Tips for managing your social media footprint

Social media coach Taylor Francisco discusses how what you post on social media can have a lasting impact.

When you make a post on social media, that post can have a long-lasting effect that impacts your career, reputation, and relationships.

“I think what we forget sometimes is that once something is out there, it’s out there for good,” said social media coach Taylor Francisco in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Wednesday.

She suggested that if you want to protect yourself, it’s best to take a pause and truly consider whether you’d be comfortable with everyone, including your boss or family members, seeing it.

“That’s why it’s important to ask yourself, ‘Does this reflect who I am? Am I telling the story that I want to tell?’” she said.

“Because if you’re posting something and you feel like [you] don’t want a certain someone to see this, then maybe it’s a good idea to reflect and tweak it a little bit, because the reality is that person could see it.”

Francisco explained that your social media footprint goes beyond just what you post and includes actions like clicking the like button or reacting to other posts, as this can show your stance on certain topics.

“It shows whether you agree with the post, whether you don’t. Just where you stand on that post,” she said.

“Even little things like that do make a difference as well.”

Francisco said it’s best to be proactive about what you post, but it’s still a good idea to do a social media audit and delete any old posts that don’t align with who you are.

However, she added, some deleted posts may not be fully removed from the internet.

“It depends on how many eyes are on your social media, if anybody has screenshotted it,” she said.

“So again, it kind of is really out there once it’s out there, but you still can go through.”

Francisco also recommended thoroughly going through anything you post, including what’s going on in the background of a video. She added it’s also important for parents to have conversations with their kids about the impacts of social media.

“Just remember that social media is so powerful, and it can either open doors for you or it can close them,” she said.

“So just be very mindful of the way that you’re showing up online.”

• With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.