts
• Contact Info • Organizations
• Services
• IT • Prolonged absence may
• Professional Advice
result in loss of faith
• eBook
from consuming public.
• Newsletters
• Not exhaustive

14. 5. Ask for help
• Brandyourself.com
• Reputation.com
• SEO
• Web Developer

15. An Anecdote

16. An aggressive governance of one’s
professional web presence does get
results.
• Key word Ads
• Speaking opportunities
• Articles and Posts
• Job Opportunities