Is the online you different than the offline you?

I’m fascinated by the topic of personal branding — especially as it plays out in social media. But before you worry about who you friend on Facebook or how much to share via Twitter, its important to start by being clear about who you are. Like your organization’s brand, establishing your personal brand starts with gaining clarity around the concepts of positioning and personality from Brandraising.

• What’s the big idea people think of when they hear your name?

• What adjectives would people use to describe you?

Now, google yourself. Go on… everyone does it. If your name is not unique, add a qualifier like your location or company name. Okay review those first few pages of results. Do they reflect your answers to the questions above? If they do — great, keep on doing what you are doing. If not, well, here’s a video that might help.

Last month I spoke at a seminar with fellow professor Bonnie McEwan at The New School. Together we explored how you can you leverage the power of social media to build relationships with colleagues, clients, donors, potential employers and the like.

The big takeaway? Be yourself, or you’ll find yourself by yourself. That’s an old saying I used to hear as a kid, and I think it works as a great place to start for how you represent yourself online. You may opt to show more or less of yourself–but whatever you do share, keep it real.