One of the challenges in online personal branding , is that some people share their name with others. Sometimes for the good, others for the bad. A great story about Brooke Allen who is sharing name, city and profession with another Brooke Allen
Many people share their name with someone else. If your real you has the best online reputation, do not change a thing, and keep building your name. If you do find someone else using your name to shame, you can try the following things:
1. Boost your reputation, say you have used your name as Joseph Rapsody, but another Joseph Rapsody came along and posting rubbish in forums, really work on your personal brand and get your name to fame on the internet.
2. Enhance your name, if your name is Joe Smith, you stand a good chance that there is not just one other Joe Smith to beat, there will be many. By using an initial in the middle, or always using your title in your name you will differ your name from the crowd of Joe Smiths. While there are 193.000 listings in Google for Joe Smith, none exists for Dr. Joe G. Smith.
3. Choose a new name that stands out, when I started my ways on the internet, I really did not like my name as it was, long and difficult for any non-Dutch speaker to repeat. A great moment was it that I married and could choose for my husband’s name, which I did, and I changed my last name from van der Graaf to Hensel. Other people choose for an entirely non-existing name that reflects what they do or make it easy to remember. Trade your own last name in for a last name that reflects your ambitions, i.e. Marieke Gates – Bill Gates or Marieke Branson – Richard Branson.
Change your first name into a name that is powerful or international can help to enhance your personal brand as well. What is it that you want your personal brand to be.
It is not easy to change your name. You will only see the full effect, if people use your name like that and you feel confident if you feel you are that name
