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Is it okay to use a pen name on social media?

by JeffH
18 replies
I am probably one of the last people on the planet who don't have a Facebook account so I have a few questions.

I'd like to try it (along with other social media) in different niches, but I don't want to use my real name because:

1. I don't want different unrelated niches overlapping. If someone searches for me I don't want to reveal every niche that I'm in.

2. I want to keep the business stuff and the personal stuff separate.

3. If I ever want to sell a site that is attached to a strong personality on a social media account, am I able to transfer it over to someone else?

I don't know if using a pen name is in violation of any TOS. Maybe it's considered unprofessional, or even unethical.

I would appreciate any opinions, experiences, suggestions, etc.

Thank you,
Jeff
#media #pen #social
  • Profile picture of the author Justin Michie
    Sure, why wouldn't it be?

    You can use pen names for all kinds of things - many very popular published authors do it and they're on the NY Times best sellers list, so it's definitely ok to use for social networking.

    I don't know about selling it though - you could sell the brand, but whether you can sell the pen name and everything that goes with it, you should probably check with a lawyer about.
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  • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
    Actually it will likely produce more traffic. I have used somewhat famous cartoon character names and almost no one turns down my friend requests.

    Just be VERY careful with anything salesish. Social media is not a good sales environment but instead, "Hey I can't believe I just found this cool product that saved me $200 in groceries this week" or "I found a new trick to get farmville cash".

    In general, I notice people pay attention to random good news. When they see it from a cartoon character, they respond.

    Just my observations.

    Best in your endeavors.
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    I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alice123
    This was a question I had not even considered. Maybe I will give more thought to using a pen name. Thanks for the post!

    All the Best to you!

    Alice
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  • Profile picture of the author Marc Meole
    most marketer use pen names...and several different pen names per niche...just try not to violate any copyright laws
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  • Profile picture of the author Snak3
    Many a times you would have to create multiple accounts in various social media sites for the sake of marketing and keeping different niches seperated. It certainly isn't possible to have your real name everywhere. So a pen name is the best way to go about this.

    One more thing i'd like to mention. You 'may' want to keep your professional life on the web away from your personal life. Since social media is growing quickly, you wouldn't want all your buddies back home to know 'everything' about what you do online.

    An account you make now using your own name, you may regret for it 5 years down the line. That is why it is wise to have a Pen name or a 'fake' id to market your empire online.
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  • Profile picture of the author JeffH
    I was thinking it would be fine but I just wanted some other opinions.

    As far as selling the social media accounts goes, I don't think I would actually sell the account, but just give it to my website buyer as part of the sale.

    Thanks everyone for your input.

    Jeff
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  • Profile picture of the author Tomwood
    Yes you should certainly use pen names and keep all your niches separate what I do is join all the related groups in the niche and then wait for the friend requests to roll in
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  • Profile picture of the author socialbookmark
    I think its useful but not much as other members said. Its a little better not too much.
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    I love warriorforum. zendegiyesabz

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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Wise
    Yes.

    Regards Helena
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    • Profile picture of the author peter.max
      Pen names are generally accepted in many markets and IM is one of them. I agree with Snak3 that you may regret it 5 years from now if you do everything in your own name. The digital breadcrumbs can follow you for a long time to come.

      Just make sure that you still maintain your values and standards, even under a pen name
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      • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
        Keep in mind that the way Facebook is currently set up, pages are not transferable and they are tied to a user profile. You can let others have admin rights on the page, but if you set up a FB page with a pen name with the intention of including it with a future website sale you won't be able to remove your user profile from the page.

        In my opinion from working with clients over nearly 3 years it can get too complicated for people manage multiple personas across several social media sites. Very few people have the mental bandwidth and time to pull it off successfully.

        I do everything online as myself. If there is something I might consider promoting that I'd be ashamed or embarrassed that people knew about, then I consider that a good indicator that the short-term money I'd earn from it wouldn't be worth the long term cost.

        There are amazingly few secrets online. Someone is always able to connect the dots. Integrity is incredibly valuable long term.

        Bottom line, though, is this is a marketing and branding decision. Do you want to brand yourself or a pen name? Either one is fine. Consistency over the long haul is important because social media is most valuable as your efforts compound over time.
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        • Profile picture of the author DogScout
          Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

          Keep in mind that the way Facebook is currently set up, pages are not transferable and they are tied to a user profile. You can let others have admin rights on the page, but if you set up a FB page with a pen name with the intention of including it with a future website sale you won't be able to remove your user profile from the page.
          I have moved admin rights on a facebook page and deleted the original admin account with no hitches. If you may someday sell a FB page, just make an alias to make it. Transfer the page to the buyer and delete the alias. As I understand it (look for yourself) more than one FB account is a TOS violation so you'd have to use an Elite proxy if you were to decide to do that, (unless you used a family member to make an account you could delete later), and IF it is a TOS violation.

          It is a violation:
          1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
          2. You will not create more than one personal profile.
          Apparently I was a bad dog.
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          • Profile picture of the author qvalpro
            Definitely yes and that is what I do
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          • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
            Originally Posted by DogScout View Post

            It is a violation:
            1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
            2. You will not create more than one personal profile.
            Apparently I was a bad dog.
            Yeah. I never recommend to my paying clients to violate a site's TOS (or anyone else for that matter). It's an unwise long term business strategy.

            Besides, while it has a similar affect, adding an admin to a FB page and then deleting the account that created the page is not the same thing as transferring the page.

            I know several social media consultants who are in the sometimes awkward position of still being admin's on former clients' FB pages because they originally created them. That's part of the reason I stick to systems, strategy and training and avoid creating content for my clients, especially on Facebook.
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            • Profile picture of the author DogScout
              Originally Posted by ChrisCree View Post

              Yeah. I never recommend to my paying clients to violate a site's TOS (or anyone else for that matter). It's an unwise long term business strategy.

              Besides, while it has a similar affect, adding an admin to a FB page and then deleting the account that created the page is not the same thing as transferring the page.

              I know several social media consultants who are in the sometimes awkward position of still being admin's on former clients' FB pages because they originally created them. That's part of the reason I stick to systems, strategy and training and avoid creating content for my clients, especially on Facebook.
              The other thing you can do is if you already have the client, is just use their log-in to make the page for them, but that is different than selling it.
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              • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
                Originally Posted by DogScout View Post

                The other thing you can do is if you already have the client, is just use their log-in to make the page for them, but that is different than selling it.
                Personally I think that's a better way to go about it. Then they can just change their password if they want down the road, no worries.

                Of course that's a different situation from the one mentioned in the original post. :p
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                • Profile picture of the author Kaete
                  The question comes down to intention, really. If you are using a pen name to keep niches separate, much like an author does in order to publish in different genres. then using different "personas" is OK.

                  Nora Roberts, for instance, used a pen name when she branched out from pure romance novels to more contemporary work. Sandra Brown, also a top author, did not use a pen name when she switched from pure romance to thriller. I, for one, was VERY confused when I bought a book, assuming it was thriller, only to find gooey romance

                  On the other hand, if you (not saying YOU are, just using "you" to refer to anyone) are considering using pen names/aliases so you can spam, then the answer is, please don't.

                  Hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author JSC_TX
    In the case of Facebook, you must use your real name for your personal account as this is required in their terms of service. But for your multiple business pages, you can use whatever name you want. Visitors won't be able to see your personal page from your business pages.
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