Read the first part of this personal brand post and stop!
Try this test, before reading the rest of this post. Go to Google and type in your first and last name with quotes, Example “Brent Pohlman”
Did you perform the test mentioned above? You really need to do that first before reading the rest of the post.
On the first page of Google you should see any site you personally update like your personal blog site or company site. In addition, you should see your profile from LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. This little test has helped me build my personal brand. In addition, you may also find that your name appears on other sites like your school site, church site, a sports site that your kids are associated with. It’s always good to know how others see your name and where it is listed.
I pay particular attention to the social media sites. If you are regularly adding content on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter you will see that information reflected on where you are at on the page. This information can be helpful and will give you an idea of how others are finding you.
Also, I really watch that my personal information like address and phone are not listed on sites. You do need to protect yourself to some extent. If you seeyour name on a list like white pages or a google directory, you can have that information removed.
Some Steps toward getting more exposure for your personal brand
Personal Website -If you are trying to build more personal, brand recognition, start by putting a website with your name on it. I have a site that I update each week, brentpohlman.me .
Twitter – Also, make sure you secure your twitter name, @brentpohlman. Remember you can add your middle initial or add a prefix or suffix to your name. Also put your name in your twitter bio.
LinkedIn – Make sure you create a LinkedIn profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/bpohlman) with your name as part of the url
Facebook – Make sure you use your personal bio url. https://www.facebook.com/brentpohlman
YouTube – Create a personal YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/BrentPohlmanMe and start publishing your own videos
Picture Source | Phillipp Sauber
Great stuff, Brent! How did you get your .me website?
Also, are your Google results affected by previous searches or Google knowing where you are or what you search for regularly?
When I searched my name, I came up first, which makes me wonder…
Susan – Thanks for your comments! I was able to buy the .me domain site from GoDaddy.com and I can host unlimited number of sites with HostGator. It is very cool. Your google results are absolutely influenced by previous searches. I have also found the “+1″ feature works to influence search too. (Future Post). I did a search on your name and saw your site as number one also. Very Cool!
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Thanks for your note. I will have to check out your site a little more
Brent