Comments on: What’s in a domain? Establishing your social business brand

By: The 20 Best Social Media Books from 2012 to Read in 2013

The 20 Best Social Media Books from 2012 to Read in 2013 — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:08:49 +0000

[...] Business Trends contributor Joel Don mentioned this popular (pun intended) book in his post What’s in a domain? Establishing your social business brand. Social media allows brands to connect with people in a deep way, but it can only happen in a [...]

By: Joel Don

Joel Don — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:58:00 +0000

Do you have a middle initial? Also, you can do variations of your name spelling and still achieve a pretty good result. And consider the option to secure your name (or a variation) with .net, .biz, .me and so forth. Good luck!

By: Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:02:00 +0000

I’m TOTALLY buying IncredibleMonkey.com!

I just spent two days with a CEO organization and we spent some time dissecting whether or not the leader of the company should be the one blogging, using the social networks, starring in videos, or creating content. As a business owner, I know how difficult it is to keep with all this stuff…and it’s my job. So I don’t think the top executive is the one who has to do it…as long as the brand isn’t reflective of their personality (think Oprah).

So I think your advice is spot-on IF your brand is tied to your personality (like Shelly explained). There is so much “it depends” in this space that it’s hard to make a one size fit all.

By: Robin Moss

Robin Moss — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:23:00 +0000

Alas, I have a truly common name (I know of four people in my city with my same name!) so owning my domain is out of the question. Which is nice, I never have to make the decision.

Although I did name my company after myself, I just used my nickname.

Great post, I can see both sides.

By: davinabrewer

davinabrewer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:18:00 +0000

I’m totally with you on a unique, custom URL that you OWN meaning business. Being your name? IDK. Think everyone’s MMV – different goals, different businesses, different comfort levels w/ transparency – hence your wonderfully comprehensive look.

I opted to focus on a business brand and a personal.. person. Closest I guess to @RedheadWriting:disqus this is me, this is the kind of business sense I bring to the table: plain spoken, or typed, a little humor, and hopefully, a lot of actionable smarts for my small biz clients. My stock line: this is the real me, but not the whole me. I’m a professional, not a brand; human, not a logo. I don’t want others confusing the professional me vs. the personal me, so I don’t make it an issue. FWIW I have considered switching Twitter handles. But at the same time, I like that “3HatsComm” kinda ‘brands’ my feed, that I wear a variety of PR and communications hats.

By: Joel Don

Joel Don — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Laura, you’ve touched on an important point. You may change your course in the future, either as a planned transition to leverage a new opportunity or as a result of a marketplace shift that disrupts corporate resource needs. Your brand is the platform that you are building and evolving. You could parlay your communications expertise into a new corporate gig, or hang your shingle as a PR/social media agency that could someday become its own corporate entity with global reach and employees sharing in the vision. Your personal brand will always be the kernel. LPT is the enduring element.

By: Laura P Thomas

Laura P Thomas — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:16:00 +0000

As someone who works on the corporate side of things, your first sentence slightly modified explains why I brand with my name or, whenever available, my initials - ”Jobs come and go.” Sure, I’ve worked for Dell for 11 years now, but who knows what tomorrow brings, right? I don’t have a DBA, but have resisted creating an additional work persona because I believe my work and personal life are blended in my online presence. Should I one day strike out on my own, or join up with someone else, I have flexibility because I’m still me wherever I go. – Laura P Thomas aka LPT

By: Joel Don

Joel Don — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:21:00 +0000

Rachel, so true. The human aspect is vital to the equation. We can’t forget that. I remember your prior branded business. Strella Social Media clicks. Good move!

By: iphone

iphone — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:59:00 +0000

good blog really and good sharing

By: Rachel Strella

Rachel Strella — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:54:00 +0000

Very interesting piece, Joel. You give a lot of food for
thought.

As you know, we’ve had this rebrand conundrum occur in
January as we moved from Central PA Webster to Strella Social Media.

The ongoing argument is that “YOU are your brand.” Your
company should be a reflection of your brand.

You bring up some interesting points, especially regarding
the potential of selling a business. This was something we considered when
re-branding, but we also thought: if we build up and it makes millions, wouldn’t
someone want their name attached to that business? Heck, if I could afford what Chris Brogan was
selling, I would buy it in a heartbeat. He has a phenomenal reputation.

At the end of the day, it’s about being a person. We relate
to people – not a logo – especially if someone is just starting out.