7 Quick Tips for Branding Yourself Through Social Networking
Monday, June 16th, 2008I’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.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:23 am
CrotchetyOldMan is by far my favorite BlogCatalog username. HotDogMan comes in at a close second.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Good suggestions. I am a beginner at branding myself with social networking. At first, I was feeling overwhelmed with social networking, but the more I use it, the more I’ve realized I’ll always be in some state of learning with this constantly evolving technology, and that’s become kind of exciting instead of frustrating. I am also trying services that engage readers by asking them for feedback, like http://rateitall.com and http://skribit.com . I want to develop my brand as a two-way street. Viviennne
June 17th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Awesome post, I will definitely be taking heed of the advise here!
June 17th, 2008 at 11:01 am
This is a very helpful post. I’m glad that I made the right decision to change my avatar from my computer-sketched face to these handcuffed hands (which is very relevant to my profession and relevant to my personal issues).
I was not aware that I can file emails from the posted comments until now. So Kudos to you!
P.S.
Thanks for including my avatar here.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:08 am
All good advice. But is my name really that unique
Oh…I guess so.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Well said! Great tips! It is all about branding!
June 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Definitely a good read for a beginner
June 17th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Awesome post. Tip #3 was particularly useful to me, as I have different avatars out there. I haven’t really taken the time to decide on one, but I think I’ll make that a priority. Thanks
June 18th, 2008 at 4:34 am
I checked barryfromtexas on Google - it was all me except some clown on face book uses it. I never thought of branding - I just use barryfromtexas everywhere because I can remember it as a username :))
Wow! I even get a little plug - how cool is that?
June 18th, 2008 at 4:53 am
@TheGoodKnife: I haven’t met the HotDogMan yet, but that is certainly a memorables name. Thanks again for posting this here and helping to promote it over on the dicussion board. It seems like people are really getting a lot out of it, plus it will promote traffic as people come back again and again to click on all of the different Social Network/Bookmark links.
@EavesdropWriter: Clever user name. Good job. I will have to check out those sites. Thanks for the tip!
@Chelle B. (or is it OffendedBlogger)…now see… this is what I was talking about.
Fortunately, I have been around long enough to know you go by Chelle B. as well, but for some, if it weren’t for your avatar, they might not know who you are. Thanks for the compliment about the post. I am glad you enjoyed it!
@praning5254: You are welcome. Yes, I have seen your other avatar (at Twitter - you should change it) and this picture is much more memorable and perfect like you said… er… um for the first reason anyway.
@DrowseyMonkey: You jokester you… Thanks and yes, your User Name is one of the best out there. It cracks me up… you know, picturing a drowsey monkey. Ha!
@Melissa: Thank you! And, yes… branding is the key!
@Becca: Thanks!
@JEANNE: Way to go! I look forward to seeing you around the blogosphere. Choose wisely and then stick with it and don’t change it!
June 18th, 2008 at 5:56 am
As you said, you must secure your username on as many sites as possible. I had someone “steal” thename DrBurst on a online game. Luckly, it is only a game and won’t effect my blog promotions. But, itproves how easy it is to snipe names and that there are people willing to take names.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Friend, Your powers of observation are impressive, but your willingness to share and support others are even more inspiring. You have a wonderful way with words. I learned a lot from your post, today. See you on the threads.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Thank you for the plug! Your internet marketing wisdom is really valuable! I appreciate your post and, more so, being a part of the BC community. You are an asset on numerous levels and I am glad you and your wife are participating. You are awesome!
June 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
7 Quick Tips for Branding Yourself Through Social Networking…
This is a reblog from The BlogCatalog Community Blog & happens to be an extremely long post. I’ll try to shorten each tip as much as possible but you can always go here to read the entire post.
Name and Icon recognition are critical when it c…
June 19th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Suggestons on CHECK ME OUT were educative atleast for a beginner like me, good work , please carry on the exeent work.
Please do suggest for additional technical tips eg; how to use links, the feeds, etc; shal post you the difficulties I face.
Thanks:- PRAKASH.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Thank you for the advice. I have already been doing most of these things already, but it’s nice to know that I’m on the right track. Another thing they might do is article writing. It’s time-consuming, but it can help in exposure.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Using a unique moniker is really effective when someone searches for the name and finds nothing but your participation, and finds ALLOT of it and it is all yours since the moniker could not be anyone else’s. Like my friend PotPieGirl, or Mert Erkal (really his name). But this takes the cake. TheFulffaNutta. What the heck is that? Google does not know, but it does not know 37,200 times. Everyone of them is TheFluffaNutta. That is a huge qualifier for anyone. It even impress me and I am everywhere.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:01 am
@barryfromtexas: Your comment goes along with my point that a good user name will be one that everyone can remember. Unforgetable, just like you! Thanks for the comment.
@Dr.Burst: Another great user name… How did you come up with that? The uniqueness is sometimes the lure, so yes, get to those sites and secure your name.
@Dr. Rob: Thank you so much for your kind words. That really means a lot to me coming from someone who was just awarded $7,000.00 for the prestigious, endowed professorship award by Lander University. I’m not sure if that award helped you hit your 100,000th visitor or not, but congratulations!
@gloablgirl: Wow! I’m so glad you got so much out of this post. I too enjoy the community of BlogCatalog and you yourself are a welcomed and most needed part of the gang. Thanks for the comment!
@SocialWebTools: Sorry about the confusion and the mix up earlier. I appreciate you linking your ariticle back here to the BlogCatalog blog.
@prakash: Welcome to blogging… as far as blogging goes, I’m a begginer myself. There is certainly a lot to learn out there and now you know about personal branding. As far as other topics here on BlogCatalogs’ blog, there will be many more posts here with great information from a variety of authors who are BlogCatalog users. Stay tuned…
@Tim: Thanks for the tip! Yes, article writing, or more specifically, “good article writing” will certianly help brand a person’s online identity. Glad you like the article.
@Chris Lang: I love that moniker - TheFluffaNutta and it’s another fine example of being unique and memorable. Thanks for the contribution. It’s all about branding my friend, it’s all about branding.
June 21st, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Thanks for all the great advice. Very interesting article!
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:03 pm
@Daisy: You’re Welcome. Thanks for reading.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Super useful post, nice job. It was extremely informative!
June 24th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Great Blogging advice!
How long have you been active in the Blogosphere?
June 26th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Once again you have written a great post. I will be putting your tips to good use.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:06 am
WOW! WOW! WOW! I know I sound like a barking dog, but this article is EXCELLENT! I can’t even take it all in in one sitting. I am going to have bookmark it and keep coming back. I am impressed with the amount of info here. Just amazing what you have compiled and what you KNOW! Two second in your brain would still be 500% more than anything I know about all this. Great job and thank you so much.!
June 28th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Great post! Validates some of what I’ve been doing by instinct and proposes some ideas I hadn’t considered. Very helpful!
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:53 pm
@Corey: Thanks for the feedback!
@Ryan: Thank you. I have only been blogging since May, 08. I love it and wish I had started much sooner. But, now that I am, I want to take full advantage of the available tools and techniques that I have learned in marketing over the past 17 years.
@searchingwithin: Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad that you have found it useful. I see you changed your avatar… is this a global change? Meaning, will they match across all of the networks? Hope so, because that’s the idea!
@RainforestRobin: You are so welcome. I appreciate the enthusiasm in your response and I am glad that you will be coming back often. That was exactly the intention of this post. Good luck on getting set up across the blogosphere!
@lulubelleb: Glad that I could validate some things you were already doing. Way to go! Thanks for the comment.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Alot of great advice here, but one question. From many I’ve heard the old axiom of ‘quality over quantity’ when it comes to social networking sites. The point being that you can only actively participate at a quality level in but so many and it is best to brand yourself as someone who is and engaged and thoughtful participant rather than an empty profile. Your advice to set up your name on as many social networking sites as possible seems counter to this. Any thoughts on striking a balance?
July 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
@strangebird: You bring up an excellent point and here is my advice to you. Better to be known as an empty profile, than to have your name taken by someone else. The former can be changed… the latter can’t. Thanks for the great question!
July 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
wow.. cool.. you like me…
hee-hee my name was metioned!! too cool
July 16th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Thanks for the tips, some of them are new to me and useful.
I got my internet nickname in Japan, 8 years ago… Hahaha!
July 24th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
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