Lately I’ve noticed many tweeps with usernames that don’t resemble their actual name at all. By not using some form of your real name, I feel that you may be missing out on a great branding opportunity. It is extremely hard for people to remember you when your username is a series of numbers, letters, and special characters. Unless you have already built your business around a screen name similar to what @shoemoney has done, I feel that your best chance of building a name for yourself is to use your real name or some shortened version. A few quick examples of people who have used Twitter to aid them in their branding efforts: Guy Kawasaki @guykawasaki, Mike Volpe @mvolpe, and David Meerman Scott @dmscott.

While Twitter is super entertaining, remember that it is an extremely powerful, free tool. Take full advantage of it. What are your thoughts on using Twitter as a branding tool?

I would like to point out that when promoting your personal brand, you should use all resources available to you. It is true that old media tactics seem to be less effective especially given our current economic state, so you would be wise to not invest too much of your budget in television, radio, and print. However, when an opportunity presents itself and you have a chance to promote your brand, you would be silly to not take advantage. New media or old media, the important thing is getting your brand out there.

The main take away here is to understand that it’s OK to operate in the Gray area when it comes to social media. You can be a huge advocate of new media tactics and still utilize strategies of old media. Especially when you are in a situation similar to Gary V. and getting paid to promote your brand on television. What is your take on this?

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