Wysocki told me to: Post 1

Professional online identity, whether it be an entire organization’s or a single employee’s, is constantly changing, for better or worse, due to the constant flux of information posted online. The fact is, no one is safe, not even corporations, when it comes to maintaining a positive online identity.

Anyone can post whatever they like, whenever they like, under any identity they choose. The possibilities are endless on the Web, and a corporation’s reputation is constantly at risk of being damaged by a bad critique, phony representatives or disgruntled employees.

For example, BPGlobalPR, an anonymous Twitter user that has been Tweeting phony responses, supposedly from BP, to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BPGlobalPR is not a representative of BP. Yet, he/she posts under the pretense that he/she is involved in the corporation’s reaction to the spill. The effect this has on BP’s online identity is unfortunate. The information, although satirical, sticks with people and damages BP’s already decreasing credibility.

Even companies can create their own false online identities. For example, Volkswagen’s Myspace character Helga, an attractive young lady that gets a high off German engineering and speed.

Helga was not created to mislead people, nor does Volkswagen deny their affiliation with the character. The site is monitored by Volkswagen employees and provides a great way for the company to converse with their audience, which strengthens their online identity.

What corporations and employees need to be aware of is what they post online is available to millions of people, it can spread throughout the world and can make long-lasting impressions. In an attempt to monitor their online identities, corporations are keeping a close eye on employees’ online habits.

In an article on Lexology.com called Social networking in the retail world, author Edward F. Harold talks about how companies are taking action against employees posting unflattering information on personal and company networking sites. In some cases, as with a flight attendant for an unknown airline, these comments may lead to termination.

As an inspiring public relations practitioner, I have learned that a corporation’s identity is deeply rooted in its audience’s perceptions, and not all attention is good attention. The information found on the Web is permanent, and sometimes the effects are irreversible. Constant monitoring of any online identity is essential.

The popularity and credibility of social networking continues to grow with the advances in technology. At the rate things are going, an online identity may outlast a true or real identity. It is important to make sure that your online representation is a positive reflection of yourself, your corporation or your employer.