In his blog post today, creative strategist and copywriter Richard Becker does a stellar job explaining the myth behind multiple personas. He was bridging a discussion kick-started by Peter Shankman who proclaimed that individuals possess only one brand.
Becker doesn’t take issue with Shankman’s assertion; in fact, he supports it and expounds on it beautifully.
This isn’t a discussion on personal brand, it’s about character, Becker states. He writes,
“…there is no division between your personal and professional lives.”
If that isn’t clear to everyone today, will the point ever hit home for those who don’t get it? Apparently, these individuals will have to learn via the school of hard knocks.
You are what you post
This can be good, or bad, depending on how you present yourself in professional versus personal settings. If there’s a serious disconnect or a wide gulf, suspicions about you may arise and it may serve to undermine your professional pursuits (and possibly your personal relationships).
That’s not to say there won’t be variations in your presentations – how you express yourself in words and pictures in various online portals. As Becker intimated, people act differently depending on the environment. There are standards of decorum for various venues, situations and settings. Smart people act accordingly. The same is true online.
Be true to yourself
“Your brand or character is multi-faceted and always evolving.”
So it’s okay to be a proud alumni or a homer on your professional sport team’s fan page, as long as you aren’t too extreme.
And that’s the point. It is wise to demonstrate sound judgment and a sense of awareness.
For example, never present yourself as something other than you are – live or online. You will be found out. And the consequences may be far-reaching. You may damage your character and reputation for years.
Your life timeline online 24 x 7 x 365 x infinity
Be cognizant that others form opinions and assessments about you based on what they see all over the Internet. So, be tweet-wise, smart with your smartphone photos, and clever, real and tasteful with your videos.
Taken all together, you are the sum of the whole of your online actions: and even that isn’t 100% accurate.
SIDEBAR: Some, like Becker, have decided not to worry about judgments others make based on online information they dig up. It may say more about the character of those individuals than about the individuals they are researching, Becker asserts.
True, but not everyone is in a position in their life to cast aside these concerns.
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