More frequently, BNI is being requested to conduct public image profiling – searches to uncover a subject’s (or one’s) personal information, that which is readily available online. Beyond verifying the usual identifiers (address, DOB, phone number…), given the proliferation of user-generated content and social and business networking sites, a potential employer, partner or landlord can often obtain an alarmingly unfiltered profile of their candidate. For obvious reasons, this information is invaluable to just about every public, private or governmental sector industry that relies on its public image to operate effectively.

We’ve developed several public image profiling site checklists (each containing from 45 – 102, and counting, sites) , dependent on the requestor’s needs, all of which include the below basic searches:

General: Google.com, Yahoo.com(check subcategories: Web, Images, Video…)

Social Networks: .Bebo.com, Broadcaster.com, Classmates.com, Facebook.com, Friendster.com, Meetup.com, MySpace.com,Reunion.com, Tagged.com, Twitter.com, 360.yahoo.com.

Business Networks: LinkedIn.com, Plaxo.com, Spoke.com, Naymes.com.

Blogs: Technorati.com

Site Ranking: Aside from your Google PageRank, Alexa.com, is an excellent source of business information.

Again, these are the basic sites that are searched to form a public image profile.  Routinely check your own public face; it’s what’s generally available for anyone with online access to view.

Public image profiling is the new credit report.

Stay safe,

Lina

Filed under: background, bebo, bni, broadcaster, classmates, credit report, facebook, friendster, google, investigation, linkedin, meetup, myspace, naymes, public image profiling, reunion, spoke, twitter, yahoo