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What is your online persona? Do you proactively use the new networks to position your good side? In today’s business world you have to be careful and proactive in positioning your persona online.  The Web 2.0 pundits refer to this as your “Personal Brand“.  Like everything else, the first place your potential employers, partners, vendors and customers will go to find out more about you is Google. 

Have you Googled yourself?  Is this a person you’d like to do business with?

I often wonder if I’m not getting a bit schizophrenic with my online worlds. When you Google me you’re probably not even going to be able to figure out who I am unless you give Google a context because my name is very common. You won’t be able to sort me out from the hundreds of other Chris Russell’s out there, many of whom are far more active in pushing their online personas.

If you narrow the search criteria you will more than likely find one of my online articles on running, which is my big hobby. You might be confused when you expect to find the guy in the suit and tie and are instead confronted with an article on chaffing during marathons.

I was an early adopter of the prominent business oriented online networking sites like LinkedIn and Plaxo. I have hundreds of direct virtual connections and I’ve met some super folks.  I took the time and crafted an online ‘brochure’ to show myself the way I wanted to be seen. 

This business persona has been eclipsed by my hobby persona and Google is smart enough to figure it out.  You may think your ‘official’ information is dominant but the search engines give much greater weight to heavily linked active pieces. 

What do we learn from all this?  What is the take away?

1. Your personal interests can define you. If you have a hobby or online presence that you don’t want unveiled to your business colleagues, you’d better take pains to set up a pseudonym and mask it. Personally I don’t see any downside to potential partners knowing I’m an Ultra-marathoner and triathlete.
2. Don’t skimp in your business persona. This is your online resume. Take the time and build a comprehensive online brochure. Get a great picture. It’s a worthwhile investment of your time.
3. Be active online. Create your own website for business and post your brochure. Create groups and invite people. Actively comment in the business blogs/forums in your space. Add content and keep it fresh. Create a blog and write an entry at least once a week.
4. Take the time to experiment with the newer technologies as they come out. Twitter, Flickr, podcasting - play with it. Stay up to date.

Don’t let random chance decide how you are going to be seen online.  Come up with the persona you want and proactively push it.  Stay at it and it will bear fruit for you.

Tags: Personal Branding, Professional Networking, Social Networking

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