Launching: YOU Part I

There are three, primary, venues to brand yourself.  Facebook, LinkedIN, and Twitter.  Having said that, I am now going to tell you about the exceptions.  Those three, the Big Three, are prime in the much of the world, but if you live in Brazil, you may be familiar with Orkut and if you ride a Jeepney to Jollibee for lunch in Manila, you could very well want to be on Friendster, too.  The same principles we are going to go over apply to any social network, just substitute your drink of choice and make the necessary, cultural tweaks.  No matter where you live and work, I do suggest you at least consider joining the Big Three.
The rules say, white wine for fish and red wine for steak, right?  Always?  Maybe not.  Nearly every rule has exceptions and caveats and what I am about to tell you is no different, but in general, the Big Three social networks shake out like this:
LinkedIN is the foundation.  Maybe you’re also on Plaxo or Orkut, but unless you deliberately want to limit your brand, don’t skip this one.  The single, best guide to successfully displaying yourself—your brand—on LinkedIN is by Dan Schawbel.  As soon as you are done here, go read it. 
I am not going to repeat everything that Dan says, but I want to highlight a few points.  First, be flawless; zero erors (yes, I did that deliberately!).  You will be judged very critically by recruiters, clients, and customers.  If English is not your first language, get someone to help you.  Next, take advantage of all that is offered.  If you have a blog, feature it.  Lots of experience?  Feature it.  Lastly, put yourself out there.  What do I mean?  Display your email address.  Yes, I know you will receive more spam, but get over it; it’s a small price to pay for the branding.  Make sure you open to messaging from other members.  Accept invitations to connect from basically anyone.  Don’t be shy.
In the next installment, we will talk about Twitter and Facebook.  In the meantime, go read Dan’s blog and then get your LinkedIN house in order!