Claim Your Brand Name on Social Networks or Suffer

April 30, 2008 at 11:34 am | In Personal Branding, Reputation Management, Success Strategies, eBrand, social media | 15 Comments
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There has been much debate in the blogosphere about Seth Godin’s Twitter account. He never registered his name on Twitter and someone took it. This individual used his avatar, information and actually tweeted using this account. Fake Seth now has 4,375 followers and has sent 476 updates. Luckily for Seth, he blogged about this and the person who owns the Twitter account has only syndicated his blog, rather than torture his brand by misrepresentation. I’ve also seen fake Chris Brogan accounts and a few other “internet celebrities” being taken on Facebook. Truth be told, many of these individuals don’t seem to care because they are so high above the status quo that they feel their reputation can’t be burst into oblivion. Some may register their domain names, while others may forget to sign-up for the top social networks. Today’s post will tell you how to protect and secure your name, so you don’t suffer later.

“I have no idea how to kick someone off my name. What if they have the same name? Is this a productive use of my time if all this person is doing is reposting my blog? That’s not dishonest or wrong, it’s sort of a nice service.” – Seth Godin, Best Selling Author and Blogger

Seth Godin

Here is what you need to know

#1 – Purchase yourname.com and if you haven’t yet, I posted the procedure.

#2 – Review the social networking checklist to identify which social networks to join and which to stay away from.

#3 – Register your full name on each social network. I recommend Twitter, Facebook, WordPress.com, LinkedIn.com, Technorati, MyBlogLog, and YouTube for starters.

#4 – Start an excel spreadsheet or the Apple equivalent and list the social networks you’re apart of, as well as the login information and time they were last updated. The purpose here is to let each profile grow as you develop, so you aren’t misrepresented and don’t lose opportunities.

#5 – Pay attention to what social networks are gaining traction by subscribing to blogs that showcase new social networks and that keep a tally on what’s hot.

How to recover from a disaster

I would first like to start by mentioning that once someone has your name on a social network, you cannot attain it, unless they give it back to you. This is a huge call to arms for all of you, who think that it may magically return to you. A disaster that is not contained by a company or personal brand can hurt your reputation, especially if you are already a brand name. The more people that know you, the greater the chances are that someone doesn’t like you and wants to bring you under for their own satisfaction.

To recover from this situation, you must protect yourself in the first place, by using the above guidelines. If you can’t reach out to the person who stole your name, then be creative and register your name with your middle initial. I could either do danHschawbel or danielschawbel, if my name was taken. Send a note to your readership that it isn’t the real you like Seth did and if people are confused, try and message the one’s affected to contain the situation.

Reputation management concerns for the futureThe Future

I have major concerns for the future of our online brand reputations. With messages traveling at the speed of light, through a magnitude of services, all accessible from a single device anywhere in the world, you are on spot 24/7. Any move you make or anyone else makes will happen as fast as lightening and recovery will be nearly impossible. There are thousands of social networks right now. Some will converge in the future, while others will fail miserably.

What if you don’t register yourname.org, yourname.net, yourname.com, yourname.name, yourname.tv, yourname.biz, yourname.mobi, etc? As the amount of domain extensions increase and as the amount of social networking websites increases, it forces us to invest more in our online reputation than ever before.

College students and businesses haven’t caught up, while high school students and people already using these services are in good shape. When everyone catches up, there will be a flood of people registered for all these services and more people equals more messaging. This is a good business case for personal brand monitoring software, but in general, we will never be able to follow that many conversations.

We don’t have a choice whether or not we participate online anymore, but at the same time, we must be careful. I don’t believe there is a clear remedy yet, but would enjoy to hear your opinions on this topic.

Media Comparison and Strategy: Blog, Podcast, Magazine & Book

April 29, 2008 at 11:20 am | In Personal Branding, Podcasts, magazine, social media | 2 Comments
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As a blog owner, podcaster, magazine publisher and soon to be book author, I’ve learned a lot about media creation, distribution, marketing and branding. Today I would like to discuss differences, benefits and how to build and market each type. I firmly believe that various media supports each other and that with the proper combination, you can be successful in reaching your audience and making a positive impact. I will compare each to a type of television: basic, cable and ppv.

Blogging (basic television): Having a blog is starting to become a mandatory career/personal brand deliverable. By blogging you are giving away free content, in return for possible advertising revenue streams and the many soft benefits, such as consulting opportunities, press coverage, relationships that lead to jobs and friends that last forever. A blog is dynamic and allows you to rank higher in search engines because of the refresh rate when you post, along with keywords and links. Blogs attract so many links because there is so much content being produced and if it’s quality and the personal brand writing it has credibility, they will want to link it as a resource to their readers. Blogs can be free or paid depending on what you are using them for. They can be personal, professional or both and either way, if you establish one, then it is part of your eBrand. I started blogging on October 4th of 2006 and just found my first blog today “Drive to Succeed.” On March 14th, I leveraged that content and started this blog.

  • Cost: Free with WordPress.com or Blogspot, but paid with Typepad or hosting WordPress.org
  • Marketing: A blogBlogs doesn’t market itself unless you are best friends with Robert Scoble and he links to you. You need to network with blogs in your field, swap links, guest post, write for traditional media, pitch stories to journalists, and comment on other blogs.
  • Delivery: A blog delivers itself after you do a post. It automatically winds up in Google and people can view it on your blog. There are no delivery costs or logistics really.

Podcasting (basic television): If you don’t have a video camera, digital camera or web camera by now, you are at a tremendous loss. Podcast advertising is increasing at a faster rate than blogging. The podcast medium is more powerful than any other type because it shows a persons entire personal brand, including their personality and appearance. No picture or written article can capture a person quite like video can. I use podcasts on this blog, as well as Personal Branding TV to show the world that I practice what I preach and to get more personal and emotional with my audience.Personal Branding TV

  • Cost: There is no cost with uploading and sharing video, but there is an upfront cost for participation/ a barrier to entry. A camera can cost you as low at $60 and as high as a few thousand dollars. It’s not always about quality these days, but more about the message. Editing software can run between $30 and a few thousand as well and there are other tools advanced podcasters use like amplifiers and microphones.
  • Marketing: To market a podcast, you can syndicate it through your blog, host it on video sharing websites such as YouTube and social networks, such as Facebook.
  • Delivery: Social networks and blogs are the predominant forces when it comes to delivering podcast content.

Magazine (Cable Television): A lot of people stop at a blog or podcast, but I took it a step further. I believe you have to pay more for higher quality goods and Personal Branding Magazine is definitely worthwhile. Remember that a blog is typically written by a single author and that a magazine is a compilation of content from various authors. In this case, Personal Branding Magazine spans globally with about 40 writers and 25 articles in each issue. The idea behind the magazine is that it’s static content that is produced in the form of a document. In my case, it’s only electronic, but a lot of magazines make it to print. From the readers perspective, it feels different than a blog because it’s more tangible, but at the same time it can’t be tagged or sorted.
Personal Branding Magazine

  • Cost: My only cost is my time, which is worth more than money. Typically, you have to pay writers, a publishing service and a cost per issue released.
  • Marketing: I use blogs, podcasts and email lists to market my magazine. It’s really hard for a lot of magazines to break through the clutter, so they have to be creative in how they catch attention. It’s a branding game and if you have the right contacts, you can succeed.
  • Delivery: I use the magazine’s website to gain subscribers and I distribute through a list. I know a lot of people who have a more automated approach, which is more expensive and of course delivery through your local CVS or airport is very expensive.

Book (Pay-Per-View): So I kind of forced myself to introduce my book on this post. All I can really say isPersonal Branding Book that it’s focused on personal branding (surprise surprise) and skewed to eBranding. The book will be published by Kaplan Publishing, who is a leading provider of career and training books. You might remember them for their SAT, GMAT and LSAT training courses, along with their supplemental books. The book will go on Amazon around January and in a store near you (US only) next April, ready for the next graduating class. A book is PPV because it’s a linear piece of writing that has the highest degree of editing, proofing and content. A blog is more scattered thoughts, while a magazine revolves around a theme. A book has multiple people involved and is produced almost like a movie.

  • Cost: Typically you get paid an advance and then royalties on each book. Of course very few books are published and even fewer are best sellers (4%). There are a few hundred thousand books published each year. The cost is time, production, delivery and marketing. If you outsource the marketing/PR, it will cost you a lot of money, but save you time.
  • Marketing: Be prepared to do 80% of the marketing from what I’ve heard authors say. Starting a blog, podcast and magazine certainly helps support the sales of the book. Building bridges in the media and with other bloggers is critical. Speaking engagements and byline articles are also important. The big tip is to form relationships before you actually need help.
  • Delivery: If you work with a publisher, then your book will at least be on Amazon. Other channels are Barnes and Nobles and book resellers.

Twitter Responses

Twitter

Myth: Personal Branding Is All About YOU

April 28, 2008 at 10:46 am | In Book Reviews, Networking, People, Personal Branding, Podcasts, Success Strategies | 17 Comments
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False! Personal branding is not about you, it’s about everyone else. This post is required reading for everyone who believes that myth.


Note: I tend to do podcasts when the point can better be expressed through my personality and personal connection.

Daniel Pink IntroductionDaniel Pink

This all comes together as one of six chapters in Daniel Pink’s new book “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need.” The subtitle may be a stretch, especially because one of the themes of my book is career development (more like brand development), but his six points are extremely relevant to the new workplace. This is the first business book to explore the popular Japanese comic format, Manga. Daniel explored the fine art of manga and hired an illustrator to help him write this book. His previous book, A Whole New Mind was a bestseller and translated into 16 languages. He is also a freelance writer (Fast Company, NY Times) and public speaker. His previous job, before he became a free agent, was the chief speechwriter for Al Gore.

Chapter 3 Myth BreakerJohnny Bunko

My favorite quote in the entire book is “You’re here to serve, not to self-actualize.” When you are working with a team and serving a customer/client, it’s about them and not you. He goes on to say that the most successful people improve their own lives by improving the lives of others. By helping people solve problems, even if they didn’t know it was a problem, you are more successful. You need to bring out the best in others by making your boss look good and your teammates succeed. Dan’s book is a perfect read for professionals in my generation because it’s short, contains more pictures than writing, and has six major points we can remember. Pickup your free sample here.

Give Before You Receive

When I was growing up, my parents warned me of peers that would ask me for favors, without doing anything in return. This reciprocal nature was never present, but if it was, maybe there would have been a relationship, rather than a “one night stand.” Fact of the matter is that if you take genuine interest in another individual, by giving before you receiving, that karma and courtesy will make you very successful in the long run.

Value Is The Key

“The most successful networkers give value before receiving it.” By emailing or interacting with someone who is more successful than yourself, the key is to have something of value to give to them. This is another reason why blogging reigns supreme. By promoting someone else’s work when they need it (Daniel Pink’s for example), the chances that they will help you in the future are much greater. I’m lucky that I can give a lot of value to others, such as this blog and Personal Branding Magazine. By building media properties, it gives you a channel to actually promote others, while at the same time promoting yourself. No one charges people to read their blogs and because of this “free economy,” people are more inclined to do business with you because they learn to trust you and see previous results and achievements.

People usually won’t help you unless you can help them. What if you have nothing to give?

Everyone has something to give, they just haven’t figured out what! You need to discover your brand and learn what your strengths are and what you can produce for others. You can’t get hired for a job, start a business or do just about anything without knowing what you can provide to others because that’s how money is made and people become customers. Before even being asked for something, take the initiative and do it for that person. Today is national “help someone else,” day which means that if you take the first step today, you will have everlasting success.

How To Find The Perfect Relationship and Your Dream Job

April 25, 2008 at 3:03 pm | In Book Reviews, Career Development, Dating, Interview, Personal Branding, Recruitment, Success Strategies | 1 Comment
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Courting Your Career

Now that’s a headline to get excited about. Although I cannot provide all the answers in a single post, Shawn Graham’s new book “Courting Your Career” may help you. The same dating game that we all go through is similar to our job search. For you to stay at a company for over a year, there needs to be some kind of match.

If you treat your career like you do the opposite sex, maybe you will find the right man or woman. Getting on the right career path isn’t simple. Finding your dream woman or man is just as complicated, but today you will learn some tactics from the man who has cross-linked both to make it easier for college students to understand the job search game.

Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenana-Flagler Business School. He also has a personal blog and blogs for Fast Company.

Me: Shawn this book is genius and perfect for college students who can relate to dating and falling into the wrong relationships. Did you have any situations in your own life that helped you develop a book relating dating to one’s career? This question almost forces you to be transparent.

Shawn Graham: In a word…plenty. Especially the similarity between pre-date and pre-interview jitters. Early in my career, I would always let my nerves get the best of me during an interview. I’d be totally prepared and confident until the moment I walked in the door. That’s when I’d fall apart. It reminded me of how nervous I used to get before a first date with someone I was totally into and how nerves and a lack of confidence would squash any chance I had for a second date. One day I finally realized that, looking back, dating seemed to get a whole lot easier as I went on more dates. And knowing that gave me an added boost of confidence going into job interviews.

Me: I think every career development book should talk about “getting to know yourself” which is in Chapter 1 of this book. I call this “discover your brand” and feel like it’s the cornerstone to all things career and life related. What do you recommend people do to learn about themselves and what resources are out there to research careers and industries?

Shawn Graham: Start with friends and family. Where do they work? What do they do? Think about what you like/dislike about their jobs.

Think about your major. Did you choose something that will almost certainly lead to a job directly after graduation like engineering? Or did you major in something you like (for example philosophy), that won’t necessarily lead to a job without an advanced degree.

Make a list of jobs you think you’d like. Then consider the reasons why you’re interested in them. As you gather more and more information about yourself, you’ll eventually reach a deeper understanding of what you’re looking for—both personally and professionally.

A ton of online resources are available to help you research careers and industries. Start with sites like Vault.com and Wetfeet.com. You’ll also want to visit the websites of companies you’re interested in so you can get a better understanding of their business and gather information on possible jobs or internships.

Me: How do you compare casual dating with internships, projects and volunteer work?

Shawn Graham: They offer you and the company an opportunity to get to know each other better without being locked into a long-term commitment. They’re a great way to gain valuable work experience you can put on your resume and can also help you choose your career path. Since these options are short-term in nature (8-10 weeks), you don’t have to worry about making a long-term commitment as you learn about different career fields. However, you still need to make sure you put your best foot forward by delivering high quality work.

Me: In Chapter 3, you mention networking and relate it to meeting other singles to expand your network. I assume that if someone is in a relationship, they don’t have a job opening, but do you think that should stop you from flirting with them?

Shawn Graham: That’s a loaded question. When you’re in a relationship, flirting will almost certainly get you into some serious trouble. But, when it comes to your career, it’s definitely important for you to continue to expand your professional network. You never know what doors you might be able to open up for someone else or when you might need to leverage their expertise or perspective.

Me: How many “dates” do you have to have with a companyg in order to seal the deal? I had to casually date 6 people for my first job at my company.

Shawn Graham: Two to three rounds of interviews are typical for most companies. Once you get past the first round, the interviews get more in-depth as the interviewer is trying to further evaluate your knowledge and degree of fit with the company.

Me: When you get serious about dating and are ready for the relationship, what do people need to know? Can you please touch on “it’s not you, it’s me”?

Shawn Graham: Calling an organization to say you’ve accepted a position with another company is a lot like breaking up with someone. In both cases, the other party will feel rejected, disappointed, or even angry.

When breaking up with a company, it’s best to call the person who extended you the offer directly to let them know. Don’t burn bridges. Keep your conversation short and to the point. Thank them for the opportunity. Let them know (in general terms) why you’ve decided to turn down the position. For example, are you rejecting it for a position that is more in line with your long-term career interests? Are you doing it to be closer to family? You want to be general to avoid making negative comments about the company. In the world of dating, you probably wouldn’t like it much if somebody pointed out all of the reasons he or she didn’t want to go out with you. The same holds true when you’re turning down a job offer.

Me: What inspired you to write this book and what do you want people to get out of it?

Shawn Graham: I was finding that most job seekers didn’t relate to online and print resources and, as a result, were having a difficult time navigating their job search.

I hope readers will find that even the most difficult career-related issues can be broken down and resolved using the comparisons and strategies detailed in Courting Your Career. I hope readers will leverage the advice and strategies contained in the book to help them find career success. And, if it helps them in the love department, even better.

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