What’s In a Name?

• Apr 24th, 2009
• Posted by Ron Schott
• Posted in Social Media

Establishing your brand or your client’s brand online is one thing. Protecting that brand and extending it throughout multiple channels is something completely different. With that in mind, here are five tips to creating a username that gets results and goes to bat for your clients’ brands.

Travel with the Brand

The magical “brand” is usually in the hands of the PR/Comms team and you won’t be changing that (and you shouldn’t really be trying). However, you can earn a seat at the table by acknowledging your respect for the brand and working to further, rather than recreate.

Be Yourself

Whether you’re setting up your own Twitter account or creating a video channel for a client, recognize the importance of name recognition. First/Last works well and you should be using the recognizable client name or a combo of product and client in other cases.

K.I.S.S.

Does this need to be explained?

Sign up. Confirm. Repeat.

Once you’ve decided on a naming scheme, lock down the channels where you or your client will be active. Forward thinking is key here; just because you may not be active in a space now doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future.

Don’t Be Afraid to Go to the Mattresses

Username squatting is the new cyber-squatting. The personal front is a bit harder to tackle, but if your client has a username out there that isn’t owned by them, you need to be willing to stress the importance of recovering their good name.