UPDATE: Dan Schawbel (as I suspected) sees facebook usernames as not just important, but required
Facebook usernames are coming shortly…here’s your one and only chance to snag your own unique username. Talk about Personal Branding? I bet Dan Schawbel will be all over this. What should your username be? Will celebrities get their first dibs at usernames?
Take a look at the screen shot of Facebook’s message:
I’m not sure if Facebook has anticipated the amount of stir they will cause at exactly 9:01pm Friday…they have no idea. This is a big deal for us facebook users for a variety of reasons. Here’s my TOP 3 Reasons:
- Personal Branding: Whether or not you use your Facebook for professional reasons, everyone will want a suitable Facebook URL that represents them. I know I don’t want my URL to be http://www.facebook.com/Christopher.Salazar2008 because thats all that is left.
- This URL will be your unique identifier forever
- Your URL must be consistent with all other social media tools. If you use your full name with no periods or dashes, keep it the same
- SEO/Google/Search Engines: Yes, search engines will most likely be picking up the URLs. Why not? Since it already picks up Flickr, Linkedin, Twitter, and Friendfeed. If you’re on these services, see for yourself, and search your name as Jeremiah suggested in his post If the blog is the new resume, is “Google Me” the new Business Card?
- It’s true, future employers will search your name in Google when you are applying for a job. As long as your Facebook is suitable, why not make it easy for them to learn more about you?
- Easy and Concise: It’s much easier to give someone your easy http://www.facebook.com/Christopher.Salazar2008 URL than http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12345678
What do you think? Is this a big deal to you and your brand?