Developing Your Brand in Two Steps
September 25, 2009 by Amber Passey
As a blogger we are part of an online community. Since blogging is a social act, we often extend our social activity outside of our blog and venture into other communities like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and niche specific forums or communities.
As we visit each place, networking and building relationships with readers and fellow bloggers, we want people to know who we are from place to place. I want people to know that I am Amber Passey on Twitter and that I’m that same Amber Passey on Facebook.
There are two easy things you can do to be consistent which will help people recognize you as they move from community to community. By the way, as people connect with you in different communities they are able to see all the sides of you, your blog and your business. This builds trust as they see you be consistent in your values and behavior.
Step One: Choose the Same User Name
As you sign up for different communities, choose the same user name or ID to have appear next to your activity in the community. You can choose your name or your blog name. There are merits to each depending on your goals. But for branding yourself, the important key is to be consistent.
I use the same user name whenever that user name is available (which it has been so far every time I’ve signed up for a new community.) When people see the same user name in two different places it rings a bell and they feel connected to that person because they’ve seen that name before.
Step Two: Use the Same Picture
To solidify the connection people make between communities when you have the same user name, always use the same picture. Again, this could be a picture of you or the button or logo for your blog. In social media, though, it’s about connecting with people so I would lean toward a personal picture rather than your logo.
Seeing the same picture with the same user name eliminates any question about you being the same person in each community. You now have a brand that people will recognize. As you participate in these communities and people get to know you, they will begin to trust your opinions and recommendations.
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