Do you know the value of a good username online? Like a good website domain name, establishing your personal or corporate brand across social networks is increasingly important for individuals and businesses. Having a consistent username makes it easier for others to find you, identify with your brand and link to you. Plus, it protects your identity: if you don’t register your name, nickname, brand names or products, someone else might! Obviously, no one wants to lose followers or customers to brandjacking.
If you haven’t yet defined your personal brand, it’s definitely wise to do so now. You can use sites like Namechk, a free username search site, to check if your desire username is available. Many people want to secure their first and last names since your full name is generally used at popular sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Others are known more widely by a nickname, like "Woz" for Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple.
If you’re at all interested in career-building in this age of transparency, the quality of your personal brand is becoming more influential in the eyes of hiring professionals and employers. You may choose to have a different persona after-hours than at work, but more people are realizing that some jobs require that a level of professionalism, decorum and brand consistency be maintained if you’re posting your updates to the world. Personal branding experts agree that you should use social media to promote your "best self."