Your Social Media User Name - Is It Too Late?

Seems there is always something new to be learned and discovered.  Twitter, FriendFeed, Online Webinars, the Information is flying around the WEB 2.0 World at high speeds and at high altitudes, but if you try to grab on to some of this stuff, it's amazing what you can learn from being connected to these Social Media Networking and Marketing platforms.  At todays webinar, we discussed your "User Names" and how they should be selected and used on the web.  A great site was mentioned that will search your name on multiple sites to see if it's available.  So why is this important?

The questions?

Is it too late?  Does someone else already have your user name or do you?  What should your user name be?  Your real name or a company?  Should it be your name with a title?  IE: BradRealtor?  Maybe a memorable slogan, or a cool phrase?  I can tell you this, when I forget anything about anybody, I just Google their name.  I think I even do this sub-consciously.  Today, it was suggested to lock up your "real name" to be used as your "Brand", and to capture that "name recognition" you deserve.  Who will find you?  Google will, your family will, your friends and neighbors will, and the people who search you out when your name comes up in certain circles will too.  Let me explain...

It's Your Name.  What's In A Name? 

Referral business for one.  If someone refers you to another person, how do they do it?  Your nick name, your company, your slogan or your catch-phrase?  No.  IMHO, I think in most cases people use other peoples names. Real names.  If I'm at dinner with friends, and you mention someone to me like Mary McCormick and her awesome site, I would probably remember her name before I would remember her site at: RealEstateLuxuryHomesInFlorida.com.  So what would I do when I got back home?  I'd Google her name.  How about you; would you ever do a search for ActiveBrad?  Exactly....

A Possible Tool $ Solution!

UserNameCheck.com is a website that can search many of the social networks and social media platforms. It searches sites to see where you can Brand your name, and snag it before someone else does.  Now I'm not saying you should go join all these sites, but do take stock in the ones you feel are beneficial to you, your on-line presence or your business. 

So now you're just one click away from making some important decisions... should I be using my real name and which places should I be doing it?  (seriously pondering right now...) Will people search me as Brad Andersohn or ActiveBrad or my former TheEscrowGuy?  Hmmm... guess I have the same dilemma as some of you...crap, I hate when this happens.  LOL~ 

Right Now, you're probably realizing like I am, that in some cases, it may be too late to change, even if your user name is available. The Google placement and SEO you've gained to this point, might not be worth losing...or is it???  It's like the same dilemma you have when deciding to change a phone number, or an email address.  What user name are you using on the Web, and is it getting you the best possible results?

Hopefully this post will catch some of you before it's too late....one way or the other.