Negative opinions of people are formed twice as quickly online than in face-to-face meeting, it emerged yesterday.
A study found it takes us just five and half minutes after seeing an online profile or photo to form an opinion.
But following a face-to-face meeting it can take as long as nine and a half minutes to make up our minds whether or not we like someone.
It also emerged Facebook profiles featuring over the top poses, bikini shots or pictures of cars immediately spark a negative opinion among viewers of the page.
Yesterday a spokesman for online reputation management firm Reputation 24/7, which carried out the study among 2000 people said: ‘’It’s difficult not to judge someone whether you meet them face to face or see their online presence.
‘’Seeing a profile on a social networking site will only tell you so much about a person so it’s easy to jump to conclusions, especially if an individual has outlandish pictures or expresses particular strong views online.
‘’Managing your online reputation is just as vital for people as it is for brands.
‘’Information about you can be accessed by thousands if not millions of people so it’s important that your image online is enhancing your personality and presence and not hindering it.
The study examined several aspects of how opinions are formed both online and in real life.
It emerged it takes us just five and half minutes after seeing an online profile or photo to form an opinion.
But following a face-to-face meeting it can take as long as nine and a half minutes to make up our minds whether or not we like someone.
Six out of ten of those who were polled said they were guilty of judging people from their online profiles.
And 40 per cent said they formed opinions quicker online than face-to-face.
The detailed examination of how opinions are formed also included 18 different category of photographs which are commonly used on social networking sites.
Photos which were likely to lead to a positive opinion were either a respectable picture of themselves or a shot within a sensible-looking group of friends.
A shot taken of themselves was also seen as positive as was a wedding picture. Pictures including children or shots taken on a beach are also good for one's image.
Unsurprisingly, a smile was also hailed as being important.
Images with negative connotations are photos of cars, which will lead visitors to a 'boy racer' conclusion and bikini shots which have a 'loves herself' feel.
Making rude gestures and looking generally angry can also make up people's minds very quickly, it emerged.
Other images which will lead to the forming of a negative opinion on social networking sites are shots where the subject is seen holding an alcoholic drink or if they are drunk.
Even photos of them in passionate clinches with their other half are likely to offend, the report found.
Warping your face using camera trickery was also given a thumbs down as was having a cartoon character for a profile picture.
Positive opinions after face-to-face meetings were likely to be based on a smile, sense of humour, the tone of the voice and general mannerisms.
The report also found we quickly form positive opinions of online companies, but are then regularly let down by poor customer service when dealing with them.
Furthermore it emerged more than four out of ten people have formed opinions of others, which they have later been forced to admit were 'completely wrong'.
The spokesman for Reputation24/7 added: ‘’Brands portray a certain image online and it can be a letdown when we deal with them face to face and don’t get the level of service we are expecting.
‘’Online presence for brands is vital in today’s fast paced world and it’s vital it’s revealing the right message.
‘’The same could be said for an individual’s online profile whether it’s on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or even on their company website.
‘’Reputation is the most valuable asset that a business can have and it takes years to build and is only ever one disgruntled employee, customer or malicious competitor away from being ruined.
‘’We specialise in dealing with tarnished and damaged online reputations. We can remove or burying any website, online newspaper article, blog,forum or review which does not represent our client as positively as they deserve.''
