Your user-name in the virtual world is everything. It’s the first thing people see on any of your accounts and its what will come up when people are searching for you. It NEEDS to be thought out.
I ran into this problem today when I decided to switch my twitter name from @jotoole4 to @JaredOToole. Now it doesn’t seem like a big deal but it is.
Here are my reasons for changing:
1. If it’s your name its much more likely someone will remember it if you tell them in person.
2. Think about your biggest points of contact online. Mine are Facebook, my blog, my company. All of those contact points use my full name. My favorite social tool online is twitter so why should it be different.
3. I have a lot of accounts like stumbleupon, digg, technorati that I can’t change from jotoole4. But those aren’t my biggest points of contact, they are more for fun so it won’t hurt me in the end.
4. I watch a lot of ustream shows now to connect with people in the chats. Again I use my full name when I tell people who I am.
5. Social networking is becoming more and more personal. I don’t use a user-name when I introduce myself to someone in person so why should I use one online when I am trying to form relationships.
Now not everyone’s name will be available on all of these sites. For example my buddy Matt Wilson’s name was taken on twitter already so he made his name @MattWilsonTV.
It won’t destroy your efforts if you can’t use just your full name but get as close as you can.
Remember these user-names will be on these sites forever. Think about where you will be in 5years. What would you want your name to be then?
Now if you have already started using different names like I have it makes things a little tricky but you can do damage control. Twitter lets you change your name easily, just announce it when you do. Otherwise focus on your biggest points of contact and if you make the switch try to alert everyone.
Remember this is your personal brand you are creating.
