Should You Blog Under Your Own Name?

The concept of putting yourself out there on the web really seems to freak some people out.  Admittedly, when I started this blog project, I too was little wigged out blogging with a domain that is my own name and that I might forever hamstring myself professionally.

Also, fear of strange people emailing obscenities and other scary stuff crossed my mind.

I mean, come on it’s not like there are a lot of people out there with the name Brooks Van Norman.

Actually, I had registered my own name many years ago just because I thought it would be a cool thing to do, which is something that I think everyone should do.

Then, when I needed an online laboratory to test stuff for my business, it seemed like a good thing to do, since I had lots of content from my life.

Yet, the experience has been intensely positive.  I’ve met intelligent, articulate, capable and interesting people.

Blogging under your own name is a problem if you are talking about stuff that is going to reveal private information, discuss topics that would be offensive or tell secrets friends and family have entrusted you with.

It’s also a problem for people if they are venting about work or individuals.  That is not good and can get you in hot water.

However, if you keep it to what I call the ‘cocktail party’ principle, blogging under your own name can actually be a fantastic benefit, as I have recently experienced both personally and professionally.

First, the cocktail party principle.

It goes like this -  You don’t write about or behave at all differently on line than you would at a cocktail party.  It’s ok to have an opinion.  It’s ok to rant. It’s ok to be passionate.  It’s ok to ramble (a bit).  In fact it’s good.

But it’s also important to listen…to care.  Other people matter.

As I’ve said before, ‘to be interesting, be INTERESTED’.  I am genuinely interested in what the people reading my blog have to say.  I’m a social cat and I like interaction with others.

Personally, I don’t swear online - it’s just too permanent.  I don’t put up inappropriate videos or pictures - I just don’t want them out there. I don’t have them anyway.

Why take the risk?  How would doing that help you?  Don’t be stupid with your personal brand. Don’t gossip about your company.  Don’t gossip about your friends.

I can’t stand that stuff anyway (even though I do visit TMZ a few time a week).  Instead…thinks of ways to add value, be funny, interesting, whatever….

However, when I broke my favorite wine decanter last Saturday night, the air was blue with profane expletives that would surely offend many reading this blog.

Even my cats ran for cover…something they don’t often do.  ha!

But that’s the whole point isn’t it?

It’s about CONTEXT.  And people come to the internet with the context of their personal space.  If you were in my kitchen with me while I was unloading the dishwasher and watched the decanter break…you’d get it.

But online…it’s different.

So I think you have to respect that and remain polite, but transparent.

Transparency is the key to blogging, business, whatever. You can be transparent…be real…but not have to risk your reputation or your employers’, your family or spouse.

This is one of the reasons that reality shows continue to do so well….because we get to see the real side of people.

I write every post and shoot every video and take each picture with the mantra that if it goes here and a potential client found it, they would at least hopefully be vanilla on the content.

In fact, one new potential client recently came to my blog because I referenced it in the context of using videos for promotional value.  He read some stuff about me being in one of his sons’ favorite movies. As it turned out we bonded on that subject during a follow up call and he made it clear that my blog made him feel very comfortable working with me.

Cool.

Personally, I’ve re-connected with family members on some travel stuff I’ve written about here too.  That felt really good.

Some people want total privacy if they’re blogging online and I can respect that. Especially single, young women.  I’ve never had any stalkers, but would imagine people like Monica Durazo and Lisa Bettany have to deal with wack-jobs all the time.

Now that I’m over my anxieties about being “out there” online, I realize it would be trivial for anyone to find me in the real world because I’m a guy…a big guy…and with all the contact sports I’ve played and work in night clubs during university, I can handle myself.  (Except after about my fifth glass of wine).

Anyway, everybody’s problem with trying to maintain privacy while blogging online is this: it’s very fragile and the only way you can protect it …is to never tell anyone about your site.  It could be used as leverage against you.  You’re better off to do as I do and use discretion as your primarily line of defence between your “web” self and your “private” self.

Because once the cat’s out of the bag that it’s [ insert your real name, address, phone number, etc. here] on your wacko content, you’ll be on Nancy Grace for sure with five black SUV’s parked in front of your house!

I couldn’t live that way.

So, I hit the publish button yet again with the rule that if you met me at your company barbeque, I would look and speak very similar to the Brooks you know online. There would be no negative surprises.

My clients and friends should feel the same way about the online “you” versus the real “you”.

Which in conclusion, leads me to believe that properly managed, the web and a blog with your own name can be just as, if not more beneficial than any word of mouth or resumes.

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