Thing 3 is a really interesting one and something that I've been musing about for a while. I haven't done much to tie up my Twitter, Blogger, and LinkedIn personas so far. (I don't count Facebook). But starting a blog using Google-owned software suggests to me that I have to get my G-profile sorted out so that it's obvious that my blog is written by the same person as the @LibClare Twitterer. As profersonal communication tools, I think each complements the other.
I asked a 'critical friend' (i.e. member of my family) what he thought of my blog as a personal brand and the first thing he said was that he didn't like the avatar-as-photo. However I am nervous of posting an actual headshot - the only place I have one that is clearly me is on my LinkedIn profile - not for the scary reasons that Laura talks of but a more general unease about it being misused in some way.
My avatar (created by this Mad Men avatar generator) is similar enough to the real me for people to recognise me in real life, so for the moment I'm happy to stick with it. It helps to stand out a little, even though I know I'm breaking the rules (see the excellent presentation at SLA 2010 by Mary Ellen Bates on Brand You and Web 2 and her follow-up this year on Guerrilla Marketing). I know that I look for familiar images in a Twitter timeline, and for me the ubiquitous head-and-shoulders shot simply disappears into the stream.
I have no eye for design - even after devouring the very good Non-Designers Design and Type Books - so my blog uses one of the out-of-the box layout and colour schemes available in Blogger, with some inspiration for widgets from other blogs. So I'm painfully aware that my visual brand is non-existent and needs a lot more thought.
A search for my name on Google doesn't actually find the real me until the second page - though adding +librarian really helps, boosted by my taking part in organising the recent Cambridge Librarians TeachMeet. Worryingly a few people of my name have been doing some rather dubious things, and in my feverish mind a prospective employer with poor search skills could quite easily put two and two together and make seventeen. So hopefully some more blogging and associating my full name with it will help to make things clearer and cleaner.
None of the pictures that come up are of me apart from the avatar (so mission accomplished there). I did upload another of the pictures but it is not -of- me - it is of a dear former colleague on a Just Giving page I created to raise money for research into her illness.
I've been wondering about balance and personal brand too. Whether a busy blog can show too much evidence of attending conferences and events - and if that could put a prospective employer off? Conversely too much silliness on Twitter and not enough professional engagement. I don't know what employers think, but I do wonder how some bloggers and Tweeters actually do any work. I'd be interested in comments on that.
Hello, I enjoyed reading your post, especially interested in your views on including a photo. I have pondered the same thing but taken the plunge...!
ReplyDeleteThink it depends on the attitude of the employer. Some people find any kind of online activity weird or a sign of oddness and it would put them off. But then there's definitely some truth in saying that you might not want to work for such a person, I'm not sure... I have very mixed feelings about it all as I used to make a huge effort to not have my real name anywhere on the internet if I could help it but cam23 last year has totally changed that and now I'm everywhere and I still feel a bit uncomfortable with that when I think about it.
ReplyDeleteI like your avatar and think of it as you, by the way!
Thanks @tixylix and @thingblogging for the vote of confidence on the avatar. It does give me the opportunity to stay forever young, which has to be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI do take your point Céline about not wanting to work for an employer who disapproves of -or worse- doesn't understand blogging (my employer is very supportive BTW). But there is a balance and I really don't know where that lies. Yet.
I like avatars and use different ones. I change them and mix and match amongst my different accounts. My real name is clearly identifiable alongside my online persona and I am happy with that.
ReplyDeleteI have used an avatar for a long time, usually ones that looked like me (Mad Men included!). However, with more topics broaching the professional line versus the personal, I actually switched to my own pic in all my spaces. For however long that lasts! I think there are reasons for both, so do what works for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks @polyxena and @booksNyarn for the extra support and comments - the avatar is definitely staying for the time being then!
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