Due to all that is above, your online presence is more important now than ever. As far as networking, thought leadership, or brand building with a network of professionals, especially those in the tech and/or startups, Twitter has become an indispensable tool. Tweets, however, are nasty things that tend to come back and bite you. Your silly joke, the day when you are in college, or your words on a hot-button issue can cost careers and damage reputation in the snap of a finger.
That is where the clean slate strategy comes in. This entails removing old tweets from your Twitter account to show the online world the most polished version of you. Deleting old tweets correctly can revamp your brand and open new doors of opportunity. For some, the clean slate strategy is more than just selective pruning—it’s a bold choice to delete all Twitter posts in one decisive move, signaling a clear break from the past.
The Perils of Past Tweets
We’ve all posted something online that we wish we could take back. But whereas spoken words disappear into the ether, the internet never forgets. Your social media history leaves a permanent record of your past self—blemishes and all.
The internet reminds us of who we used to be every day. Our views evolve. Something acceptable a few years ago may be cringeworthy today. An edgy joke you found funny in your youth can look offensive through a modern lens. And even sincere, well-intentioned tweets can be misinterpreted years later without the context in which they were written.
Yet old tweets — especially controversial, politically incorrect, or offensive ones — can sink professional reputations faster than any résumé padding. Employers are increasingly scrutinizing candidates’ social media histories before making hiring decisions. According to research, 70% of employers now vet social media during the hiring process, and have found content that caused them not to hire a candidate.
Public figures, too, have found themselves in hot water over long-forgotten tweets. Kevin Hart stepped down as host of the 2019 Oscars when his previous homophobic tweets surfaced. Director James Gunn got fired by Disney over his controversial tweets, even though he had apologized for them years earlier. The internet’s memory is ruthless when dredging up our messy pasts.
Crafting Your Online Persona 2.0
If you seek a fresh start online, the clean slate strategy entails more than just purging your Twitter history. To leverage it effectively as a personal branding play, you must lay the foundation for how you want to present yourself moving forward.
Your reasons for deleting old tweets may vary. Maybe you posted political views you no longer hold or made insensitive jokes that don’t align with your values today. Perhaps you simply shared too much personal information back in the day or posted unprofessional content.
No matter the motivation, the goal remains rebooting your online persona around your best self. A clean slate clears the way for crafting a new personal brand identity built on the values, views, and messaging you want to project today.
So, before you nuke years of tweets, think carefully about your intended brand positioning. Have your views changed substantially over time? Do you want to reinvent your image around causes important to you now versus years ago? Are you looking to present a more serious, polished version of yourself to stand out in a competitive job market?
Knowing your “why” for wiping the slate clean will clarify the online brand identity you should build in place of the old. It also allows tweaking your profile to better attract your target audiences, whether employers, clients, potential business partners, or influencers in your field.
Reinventing Your Brand Post-Purge
Once the purge is complete, focus on flooding your profile with stellar content going forward. Position yourself as an expert in your field by tweeting industry insights, how-to advice, behind-the-scenes peeks at your work, and words of wisdom to inspire your audience.
The goal is crafting an inspirational, professional personal brand that people associate with your best self today, not who you were five or ten years ago. Consistency is key, you must relentlessly produce valuable content to dominate attention in your niche.
It also helps to promote your refreshed Twitter persona across other platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok using consistent messaging and branding. Treat your entire social media presence as a cohesive, multi-channel personal branding machine.
Finally, keep engaging with your growing audience to strengthen those social connections. Like, share, and reply to others’ tweets, highlight content from key influencers in your industry, and participate in trending conversations related to your field. Building these relationships expands your brand’s visibility and reach.
Showcasing Your Evolution
Your post-purge tweets should showcase personal growth since your earlier days on Twitter.
Sometimes, directly addressing your past allows control over the narrative. Consider President Joe Biden’s approach in his 2020 campaign. Proactively confronting criticisms over his previous positions on issues like criminal justice and immigration allowed pivoting the conversation towards how his views had grown.
And while deleting old tweets wipes the public slate clean, your thoughts remain in Twitter’s private archives. So if any of those resurface later, admit mistakes and clarify how your perspectives have developed over time, thanks to new knowledge and life experiences.
Humility and sincerity can go a long way towards redemption, especially if you back words with meaningful actions. Tweeting supportively about causes that your old tweets offended not only highlights evolution but also gives back to affected communities.
Just ensure that your online persona aligns with real-life behavior, too. There should be no disconnect between the personal brand identity you project on Twitter and how you conduct yourself offline. Authenticity is critical for longevity.
The Payoff: Reputation Rehab
Executed deliberately, wiping your Twitter history can minimize reputational risks by removing online “receipts” of views you no longer hold or statements that project an unflattering image. Hitting reset clears your slate for re-crafting a forward-thinking personal brand identity better aligned with your values and goals today.
The clean slate strategy essentially allows stepping out from the shadows of your past self. Freed from old baggage, you control how to best put your best foot forward in the digital age when personal brands matter more than ever. The point is to grow and change, not wipe the record clean.” Starting anew on Twitter allows showcasing just how much you’ve grown.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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