As bloggers, we have something to share…. whether it’s information, opinion, emotions or a laugh. It’s what makes us sit down at that keyboard, straighten our thinking caps and assemble that crazy collection of ideas we call a post.

We quickly get comfortable in our blogs, and even in the discussion boards we frequent. Sometimes they become like virtual vacation places. We spend some time there… settle in… and ham, jam and spamalot with the locals.

We even might enjoy a certain impulsiveness in these online vacations. A refreshing break from the routine of face-to-face communications. Online, any thought can be shared in a single click. Any words can be said. Any topic proposed. We feel outside the barriers of normal inter-personal relationships. We feel outside ourselves.

But like any good vacation, eventually we must return to our regular lives. In this case, to the Real World before us. The one that pays the bills. That needs new braces or help with Math homework. The one that hires us. Or is hired by us.

You see, sometimes it gets so comfy in our online vacation homes, it becomes easy to forget that anyone could be out there peering in our windows.

Sure, we might post to entice readers… awaken our fellow bloggers… scream to hear the echo… or just say what we feel needs to be said.

But how personal is too personal? How shocking is too shocking? How will what we post today affect our personal safety? Our relationships with friends and family? Our future job prospects? Our customer relations?

How do we remain true to ourselves and our unique voices, while making sure our online world doesn’t intrude negatively on the three-dimensional one?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. And while I certainly don’t have all the answers, I thought a few suggestions might be a good start for more awareness, greater consideration and better safety for everyone:

• Limit personal information. While most folks know not to share their social security or phone numbers online, it’s also good to omit any information specific enough to be easily located. This means don’t share the name of the place you work, or show photos of the street you live on. And you might not want to take a photo of your car with its license plate showing—no matter how cool your car is. By giving enough color without specific details, you can stay safe and still entertain readers.
• Consider using fake names for family and friends. Many bloggers protect family and friends by being consistent with made-up names to represent each person. Remember that while we’re willingly blogging and putting our lives out there, the people in our lives may not have signed on for this. So think of those around, and how our posts might affect them. Fake names are an option that can help.
• Gain approval of family or friends before posting their stories/photos. Thinking ahead before posting about family or friends, and including their images, is a safe way to prevent future rifts. (Unless, of course, you don’t like those people anyway. ) It takes a little more time, but the extra consideration might be worth it.
• Think, WWED? (What Would Employers Do?) Before posting online, it helps to think, “What would a prospective employer do if he or she saw this?” “How would someone view my character if they didn’t otherwise know me?” If you’re up for a job, employers are likely to research you online. You can have a great resume, but if your potential boss uncovers your post, for example, bad-mouthing your current boss, this could seriously affect their decision to give you the job. Just think a minute about how a post represents you. It’s better to be safe now than sorry later.
• Treat others as you’d like to be treated. I know, I know– it’s corny and preachy. But it’s also true. A little respect goes a long way. And online, because posting is so quick and easy, it’s possible to get carried away and say things we’d never say in person. But online, we have the excellent opportunity to really THINK before we communicate. It never hurts to think first.

Now, okay– you may say you don’t care about having the world know everything about you. Your life is an open book– from your speeding ticket history to your shoe size. And hey, that’s fine, too.

But it only takes a moment to remember those windows out there, opening into our online homes. And sometimes the world is silent. But that also doesn’t mean it’s not still out there, watching.

Jenn, AKA “Thrift Shop Romantic” is not nearly as paranoid as that last sentence makes her sound. A professional writer in an unnamed marketing firm in the Real World, she has a humor blog– Of Cabbages and Kings—and a budget decorating blog, The Thrift Shop Romantic.

I’ve only been Social Networking for a little over a month and I have learned so much in that short amount of time. I am certainly no expert in Social Networking as I have a whole lot to learn. But, I do know a thing or two about marketing. When it comes to brand recognition, the rules don’t change when shifting from Corporate Branding to Social Network Branding. Name and Icon recognition are critical when it comes to building your Social Network. Here are a few quick tips to help you quickly gain name recognition in the Social Network Arena.

1. Create a Unique Name & Avatar:

The name that you use in Social Networking says a lot about you. I highly recommend using something other than your personal name. Unless you already have a well-known personal name, it’s better to use something that is a little more memorable than just another name on the web. The key to knowing if you have a unique screen name, is to do a Google search using your screen name. Does anything other than YOU come up? Using a unique name that is memorable is also the key. For example, using “iE38×2j” would be unique, but its not very memorable. It is good to use words that already exist, but may not be paired together already. There are many easily recognizable names that offer other Social Networkers a memorable, unique experience when it comes to identifying themselves. Some good examples are: Truthoughts, offendedblogger, globalgirl, DeadRooster, thegoodknife, rainforestrobin, CrotchetyOldMan, ThriftShopRomantic, DrowseyMonkey, PointlessBanter, earthlingorgeous, AnniePooh, gosmelltheflowers, momscrazylife, misterDog, Amyoops, Motherwise, Manictastic and MadameX.

When it comes to Avatars, using a unique avatar also helps, although using your face is also very useful as well. How many times have you heard the phrase, “I can remember the face, but the name escapes me.” The reason for this is that the brain has so many different senses involved in remembering a face or picture than a name. Names are composed of letters, typically black letters on white background, which is nothing special. However, with a face, or picture as an avatar, the brain has color, symbolism, facial expression and more. So many times, I recognize someone’s avatar, but I can’t remember his or her user name. Some good examples of memorable avatars are:

(There are literally thousands of great screen names and avatars out there. Please don’t be offended if you have a great example and I didn’t mention yours here.)

I personally would not suggest using famous people’s faces as your avatar. In the world of online branding, the last thing you want to do is compete with an already well-established recognition someone has for a particular famous person. You want other people to see you, for you, not be constantly reminded of someone else when they see your avatar. If you are fairly new to Social Networking and you haven’t gotten a whole lot of exposure yet, you may want to rethink your image and your name. Because once you lock in on something, you are going to want to stick with it and use the same name and avatar everywhere you go.

2. Set up an Email Account:

If you haven’t already experienced this, you will. I am talking about the joy of registering with multiple networks and sites (covered in detail in point 4). Here is what I recommend. Many Social Network / Bookmark sites allow you to find your friends using their email address. This means that people will try to find you the exact same way. Using the same email address wherever you go, will make it easier on you, as far as organization goes, and people that search for you, using your email address will be able to find you. Plus, you will start receiving a lot of mail from RSS subscriptions to Discussions, Comment Feeds, Friend Updates and you don’t want all of this cluttering up your regular email address.

For ease of uploading your contacts, I recommend using one of the following free email servers:

I also recommend setting up a simple system for remembering passwords. Do not use the same password at multiple sites. If someone gained access to your password, they could wreak havoc across your entire Social Network.

3. Use the same name/avatar/email everywhere:

This is critical. I know it seems so boring to have the same avatar, screen name and email address everywhere you go, but that’s exactly the point of branding. McDonald’s would not be where it is today had they used a different logo for each restaurant location they chose. Not to mention, if they would have changed their name every time it would have been impossible for them to gain any type of brand recognition. The same reasoning applies to your name and avatar and email address.

Whenever you post a comment on someone’s blog, sign up for a new Social Network or Bookmark site, you want people to instantly recognize you. If they can’t find you by email, they should be able to search for your screen name and find you. Sometimes your screen name is already taken, in which case you should come up with an alternate unique screen name, that is a derivative of your original screen name and only use that 2nd name as an alternate whenever you have too. So at most, you should only have two screen names. If your original screen name is unique enough, you shouldn’t have any problems, however, as you will see in step four, you will also need to protect your name once you have settled on one.

This is critical. I see so many people using different names when they post comments, different avatars on this network or that and I just cringe because they are hurting their chances for massive recognition. Massive recognition is what is going to drive traffic to your site. Content is what is going to keep them coming back, but that’s another post!

4. Secure your name.

Once you have your email, screen name and avatar in place, now it’s time to stake your claim across the Internet world of Social Networking and Bookmark sites. This task may seem a bit daunting, so I recommend you set aside some time during your online adventures to enroll in a least one new site per day; if you can swing it… 5 or more is better. You want to make sure that you lock in your screen name as many places as possible (even if you are not planning on utilizing the service immediately).

There are well over 200 Social Networking and Bookmark sites with more popping up every single day. I recommend you create a Word file, or Notepad file that contains some of the repetitive information you will need to enter on many of these sites, like your “About Me” info, blog description, etc. This will streamline the process for you. Here is a short list that will allow you to get set up on some of the most popular sites so far:

There are also quite a few blog directory sites. Some sites require or suggest that put a link to their site on your blog. There’s nothing wrong with that. They are offering to catalog your site in their directory for free. Just make sure that you put them all in the same place. on your blog, to keep it from looking cluttered. Here are some, certainly not all, blog directory sites:

5. Collect email addresses from comments on your own blog.

I have found that this is one of the easiest ways to find friends on other networks. Just file the email addresses people leave in your comments into the new email program you set up in section 2 of this post. Then it will be very easy to find your friends on other networks by importing your email lists into each new site you sign up for. Hopefully, your friends will have followed this advice and used the same email address on your blog comments that they did when they signed up for the new Social Network or Bookmark site you signing up for.

6. Above all use BlogCatalog:

BlogCatalog has emerged as the premier website that brings together bloggers of every make and model. This one website is like your one stop shop for promoting your blog, connecting with friends, entering discussions, sharing ideas, creating partnerships, getting answers and more. BC recently went through a major upgrade that has made the experience there all the more incredible. One of the most amazing features of BC is it’s ability to network all of your Social Networks and Bookmark sites, into one nice, neat little package. Now, not only can you can keep track of where you have been, but so can everyone else.

TheGoodKnife recently wrote a post describing the new social search function at BlogCatalog. Here is what he had to say:

Given the right search terms, BlogCatalog’s Social Search is an amazing tool to find some interesting things across multiple social sites indexed by BlogCatalog users. Social search creates a chronological mix of photos, tweets, bookmarks, music, and much more.

BarryFromTexas posted an article with this to say:

Blog Catalog has helped me tweak this blog to be better than when I started, I have received help from fellow bloggers and enjoyed some increased blog traffic from fellow BC-ers.

So maybe, just maybe you don’t know what Blog Catalog is. Well if you scroll down my sidebar, you will see a bunch of little boxes with faces/pictures of fellow BC users that have visited my blog. It is almost a way to spy on them (hee hee). Hey, I had to get some kind of detective/spy thing running through here!

RobertStevenson over at Rob’s Megaphone also wrote a great article about BlogCatalog. I like what he had to say about it:

The BC discussion boards are amazing. So far at least 18 billion topics have been discussed (no really - I never exaggerate). The general discussion board is like a townhall meeting (without the townhall). There are threads on support, shameless promotion, general discussion, and how to win the lottery in 4 easy steps (Oops, I don’t really think that one about support is accurate-or maybe it’s the lottery one.) There are also many, many groups you can join to just be with people of similar interests. There are groups for humor, religion, writing, and honoring Rob’s Megaphone; if there’s not a group on a topic you’re interested in - hey, you can start one like I did. (Just ignore that honoring Rob’s Megaphone thing; it was just for Mr. Google - private joke).

You can befriend BC bloggers and follow them, you can join their neighborhood. You can shout at them. You can pass secret notes back and forth too. You can review and be reviewed. You can even download a seven course dinner for free.

I love BlogCatalog for the people, the great dicsussions, and that traffic I receive on my blog from BlogCatalog users. Don’t you just love getting visitors to your blog? If you would like to see a whole bunch more come by be sure to head over to BlogCatalog and get signed up. Then I highly recommend joining in the discussions so that others may get to know you. Make people your friends and many of them will respond in kind.

7. Have Fun

Above all, make sure that you have fun. There are so many wonderful things that you can accomplish on the Internet with your blog. Its up to you to have as much fun as you can while you are building your personal brand. Just remember, there is plenty of time to get everything you need to done.

Well, so much for seven “quick” tips, but I hope you got a lot out of this post.

Happy Blogging

OutsideMyBrain

OutsideMyBrain is a motivational speaker / successful entrepreneur who got his start in Network Marketing by working hard for 8 solid years. Retired 6 years ago, OutsideMyBrain has been living life, how he wants to live it, off of residual income. OutsideMyBrain continues to speak so that he may remain sharp and give back to others.

Bloggers Unite Rocks the Blogosphere. Featured on CNN.

On May 15th 2008, tens of thousands of bloggers from BlogCatalog and the blogosphere united for human rights. Thanks to BlogCatalog members this was the largest group of bloggers in history, blogging on a single day, to raise awareness about human rights. The event was even featured on CNN, and several of BlogCatalog member’s blogs were shown on the air. You can view the CNN coverage at http://unite.blogcatalog.com/

Thanks to you, Bloggers Unite has become the primary blog initiative designed to harness expression in support of human rights and other issues that need highlighting. Bloggers Unite is now in a key position to harness and rally energy behind global issues that need awareness.

The next Bloggers Unite initiative will take place on November 10th. To cast your vote on what issue to unite about next, please join in on the discussions at http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/decide-the-next-bloggers-unite-initiative

Your New BlogCatalog

It’s been around a week since we launched the new BC design and we hope you are as psyched about the updated designs as we are. Your updated personal profiles now have tabs that make it easy to view your BlogCatalog friends, neighborhoods, groups and social activity.

Your Activity page provides you with a convenient way for others to keep track of the things you are doing on BlogCatalog as well as on Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, Flickr, and many other social communities that you may belong to. To add communities to your BlogCatalog Activity page, visit blogcatalog.com/account/communities and select the communities you belong to that you’d like to add.

Twitter for Beginners on Ustream.tv

Twitter, BlogCatalog and other social media tools and communities are changing the way we interact. This coming Monday, social media expert, Erica O’Grady will be featured on on BlogCatalog’s Ustream.tv channel where she will be on camera talking about Twitter for Beginners. If you are using Twitter and aren’t sure of its benefits, or have never used Twittter, then this is the perfect way to learn how to use Twitter in a way to create your personal brand and get more traffic to your blog.

When: Monday, June 16th at 3pm EST

What: The show is FREE. Watch Erica from your computer, and ask questions in an online chat.

Where: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/blogcatalog

The BC team will be there too. Hope you’ll join us on Monday.