So, I woke up all stressed this morning…I had fallen asleep and not been at the computer at 11:01pm (CDT) to get secure my name as my URL on Facebook. Wow, talk about Social Media guilt. As involved as I am in Social Media this is a big deal…or is it?
Since my PhilWilson and Phil.Wilson were already gone, I set about finding the next best thing…next best being the problem. No matter which one I checked on I was not satisfied. PhilBWilson? Nope, I never use the initial. Phil.Wilson.us? Nah, sounds too URLy. meet.PhilWilson? Not bad but maybe a bit too George Jetson. Most of them just didn’t sit with me and many were just way to cutesy. Logically, I knew that the full name was key. Creatively, I knew I wanted to stand out.
About three hours into the search it hit me. What an incredible waste of time. I had locked on to something that in the long run was so incredibly trivial. You see, my Facebook page is the way I keep in touch with friends. It’s not really how I try to “further my brand” on line. Facebook is more personal.
Search wise, since I’m known as Phil Wilson on Facebook, I’m going to show up that way in search. If someone wants to find me on Facebook via my consulting, RemainComm, I show up on FB search that way and at the top of the page in Google search. Localtone Radio, a startup I’m part of? I show up third in FB search…behind our Facebook page and it’s creator and my partner Justin Grammens. That’s cool by me.
Any way the point is this. There are a bunch of Phil Wilsons in the world…many of them on Facebook. My vanity URL will not change that. My best bet is to try and use a word or words that might possibly help someone find me on Facebook. Something that will further my connectivity on the Social Web.
So what did I end up with? Well, a friend of mine, Meg Canada, upon meeting my family for the first time once said to my daughter, “We know your Dad as Philson.” @philson is my Twitter name and I use it for alot of account names accross the web. Why not use this Facebook thing as a way to tie Phil Wilson to that web persona Philson? Of course nothing is easy, and since “philson” was already taken (Yeah, there’s alot of philsons out there too.), I added a little “aka”. So the Facebook URL is http://www.facebook.com/aka.philson.
Is it the perfect “brand extension”? Maybe not, but it does accomplish something. And, more importantly, it gets the whole anguish of choosing a name behind me.
Now is there any way to get that three hours back?
Be Sociable