I highly recommend reading this manifesto. You are being Googled. Right now. Someone is doing it. Do you know what they are finding? Arruda and Dixon provide a fairly detailed plan of how to control the information about you available on the webbernets. They also get into building a personal brand.
The ramifications of being Googled are widespread when it come to building and managing your personal brand.
They also pose the question of what does it mean if you DON'T show up in a google search. You are a ghost. Or as they say..."you don't exist." If you are serious about your career and about building and maintaining your personal brand, controlling your online presence is critical. Your Linkedin profile, myspace page, Facebook profile are ALL being looked at by recruiters, future companies, co-workers, bosses, and friends. Scared yet?
You should be. Impressions WILL be made about you.
They walk you through the steps of understanding your GQ (Google Quotient). Then they give very sound advice as to how to build your presence. The best part about Google is that it can be influenced. You CAN control it.
Building your brand is about being a hammer. If you want to survive and thrive, you cannot be all things to all people.
People need to know who you are, what you stand for and what makes you stand out. Success in the new world of work requires that you differentiate yourself from myriad others who seemingly do what you do. You need to understand and express your unique value.
After doing your google assessment they recommend buying a domain name. Mike Lally is not available. I've actually sent an email to the person that owns it. He's not willing to sell. You will notice that there is NOTHING happening with that domain. This has lead me to change from the old blog (Diligentia...I was trying to be witty or something with the name) to this one. My hope is that branding it as "Mike Lally" will get me better page ranks. Then maybe Meg will give me some SEO tips. I have also gone out and purchased domains for my wife and daughter. ($10 a year each is a solid investment. I should have done it sooner. And then my almost-7-year old daughter will be set for whatever the future of the web brings.)
They also recommend getting a professional photo taken. I had done this on the old blog. I need to take a new one. I have lost a significant amount of weight. So I look different...maybe even better....certainly healthier.
I have a pretty decent page rank with Google. My linkedin profile is the second thing you see when you search on "Mike Lally". My goal is to get this blog and linkedin as 1 and 2. I am competing against an actor.
Lastly, post, post, post...post relevant commentary on other blogs. Post on your own site. (I'm such a slacker.)
As you can see, I am really buying into all of this. I BELIEVE that networking is critical. My last two jobs have come because of LONG relationships I've had with people. I believe in nurturing and growing my network. Not having contacts for the sake of contacts. I want to be relevant. I want to contribute.
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