A while back I wrote an article called “What’s In A Name?” which further explains the meaning behind my social media handle “SocialPMChick”. The article was written in fun, but there is some truth and reason to how you define yourself online. We are so much more than just a name without a face, and our online identity needs to have meaning.
I don’t consider myself to be among the top experts in the Social Media arena, though I learn quickly what works and what doesn’t. I quickly gather information, and try to share with the world so others don’t make the same mistakes I have.
Remember that first impressions are huge in an arena where nobody forgets anything, and even when you think they’ve forgotten, some old thing you may have said, written, posted etc. may rear it’s ugly head and get blogged about, tweeted about, etc…. You get the picture.
My advice, take it or leave it, is to consider what your goals are for using Social Media and set out to define your personal brand, personality or identity – before you run off creating Twitter IDs, blogs and all the other things we Social Media fanatics do. Once you establish your personality that is how people will remember you (and whether or not they like you or find you of any value!).
When defining your identity, ask yourself the a few basic questions?
- What am I passionate about?
- What am I good at?
- In what areas do I hope to grow?
- What am I a subject matter expert on?
- What types of people do I want to interact with?
- What do I hope to accomplish through Social Media?
The answers to these questions can help you define your online personality or personal brand. Maybe your social media handle is simply your name, or maybe it’s a combination of things that you get excited about or what to network around. For me, I strive to gain knowledge in the areas of Social Media, Project Management, Internet Marketing and Passionate People. Those were some of my criteria, and after much thought and tossing around ideas I came up with SocialPMChick, which has served me well.
Especially on Twitter, I find myself intrigued by really interesting Twitter IDs, and that leads me to explore further what that person is about and what they have to offer. I have a whole theory on who I follow and why, which I also wrote about, but first impressions can go a long way if your online identity is well thought out and executed.
What defines you online? I’d love to know.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Wendy! I did leave a short comment (or 2) on your FB post, from the gut. I’m visual so reacted to the picture. Very, very good! Your article gives me much to consider. How do I come across, really? Is it accurate, good, bad, indifferent? Hmmm.
Patrice – thanks for the thoughts! I love that image too – makes us think about how we really present ourselves, when we start out – that’s us – just a pair of eyes and a brain digging into the online realm. Wide-eyed and naive, taking it all in. As we evolve, so does our personality.
I’ll be interested to watch yours evolve!
Hi Wendy – Great posting. That makes sense… people really need to find their identity. I know it took me some time but I wanted something that was fun & easy to remember.
Like you said, as we evolve so does our personality.
Keep up the great work! Doug @dougmcsorley
You’ve definitely given me food for thought. I have a new website – and trying to define ‘it’ has become a challenge. It has grown more quickly than I expected. The picture shows how I feel sometimes – trying to take everything in, and my brain starts to feel like jello! Thanks – and I’ll be back..
Leesa
4alloutdoors.org
Wendy, another great post … the biggest challenge of course is for those of us who didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it up front … we were so excited to try out all the new tools and see what they were about, we had no upfront “strategy”. I am now in the process of trying to make my online identity more cohesive (and consolidate user IDs into a real brand identity). Any thoughts and suggestions for those of us who just jumped in? I know how much first impressions count, but I also feel like to some extent, people in the social world are understanding as our personality/brand evolves over time … what do you think?
~Katharine aka @marketingbykat
Katharine -
Great comments and thoughts. I recall creating my social handle, and thinking about what my personal brand would be. I wanted a personality profile that represented me both in my day-to-day career, and on a personal level as well. I was able to successfully take my profile with me as I transitioned from one employer to another. I think that speaks well to the thought I put into creating my profile.
I know some organizations believe you need a branded Twitter handle, et.al. I think in some cases that makes sense, but I don’t necessarily agree. If I take a job with a enterprise company and have a Twitter ID that is specifically branded to them – what happens when we part ways, and the relationships I’ve built along the way get lost in transition? To me, that is the main reason your social profiles should have a balanced mix.
I would say – reinventing yourself is a-okay, just think about your long-term goals in how you’ll use social, and let your personal brand be a good representation of that.
If you get stuck, you can always go to your first/last name and build your brand based on YOU and not your handle.