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Redefining Yourself Means That You're Growing...into what?
Learn more about your progress in self-branding
Linda began a new project this past week in efforts to brand herself and her career as a writer. In this article, she journals her process in developing this persona across several social media venues. Learn more about your progress in self-branding as Linda shares her problems and how she resolved them
How to Influence Strangers and Amuse Your Friends
I can't help but write with tongue in cheek today, as my friends have watched my transformation from an online political advocate to a person who is branding herself as a writer – all within one year. I blame DMXZone for this process, otherwise I never would have attempted this task.
But, as I write these articles for the DMXZone audience, I realize that to develop an online brand is not that difficult. To mess It up is easy, too. As one friend stated this week, "Redefining yourself means that you're growing." My question back to her was, "Ok, but growing into what?"
My response was a joke, but a tone of seriousness underlies that question. I am a writer, but I've never really stated as much to a broad audience. Since I don't believe in burning bridges (although I do run around with matches), my former clients often return with more work. There are only so many clients I can handle before I need to hire more writers. While expansion can be a good thing, training writers for the type of writing I do for clients is not my idea of a good time.
But, there comes a time when every adult might try to define his or her career identity. This identity usually is shaped by words and images and through social and business connections. With that goal in mind, I'll share my progress so you can replicate any or all of my self-branding efforts if you wish. Along the way, you may influence some strangers and amuse your friends.
In The Beginning...
The first project I committed to in the branding process this week was a visit to Name Check. Use this site to learn whether your real name or your business name (or username or vanity name) has been taken in various social media sites. Do not feel obligated to join all the social media sites listed on this page. Instead, pick the cream of the crop if a site is available, so anyone else who wants to use your name must be relegated to using a less well-known service or change that name.
Since "JohnSmith" is a common name, I plugged that name into the Name Check site and the return results are shown below:
The image above shows that John Smith, or several John Smith
personas, have taken over the social media board at the Name Check site,
recognizable by the salmon pink colour and emphasized by the word, "Taken."
Surprisingly, no John Smith is on LinkedIn – at least not by the
jammed-together username that I presented to the Name Check site. But, this
exercise helped me to understand which social media sites might not be
important to most JohnSmiths in this world.
I am, however, Linda Goin, so my social media usage is different from John Smith's preferences. I don't, for example, use video, nor do I have any inclination to do so. But you, as a designer, may choose from any one of many video sites shown here and brand that site with your name. Get to it.
In the meantime, I've listed my work within the past two days below, including a problem that took a few hours and some actual thinking to resolve.
Linda Goin
Linda Goin carries an A.A. in graphic design, a B.F.A. in visual communications with a minor in business and marketing and an M.A. in American History with a minor in the Reformation. While the latter degree doesn't seem to fit with the first two educational experiences, Linda used her 25-year design expertise on archaeological digs and in the study of material culture. Now she uses her education and experiences in social media experiments.
Accolades for her work include fifteen first-place Colorado Press Association awards, numerous fine art and graphic design awards, and interviews about content development with The Wall St. Journal, Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, and L.A. Times.