Why is it important to have a digital footprint?

With today's technology, we have immediate access to a wealth of information. This is great because it allows us compare products instantly, know about their pitfalls, and learn of other options. This instant access to information has given consumers a lot of power and companies spend a lot of resources proactively protecting their brand. And, since they are spending a lot of resources protecting themselves, you should too! Why? Well, because companies and other people have the same access to information as you do, and they can google you as well.

Go ahead, try it out! Go to Google, type your name, and see what happens. Are there any pictures of you? Any information about you? Are you the top link? Should you be? Is this good or bad? I guess the answer to all of these questions really depend on you. But, I think that rather than being scared of technology you should embrace it and make sure that you control what is being said about you online. This is why it is important to have a digital footprint.

I have been reading this book on the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) which, by the way, is free on Amazon. It talks about how the shift in the digital landscape has changed the way marketers have to think. It also talks about how to win this ZMOT. So what is ZMOT? It is the time when consumers learn about a product and they research it online. Essentially, people gather information about a product and they pretty much make a decision before even going to the store and trying the product. In our case, it is about potential employers or dates learning as much as they can about us before the interview or the first date. In some cases, the interview or date may not happen at all because of what they found.

It is up to us to try and control what exists out there so we can at least get to this first interview or first date. We can do this by creating a digital footprint! So get out there and update your profile on Linkedin, create a personal website and blog, and tweet your heart out. However, if you are not very familiar with these trends, I suggest reading this article on "The Simple Way to Avoid Social Media Failures" so you don't send compromising pictures of yourself to innocent and unsuspecting bystanders.

Anyway, check out this infographic for some interesting facts.

And now, a picture of Maracas inside her travel bag.