How you brand yourself is a large indicator of how people will respond and interact with you. You are essentially teaching other people how to treat you. This means using care and thought when creating your online identity is key in taking full advantage of opportunities.
Always opt for using your full name in the url or profile address or link option.
First it starts with Gmail:
1. Go here to make a new gmail
2. Make the address yourfullname@gmail.com
For example, mine would be gabrielstein | at | gmail.com, but since that’s taken, I might use:
officialgabrielstein | at | gmail.com
thegabrielstein | at | gmail.com
You can also use your middle name as long as it’s relatively readable (and doesn’t start or end in characters that your first name ends with, or last name starts with, so they’re more distinguishable)
3. Make sure to use all real information and a lot of care like making sure your name is spelled right
4. Make sure to set up your profile a bit and add a good high resolution picture
Then Facebook comes next:
1. Use the email you just created to create a Facebook account here
2. Again, use all your real details and don’t try to hide everything. All that information is public already, and helps you be more readily trustable online to others
3. Make sure to use a good high resolution picture, preferably the same one as your gmail profile picture for good brand recognition
4. Choose a good high resolution cover photo that communicates a passion of yours or simply a good landscape nature or city skyline photo
5. Turn the “Follow” feature on
6. Allow anyone to become friends, you can always reject their request
7. Turn on “Timeline Review” so you can control what you get tagged in and what shows up on your timeline
8. Fill in as many details as possibly that you would be ok with an employer knowing. For example, applicable books you’ve read, movies you’ve seen etc. Content to give people something to connect with you over
9. Go here and make your url either /FullName, or /TheFullName, or /OfficialFullName, an example here. Be very careful because this is not changeable. Make absolutely sure it’s spelled correctly etc.
10. Start sharing and creating content that matches your niche and goals
Now Twitter:
1. Go to Twitter and make a new account with your new gmail. Make the handle @FullName, or @TheFullName, or @OfficialFullName, or @RealFullName
2. Add a good high res profile picture (preferably the same one you’ve used in the last couple steps so that it’s standard across the web)
3. Add a high res cover photo, something similar to or the same as your Facebook cover photo would probably be ideal
4. Fill out your profile with your real location (or closest large city)
5. Start sharing content and following authorities in your space.
These steps should provide a solid platform for your brand, and make it helpful and not dreadful for a prospect or interviewer to find. For more on social media, check out Gary Vaynerchuk.