Branding Your Name On Social Networks
These days your brand is often you, it’s you and you alone. Even if you work for a large company, are part of a big enterprise or have a successful company that has a distinct name, when you are online, you are known by your name. Often on networks like Twitter, people will use usernames or handles, such as kim345 or tedphotoguy. These are great for log-ins, but don’t do much to extend your brand.
Facebook ensures you must use your real name, but it is more flexible with creating Pages, you can pretty much name them anything. But keep in mind that your name will never change (well marriage may alter that..) even as you move to different companies and get involved in various enterprises. In fact someday if you move from working for “the man” to heading up your own empire, you’ll want to ensure that your actual name has a good brand and a great following. If your current online name is based on an industry or company, remember that in 5 or 10 years you may be completely done with it. Maybe less.
So as you create accounts, as you dive deeper into the vast array of social networks, as you register a domain name, as you create a new account, remember that your name is the brand. FirebirdConsulting.com is nice, but KimSanderson.com is a lot more personable and recognizable. It all starts with you. It all starts with your name. People may remember your clever handles or usernames, but they will never forget you.
Are you marketing your name?
Good point Franklin. My business was called MemoraMedia…it was a cool concept, but no one could spell it, remember it or even understand it. A friend encouraged me just to be me…Simon Malcolm Productions. This was also built upon a following I had developed previously in producing Church News media for 5 years in which I branded myself by always signing on with ‘G’day, I’m Simon Malcolm’…it really caught on.
What you’ve said here has been of great encouragement to me that this step was sound and not just a crazy idea.
Thanks, Simon.
Hey Frank – of course you are all over reputation management. A great FREE tool to manage your user names across multiple networks is knowem.com. You can see if your preferred user name is takes, and if not, grab it now, just to prevent others from squatting on it. In any event. see ya around the ‘hood soon!
I’m all about using your real name for branding! True story: An agent tells prospective singer/song writer he needs to change his name because no one will like his real one. The singer/song writer insists on using his real name… Neil Diamond.
If I register DragosStancu.com no one will remember
Great post though.
Simon – I like that name a lot better. I think it also makes it more personable, and plus if your company ever changes your name can travel with it
Monica – I will check out the tool…I had not heard of it but sounds amazingly handy
Sarah – Neil Diamond…I have heard of him! I wonder what the other name was going to be?
Dragos – You have a unique name, so do I apparently, since there are not a lot of others with the same out there…which is a plus when it comes to branding
I was actually thinking of registering dragosonvideo.com or something, to make a video blog where I can tell stories, bitch about weather, etc… does the domain name make sense?
I am solidpitch on twitter for that’s my website
Absolutely..I think any website that is centered on your name is a good thing. Again we are in a time where we are the brand. From networking to social media to producing content..it all centers back to the person. Once you start marketing your name..people start hearing of you..once they start to hear of you they look at the stuff you are doing..and so on.
Because as a creative person or service “You” is something that people can’t get anywhere else…so play it up….
Thanks!
I with you Sarah. I’m all about using your real name to create your brand. I really like that Neil Diamond story : )
Another important part of branding…blog avatar pics! You can set yours up here: http://en.gravatar.com/
Then whenever you post on any blog, your pic automatically will show up
is CostaVidaFred good enough?
That is MORE than good enough!