I’ve been thinking a lot about brand building. It’s the public relations part of my that really spends time on that topic. Having recently started working with a new client that is not well knows, it’s an obvious challenge my team and I will face over the next few months and beyond. That’s not what I’m hear to write about since this is a non-work related blog but the two worlds intersect as I reflect on my personality online and what it is I choose to present.
I began this blog as a personal reflection on my life in Silicon Valley and how the two connect. I haven’t always been involved in (or cared) about the Valley. Up until a few months ago, I didn’t know who Sarah Lacy or MG Siegler were and didn’t think too much about Twitter or Six Apart. Now that is all I think about and I can’t help but jump for joy when I get comments from other folks on this blog (Mario, I’m talking to you!). Then I think about the line between work and life and when it disappeared.
This brings me to my point about online brand and personality. When I first joined the endless social networking sites around (Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, Hi5, etc.), I was presenting my personality and who I wanted my online friends to see. In college it was all about being cool, post-college it was all about reclaiming the glory of those good old days. That brings me to the present day. I’ve learned to be very careful with what I present on both those sites and my blog because I know the folks I need to succeed have or will see what I’m writing today. It’s a little intimidating to know that my random rant on my love of Twitter may impact my future… you gotta agree.
I’ve spent some time tracking down articles and blog posts that discuss what I’ve been getting too in my round about style. Here they are:
- http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2008/tc20080616_244374.htm
- http://www.jobsnewswire.com/article/facebook-can-reveal-if-employees-are-really-off-sick-id18796935.html
