This document provides an overview of developing an online identity and personal brand for professional purposes. It discusses the importance of having an online presence due to employers and recruiters searching for candidates online. It recommends searching for what information is already online, using tools like profiles and portfolios to curate an online identity, and maintaining security and privacy settings. A variety of free tools are presented, such as Google profiles, About.me, Academia.edu, and WordPress for developing an online portfolio and presence.

1. Annual Conference
October 2011

2. Quick Poll
Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR
Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below
What types of librarians are here today?
Public: 123516
Academic: 125698
School: 125708
Special: 126824
Other: 199226

3. This presentation is available on slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/millerrk/presentations

6. Googled yourself lately?

7. Why?
• 45-89% of employers use and rely on social networking
sites to investigate candidates
• 75% of HR departments are expected to research
candidates online
• 90% of search-firm recruiters rely on Google to view a
“complete” portrait of candidates

8. Furthermore…
• Augment your networking
• Find collaborators and a community
• Make a name for yourself (self-promote!)
• Make yourself more visible to your users
• Eliminate professional misidentification
• Contribute to the profession
• Engage in meaningful professional discussion

9. Quick Poll
Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR
Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below
Do you already have an online identity?
Yes 199277
No 199280
Probably-I’m not really sure, though 199281

10. This is not me

11. How to begin
• Understand that you already have an online identity
• Make the conscious decision to develop that identity
• Search for what’s already out there
• Consider the false dichotomy of personal v. professional on the web
• Think about personal branding (proactive online identity management)
• Use online portfolios (websites)
• Pull it all together with profiles
• Be aware of security and privacy issues
• Follow up, maintain your information, and be vigilant

12. Who are you (on the web)?
Still not me

13. Searching: Tools
• Google
• Pipl
• Social networking sites (more to come)

14. “…the line between personal and
professional no longer exists…”
(Markgren)

15. “The public expression and projection of an individual’s
identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities.” (BNET)
• Keep consistent:
• Visual image
• Identification
• Message/vision
• Skills
• Goal
• Interests & passions
“A personal brand is a by-product, not an end itself.”
(Kim)

16. Personal branding: Example
Bobbi Newman:
aka Librarian By Day
Various social media
outlets, same name
and photo

17. Personal branding: Tools
• Identification • Social media &
• Your vision and mission communication
statements platforms
• Consistent headshot • Facebook
• Unique image or • Google+
graphic • LinkedIn
• Slideshare
• Twitter
• Tumblr
• WordPress, Blogger
• Goodreads
• Delicious

18. Managing your social media
• Chances are, you are active (or will be active) on a number of social media
platforms
• Use management tools like HootSuite, TweetDeck, or Ping.fm
• Also aids in consistent communication

19. Online portfolios/websites
(What is) the future of the CV and the resume (?)
Creating a personal space to showcase your ideas, vision,
work, and experience requires little more than a computer
and an internet connection
ePortfolios are now required in many higher education
institutions enabling students to:
Showcase their relevant work/coursework
Demonstrate a range of skills
Have a positive online identity

20. Online portfolio: Example (Google Sites)

21. Online portfolio: Example (Kafafa)

22. Online portfolios: Tools
• Free and easy site building tools
• Google Sites
• Kafafa
• Wix
• Weebly
• Tools that can also be used as websites
• WordPress or Blogger
• Tumblr
• Hint: pay attention to the domain name
• Free sites often give you the option to upgrade to a unique domain
name that you have purchased for a minimal annual fee
• If you can, use the name you’ve selected for everything else

23. Google Sites

24. Weebly

25. Blogger

26. Quick Poll
Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR
Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below
How many of these social media or portfolio tools do you
use?
None 62558
1-2 62559
3-5 62560
More than 5 62563

27. Profiles
• Online profiles can pull together your various
communication platforms and online portfolio(s)
• They also make you more visible, since most are indexed
by major search engines

28. Profiles: Example (About.me)

29. Profiles: Tools
• Google profiles
• LinkedIn
• ALA Connect
• About.me
• Academia.edu
• Mendeley
• ResearcherID (Thomson Reuters)
• Nature Network
• Scholar Universe (ProQuest)

30. Google Profiles

31. About.me

32. Academia.edu

33. Balancing security and privacy issues
• Protecting your computer or other devices
• In a recent survey, 1/3 of households surveyed experienced a malicious
software threat, costing them $2.3 billion and causing them to replace 1.3
million PCs
• 30% of survey respondents who have bank, medical, and other sensitive data
on their phones do not secure their phones
• Protecting yourself and your personal information
• 15% of survey respondents had listed location or travel plans on a social
network
• 34% had listed their full birthdate
• 21% of those with children had posted children’s names and photos
• Removing information from the web
• Is difficult, if not impossible
• Consider the Digital Tattoo project: http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/
• Can be requested of Google:
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=164734

34. Security and privacy issues: Tools
• Security/privacy settings on all accounts
• Placing some sort of restrictions on comments on blogs
and other accounts
• Common sense
• Anti-virus and malware blocking software
• Regular browser and software updates
• Look for HTTPS
• Complex and unique passwords--OR
• OpenID

35. Privacy settings

36. Free anti-virus and malware programs

37. OpenID

38. Using OpenID

39. Maintenance & vigilance
• Constantly keep an eye on what is out there about you—
make sure that you catch any incorrect or bad information
• The work you put in to developing an online identity will
be lost if the information is not maintained and kept up to
date
• Additionally, think of this step as an “assessment” step—
who’s looking at your stuff, and why? This can inform
your future online identity development

40. Maintenance & vigilance: Tools
• Google Alerts
• Google Me on the Web
• Google Scholar Citations (coming soon)
• Google Analytics
• Look for statistic options in other software, such as:
• WordPress
• Slideshare
• About.me
• …Many social media tools and profiles have a statistics option—
look for it, and utilize it!

41. Google Alerts

42. Google Me on the Web

43. Google Analytics

44. Extrapolating the ideas
• Developing an online identity—or brand—for an
institution, team, or service is very similar
• Find out your current reputation or identity
• Develop a consistent message (brand)
• Use free and flexible tools to deliver the message
• Keep communication channels active: update
Facebook, Tweet, and make sure website information is up to date
• Keep your computer and posting habits secure as possible
• Be vigilant, maintain information, and keep track of relevant
statistics

45. Final Thoughts
• Creating and managing your online identity doesn’t have
to be hard or time consuming
• Often, just a little work will pay off in big ways
• Many of the tools we looked at are incredibly flexible, so
capitalize on that
• Balance security and privacy with the information you post
about yourself, AND OTHERS

46. And, don’t be surprised…

47. Quick Discussion
We’re going low-tech on this one:
What was the most helpful thing we discussed today?
Which tools do you already use or want to know more
about?
What tools do you use that you didn’t see up here?

48. Questions? Comments?
Thank you!
Rebecca K. Miller
http://www.rebeccakatemiller.com

49. References & Other Resources
• ACRL New Members Discussion Group. (2011). Tips: Personal Branding and Digital Identities for
New Librarians. Retrieved from
http://connect.ala.org/files/66007/acrl_nmdg_alamw11_handout_pdf_68737.pdf
• Betancourt, L. (2009). A guide to protecting your online identity. Mashable. Retrieved from
http://mashable.com/2009/04/21/protecting-online-identity/
• Bell, S. (2011). The WHY of your brand. LibraryJournal.com. Retrieved from
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communityacademiclibraries/888893-
419/the_why_of_your_brand.html.csp
• BNET. (2010). Personal brand. Retrieved from http://www.bnet.com/topics/personal+brand
• Bradley, T. (2011). 7 hints to stay safe online. PCWorld Business Center. Retrieved from
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218243/seven_hints_to_stay_safe_online.html
• Consumer Reports. (2011). Online exposure. Consumer Reports Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/june/electronics-computers/state-of-the-
net/online-exposure/index.htm
• Digital Tattoo Project. Digital Tattoo. DigitalTattoo.ubc.ca. Retrieved from http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/
• Farkas, M. (2010). Your virtual brand: online presence for professional success. American
Libraries, 41(3): 28. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/your-virtual-
brand
• Kim, B. (2011). Surprise—a personal brand is a by-product. Library Hat. Retrieved from
http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/archives/1048

50. References & Other Resources
• Levine, J. (2009). Who is managing your online identity. The Shifted Librarian. Retrieved from
http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2009/02/18/who-is-managing-your-online-identity.html
• Markgren, S. (2011). Ten simple steps to create and manage your professional online identity: how
to use portfolios and profiles. College & Research Libraries News, 72(1): 31-35. Retrieved from
http://crln.acrl.org/content/72/1/31.full
• Miller, R. (2011). Around the web: online identity management. Notes from Newman: HNFE
Research & Resources. Retrieved from http://hnfelibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/02/around-web-
online-identity-management.html
• Putnam, L. (2011). Web reviews: where to start creating your online portfolio. NMRT
Footnotes, 40(4). Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/news/footnotes/may2011/online_portfolio_putnam.cfm
• Rubenking, N.J. (2011). The best free antivirus software. PCMag.com Retrieved from
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp#fbid=kHnXan2I05x
• Salpeter, M. (2011). How to improve your online identity. U.S. News, Money. Retrieved from
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/03/30/how-to-improve-your-
online-identity
• Schawbel, D. (2009). Personal branding 101: how to discover and create your brand. Mashable
Business. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/
• Swoger, B. (2011). Managing your scholarly identity. The Undergraduate Science Librarian.
Retrieved from http://undergraduatesciencelibrarian.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/managing-your-
scholarly-identity/