Managing your digital professional identity Laura Fries laurafries.com • laura@laurafries.com web director, association of alternative newsweeklies

truthiness time

the industry is changing

the industry is in transition.

you’re entering a post-Arianna media market.

“ you will blog. And I won’t pay you…. mwhaha …”

Huffingtonpost.com

“ Starting today, offthebus.net is recruiting perhaps 40 bloggers per candidate, all across the country. Most will be unpaid. Their job will be to track one specific aspect of a candidate in detail, such as John Edwards ’s poverty program, with someone else following his views on Iraq and someone else focused on his advertising.” - New York Times, May 18, 2007

Newspapers are experimenting with citizen-generated media/user-generated content with reader blogs.

CNN launches iReport, paying contributors in ‘bragging rights.’

YouTube videos are playing directly on broadcast news.

ugly truth 1 it’s easier and cheaper to use citizen-generated content than to pay professionals

ugly truth 2 americans have an insatiable appetite for utter bullshit

ugly truth 3 online revenue models are (currently) based on volume

ugly truth review • business model in flux • people contribute free content • volume-based online revenue models • people click on stupid stuff

time for the good stuff.

you’re here because you’re smart and talented.

You are a professional. You need to get people to pay you for what you do. You need to communicate a value proposition. You need a brand.

You are a professional. You need to get people to pay you for what you do. You need to communicate a value proposition. You need a brand.

You are a professional. You need to get people to pay you for what you do. You need to communicate a value proposition. You need a brand.

You are a professional. You need to get people to pay you for what you do. You need to communicate a value proposition. You need a brand.

without an online identity, you don’t exist.

Googling has changed professional identity forever.

Who is Dwayne Steward? Google says: • Delaware, OH student • Poynter Fellow • Gay & Involved • Chips Quinn intern • Boxer in Minnesota?

Who is Kalen Ponche? Google says: • Truman State writer • Poynter Fellow Who is Arek Sarkissian? Google says: • Tucson Weekly writer/designer • Funny

Don’t let an algorithm define who you are.

Define your own brand. • who are you? • what do you do? • what are your unique skills? • how can you help an employer reach their goals?

among the VJs … Who is Tracy Boyer?

among the VJs … Who is Ashley Mills?

among the VJs … Who is William Couch?

break exercise: develop your brand when we return • concrete actions • mantras to live by • digital etiquette

Laura Fries laurafries.com/about/digital_identity laurafries.com • laura@laurafries.com web director, association of alternative newsweeklies presentation given at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, June 2007