Social media is undoubtedly an extremely important part of creating your own brand. It’s an easy way to keep the word out about yourself and your products or services. Maintaining a professional online image is key for anyone in pretty much any field. So what do you do if your old college Myspace account is haunting you? Have you changed your occupation since you got a Facebook? Interested in creating a new Twitter for your brand? Luckily, Eric Griffith at PCMag has some tips on how to remove pesky old social media accounts for good:
Facebook: Keep in mind that deactivating and deleting accounts are different. Visit your Facebook Account page and click the “deactivate” link at the bottom. Deactivation is not the same as deletion. Your account simply becomes invisible. However, you have the option to reactivate it in the future, without losing any photos, notes, or pokes.
True deletion of a Facebook account means losing all of those—so be sure you have local copies of photos and notes before you take this step. You can’t reactivate.
LinkedIn:To close an account, log in, click Account & Settings at the top of the page, then click Close Your Account (under Personal Information). Give a reason you’re leaving—most sites want to know what they can improve, or did wrong— and then click Continue.
MySpace: Canceling your MySpace account is easy—when it works. When it doesn’t, things get a touch arcane. Sign in, click the My Account link, then click Account, scroll down to the bottom, and click Cancel Account. Keep in mind, there is no reactivation.