Newbies : Think about Branding yourself here by a UserName with your Actual Name

Haha, really nice topic. I too have made the mistake of not branding my real name here. But it is what it is . Can't cry over spilled milk... lol

Well there are a lot of 'senior' warrior members that still use the weird usernames. Some people don't want their names plastered all over the Internet. Many people do that for important reasons.

Sure it can be easy to high tail off the Internet if some decide to pack it in & quit without family and friends ever knowing they were here.

But for others, they have to keep their names off the Net.

Good tip. Personally I like an anonymous username but if you are looking to develop a brand around your name then I can see the advantage

DAMN! Wish I made my username similar to my real name...

Oh wait a tic

Tread carefully.

I'm not saying don't use a real name, but stop and consider what you post about here and the things you promote for sale. Now consider what non-Warriors would think about that material if they were to research you five, ten years from now.

Don't lose sight of the fact that certain things that take place on this forum are kosher only to the people who post here alongside you.

I don't know if they still do it but I had been a member for several years and when I changed from my previous username to my current one they started a new join date. I was told ahead of time that would happen. Just a heads up if your join date is important to you. Or maybe the new admin will do it differently...

Good food for thought, although some probably do want to keep anonymous.

Well to be honest your name is below your username and everybody is. So it doesn't really matter right?

There can be reasons people do not wish to use their real name. I know I used to work for a company that didn't allow any outside ventures without approval. I thought it was none of their business. I didn't want to get caught however and go through that hassle. I used a username that didn't point to me at all.

Still, if it's at all possible your real name is best.

Interesting topic. I think the Internet is starting to come out of the Wild West stage where anything goes and is becoming much more user-friendly and, dare I say, civilized.

Imagine your lawnmower guy, or your mechanic, or the cable guy, or your local politician all refused to use their real names and all used avatars and crazy usernames.

It does not work in the real world and as the Internet becomes increasingly a mainstream tool of the real world so it will be increasingly important to have a real online presence.

But this, I believe, does not mean you have to have your name splattered all over the Internet with anyone being able to track your activity or be able to condemn you for an online comment you made 20 years ago after a few drinks.

I believe you can bridge the two worlds - the importance of online anonymity vs. the need to assess trustworthiness - by using an external reputation management system.

Lots of these services are starting to emerge.

I understand why some people would prefer to stay anonymous on the WF. Although, it's important to recognize that the real (lasting) money in this industry, is accomplished by building a brand around yourself.

I made the mistake of hiding behind a few "cool" usernames for years.

I did some amazing things for myself and hundreds of other internet marketers....bringing in a ton of $$$. Now, I have to ask my previous clients to help me re-establish my personal brand. Minus their assistance, I am almost starting over from scratch.

I should have lived by my words.

I even spent countless hours on skype preaching to my clients about the importance of branding themselves, not just their products/businesses. One day that business/product of theirs might become obsolete or cease to exist...so where would that leave them?

Rich? Maybe.

Yet what if they needed to launch a new business or product?

Well, if all of their branding and authority were built around a company/product (or even a username), they would have to start all over from scratch.

So to the "newbies":

If you think there's a slight chance you might commit to your targeted industry for the long haul...PLEASE USE YOUR REAL FULL NAME! Every post you make, every answer you provide and every product you promote or create...put your name on it.

Force yourself to be as authentic, honest and transparent as you can...make yourself be accountable for your activity online.

Trust me, if you are committed to being a successful "Authority" within your industry...branding yourself will pay off.

Last year I made the decision to put my name on anything and everything I do online...I was not really active in forums (including the Warrior Forum), blogs or even social media for that matter. I was too busy promoting products, businesses, and other people. Don't make the mistake of waiting until you already see some success to start branding yourself.

Anyways, there goes my 2 cents (err..10 cents) on the topic.

As I mentioned (and as you can see by my username), last year I changed my username to my full name on the Warrior Forum.

It was a pretty simple task...

I sent the admin support team a request, and they took care of it in roughly 24 hrs. I did not have an issue with my "join date" resetting or any other related matters.

Have a great day everyone.

Travis Gutierrez
#AuthorityHacker

On some forums I use an alias, but here on the WF I use, well, it's obvious

For people that have too many ebooks, videos, products or what have you branded with a "silly" username they have been using for years, I highly recommend creating a logo/graphic making light of it. A funny, clever logo can not only allow you to keep using your old username (if you decide you don't want your real name) and it also makes your business twice as memorable. Nike's logo is just a swoosh and everyone on the planet instantly knows what it is.

Im glad my parents named me monk money

Not just here but everywhere if you want to build your brand. And if you want this to be more than just a hobby you have to build trust.

In a similar thread it was suggested buying the .com tld with your real name for branding purposes, and as my luck would have it a major car dealership owner in MI. not only has the .net & .com tld's, but also the majority of the top 10-12 pages on google are pretty much owned by him too.

I have 5-6 'pen names' many which are available .com's or .net's, and could easily be ranked high 'if' ever I elect to start branding myself/business as a personal entity under a pen name on the internet, but to do so with my real name seems a bit dry, especially if I were to be 'googled' and land on page 16 or some craps.

Could be even worse for those named after celebs or famous people I'd imagine.

From a writer's perspective, building or branding a few different 'real name' (pen names) could in essence enable you to build different personas, character traits, and brand yourself in more than one niche.

I have considered changing my user name to a pen name here...but seems there would be no greater advantage as of the moment.

It worked for Silence Dogood (Aka - Benjamin Franklin)

That's a very valid point. Pretty much step 1 if one wants to brand oneself.

People like Sean Mize and Alex Jeffreys are known by their actual name, not a cute or witty moniker.

To any who want a do-over...there is the option of creating a new account, with your real name as your username, but I think you have to start all over on your post count.