Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Identity? Page 1 of 11

ï Top Stories ◦ Photo & Video Galleries ◦ Top Lists ï Trending Topics ◦ ◦ YouTube ◦ ◦ iPhone ◦ ◦ Video ◦

◦ More Topics... ï People ◦ Recommended ◦ Staff ◦

◦ More people... ï Jobs ï Events ï Try Our New Social News App

Welcome to Mashable! Sign in with Facebook or Facebook Mashable Search Mashable Search

ï Social Media ◦ All Social Media ◦ How-To ◦ Facebook ◦ Twitter ◦ YouTube ◦ Google+ ◦ mRank ï Tech ◦ All Tech ◦ Apps & Software ◦ Dev & Design ◦ Gadgets ◦ Mobile ï Business ◦ All Business ◦ Advertising ◦ Marketing ◦ Media ◦ Small Business ◦ Startups ◦ Jobs ï Lifestyle ◦ All Lifestyle ◦ Family & Parenting ◦ Health & Fitness

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 2 of 11

◦ Home ï Watercooler ◦ All Watercooler ◦ Videos ◦ Pics ◦ Memes ◦ Comics ◦ Conversations ï Entertainment ◦ All Entertainment ◦ Film ◦ Gaming ◦ Music ◦ Sports ◦ TV ï US & World ◦ All US & World ◦ Politics ◦ Social Good ◦ U.S. ◦ World ï Videos

ï Featured: ï Facebook Trending Stories

1.

Car Dealership Challenges You to Tweet Your Way to a New Audi 0

Like Tweet

2.

10 Terrific Twitter T-Shirts 17

Like Tweet

3.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 3 of 11

Does This Mobile App Prove Vincent Van Gogh Was Colorblind? [VIDEO] 1

Like Tweet Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identities?

April 23, 2012 by Todd Wasserman 14

The Social Media for Business Leaders Series is presented by by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub, the leading social media marketing software for marketers to publish, manage, measure and engage across all their social channels. Request a free trial here.

If youíve just got a new job and are now contemplating tagging your Twitter account with a shout-out to your new employer, consider the case of @Phonedog_Noah, a.k.a. Noah Kravitz.

Kravitz, a blogger, chose his Twitter handle when he was employed by cellphone news and review website PhoneDog. But Kravitz left in 2010, and last year PhoneDog sued him for $340,000 for the 17,000 followers he kept after he left the position.

Itís unclear if PhoneDog will get its way ó a California court in February denied Kravitzís motion to dismiss. Meanwhile, Kravitz told Mashable last December that he ìwould do it differently now.î

While Kravitzís case provides a clear reason to avoid meshing your professional and personal worlds via social media, itís not always a bad idea.

Consider, for instance, Aliza Licht, a blogger with 385,000 followers. But itís a fair bet that few of those followers know who Licht is. Thatís because she goes by the nom de plume (or maybe ìnom de Twitterî) DKNY PR GIRL. Licht, who started the account in 2009, is credited with spawning imitators in the fashion industry, including Oscar de la Rentaís @OscarPRGirl.

Licht, who had worked in PR at Donna Karan since 1998, kept her identity until last October, when she revealed it in the YouTube video below:

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 4 of 11

Lichtís Twitter handle is sort of an amalgam of advertising and social media. DKNY PR GIRL is a character, as she freely acknowledges, and thus can be thought of as no different than Flo from Progressive Insurance. Yet, the Twitter account became popular because of Lichtís personality and her nearly 24/7 commitment to updating on the platform.

ìThe account started anonymously because DKNY PR GIRL was envisioned as a ëcharacter,í hence the sketch,î Licht says, referring to the illustration on DKNY PR GIRLís Twitter page. ìBut as soon as I started tweeting, I realized that Twitter was a conversation, and the voice needed to be consistent. Naturally, people started to realize DKNY PR GIRL was in fact, one girl, but yet it never really mattered ëwhoí the person was ó it was the personality and content that mattered. As time passed and the account became more popular, we realized the anonymity didnít matter anymore either.î

Despite her seamless integration with the persona, Licht has no illusions that she has any claims on DKNY PR GIRL. ìDKNY PR GIRL has become synonymous with my name, however it belongs to the company,î Licht says.

Another social media star who melded his online identity with his employer is Richard Binhammer, the director of strategic corporate communications, social media and corporate reputation management at Dell, who is better known by his Twitter handle @RichardatDell.

ìDating back to 2006, when I first started work in the social media field for Dell, the linking of company and personal name to create @RichardatDell has made it clear, transparent and obvious who I am and that I represent Dell,î Binhammer says. ìObviously this was both a personal and professional decision that works for me, while also meeting Dell policies around disclosure and transparency.î

As Binhammer notes, if you intended to be a public spokesman for a company in 2006, then it made sense to put your companyís moniker in your social profiles. However, in 2012, the standard practice is to be yourself and build a social media following, and then act as a hired gun for the companies you represent. A good example of this is Ben Rudolph, Microsoftís chief evangelist, who goes by his given name on Twitter, though he uses @BenThePCGuy as his Twitter handle.

Also, there are two fields of identification on Twitter: Your name and your handle; you can change both to whatever you would like (as long as itís not already taken). Consider the case of Ben Smith, the former editor, who joined in January. When Smith left Politico, he changed his Twitter handle

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 5 of 11

from @BenPolitico to @BuzzFeedBen, yet his name still appears as ìBen Smith.î He has kept his handle intertwined with his company, but remains his own personal brand on Twitter ó as a result, the switch from one publication to another is seamless.

The advantages of keeping your name are obvious. For Rudolph, if he ever left , he would still be Ben Rudolph on Twitter, even if he became (for example) @BenTheSamsungGuy. ìThe way the workforce is changing, itís probably a given that youíll have to leave that employer at some point,î says Alexis Grant, a journalist and social media strategist. ìI suppose you could technically change the handle when you do, but for branding purposes, itís better to have a handle thatís all you, so you can keep it forever.î

As the PhoneDog lawsuit demonstrates, thatís a major consideration. If your profession involves communicating with the public, then your Twitter following will be taken into account by future employers. Apparently, thatís worth quite a lot: the $340,000 lawsuit nets out to $2.50 per follower in Kravitzís Twitter audience.

Series presented by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub

The Social Media for Business Leaders Series is presented by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub, the leading social media marketing software for marketers to publish, manage, measure and engage across all their social channels. The Awareness Social Marketing Hub is leveraged by companies of all sizes including MLB, American Cancer Society, and Starwood Hotels. Request a free trial here.

Download a complimentary whitepaper from Awareness: Actionable Social Analytics: From Social Media Metrics to Business Insights.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, EricHood

Topics to follow

ï Social media 77,037 followers Follow

ï Social media marketing 1,264 follower Follow

ï Social media for business leaders series 80 followers Follow More Stories in Advertising

1.

Remix the Old Spice Guy With New Interactive Video 12

Like Tweet

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 6 of 11

2.

Obama Web Ads Target Romney on RNC Turf 0

Like Tweet Top Related Stories

1.

Obama, Comedians Top Tuesday’s Republican Convention Tweets 7

Like Tweet

2.

1 Terabyte of Data Will Be Sent Daily During Conventions 1

Like Tweet

14 Comments

1.

PlamenaTodorova Follow

If I were to work for a global company, Iíd keep my accounts strictly separated. Since I have chosen a different path, I have a different strategy. I use social media to express my genuine opinion, to brand myself and to communicate my strengths and interests. I seek to find communities and likeminded individuals I enjoy engaging with. Thanks to this post I am having the opportunity to reflect on how I use social media. I have just realized I use my accounts for both purposes because I want to be a social entrepreneur. It is important for me to build my credibility and display my authenticity both as a professional and as a person. If I had chosen another field to develop my career within, I may have had a different strategy.

April 23, 2012 09:41:28 Reply 1 Flag this comment ◦

FashionistaChik Follow

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 7 of 11

Plamena this makes great sense. In my case. I am building a business. I do use my twitter platform to build my personal brand. Who I am and what I represent is the mission of my business.

April 23, 2012 13:03:18 Reply 1 Flag this comment ■

PlamenaTodorova Follow

I think both of us have chosen the best possible strategy, i.e. being authentic. I wish you good luck in developing your business :-) Thereís nothing better than doing what youíre passionate about and living your dreams :-)

April 24, 2012 04:54:57 0 Flag this comment

2.

Denise Dilworth Follow

Having come ìlateî to social media (2009) and very tentatively at that, I have multiple identities and sometimes wish Iíd had the opportunity to be a bit more considered about my approach. Nonetheless, the identity where Iím most likely building the most corporate ìbrand equityî is the one you see here.

This article provides a nice overview of how our identities ó or social brand ó are becoming a kind of commodity in and of themselves. The implications of who owns what part of an identitiy is a little mind -boggling for this digital immigrant. As Plamena says below, itís something to reflect upon and consider carefully in the future.

LOVE the Ben Smith approach, btw. :-) Elegant solution.

April 23, 2012 10:25:03 Reply 0 Flag this comment

3.

Lerone Clarke-Oliver Follow

Hi, Iím Lerone from The Conversation Group. Weíve created a video ëWho Owns a Company Twitter Handle?í We think youíll find it useful in addition to this article. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNapngxBhes

April 23, 2012 11:00:53 Reply 0 Flag this comment

4.

SharkStats Follow

As with everythingÖit depends.

Depends on how cool your company is with you. Depends on how things go when you leave. Depends on how much client interaction occurs on the account. Depends on whether that account is used as a PR tool or not. Depends on whether or not the account was live, with considerable history before you added your employerís name to it.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 8 of 11

Basically itís a dynamic problem that requires common sense.

April 23, 2012 11:38:08 Reply 0 Flag this comment

5.

Michael Woods Follow

Itís an interesting idea. But I think youíd have to be more selective about what personal information you release since your employer could be watching. Conservative corporations, for example.

April 23, 2012 11:57:52 Reply 0 Flag this comment

6.

ethicalstudios Follow

I was wondering recently if I should have 2 facebook accounts, one for business and one for leisure. I have an ethicalstudios page, but was thinking of creating an account for business use. Interestingly facebook donít allow this:

From https://www.facebook.com/help/search/?q=multiple

ëPlease be aware that managing multiple accounts is a serious violation of Facebookís Terms of Use. If we determine that an individual has more than one account, we reserve the right to terminate all of their accounts.í

Andrew Websites for NGOs, charities and ethical companies

http://www.ethicalstudios.com

April 23, 2012 13:35:44 Reply 0 Flag this comment

7.

Karen Vaysman Follow

There definitely exists a grey area in the debate between keeping personal and business identities separate in regards to social media. Nowadays, there is a blurring line between the two as businesses hold their employees accountable for their actions in their personal lives. Since social media has become so integrated in our lives, this issue really depends on circumstances as stated by StatsSays

April 23, 2012 13:57:08 Reply 0 Flag this comment

8.

Mike Girard Follow

I think each situation should be considered on itís own merits. If your job is to build a community around your brand and interact with that brand it may make sense to create a brand related online profile, separate from your own personal profile. On the other hand, if you were hired in part because of the community you have built around yourself you would do well to protect that.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 9 of 11

Michael Girard Community Engagement, Radian6

April 23, 2012 15:13:46 Reply 0 Flag this comment

9.

Jennifer Mitchell Follow

I have been writing a blog for 5 years and had a small but good following. I used the same name, (Design Hole) on Twitter. But then I went through a nasty divorce which involved a huge amount of ìcybertageî. So I took Twitter account offline and stopped writing the blog (though itís still up). Now Iím ready to restart everything, but Iíve changed my name back to my maiden name. This article speaks directly to my quandary. Do I restart Twitter with my new name? Do I start a Design Hole Facebook page along with my private Facebook page? You wouldnít believe how quickly everything has changed in the space of 8 months.

April 24, 2012 09:58:08 Reply 0 Flag this comment

10.

Christopher Barus Follow

I think a person should try to manage the two entities as separately. Although, I think that in the future it is going to be get more and more difficult to even have two identities.

April 25, 2012 13:13:59 Reply 0 Flag this comment

11.

Michele Aki Follow

I think it can only be possible because she happens to be a PR person. If that person is a doctor, it is probably better for him/her to keep his/her private life hidden from professional contacts.

April 26, 2012 20:52:46 Reply 0 Flag this comment

12.

Renee Schmidt Follow

Great article. The ownership rights of my http://SheBytes.com tech blog came into question when I was resigning from my business dev role at a cloud computing companyÖ and I was one of the companyís founders! I suggest proactively hashing out ownership questions before you begin hashtagging.

August 23, 2012 10:39:14 Reply 0 Flag this comment

← Previous Story Next Story → Old Spice Spokesman Dumps Heather Graham [VIDEO] 3 Slick Analytics Dashboards to Monitor Your Business Website About Mashable

Mashable is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 10 of 11

Mashableís 20 million unique visitors and 6 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco. Partners

W3 EDGERackspaceIntrideaDynect DNS Global Syndication Partners

ABCNewsCNNMetroYahoo ©2005-2012 Mashable, Inc. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved. Company

ï About Us ï Contact Us ï Announcements ï Submit News ï Advertise ï Reprints ï Privacy Policy ï Terms of Use ï Subscribe Site

ï Mashable Follow ï Jobs ï Events ï Mobile Version ï iPhone App ï iPad App ï Android App ï Blippr ï Mashable France Resources

ï Guidebooks ï Lists ï How To ï Trending ï Mashable Awards ï Subscriptions

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012 Should You Combine Your Personal and Business Social Media Identity? Page 11 of 11

Channels

ï All ï Social Media ï Tech & Gadgets ï Business & Marketing ï Watercooler ï Entertainment ï US & World ï Video ï Mobile ï Dev & Design ï Media ï Social Good ï Startups

http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/personal-professional-social-identity/ 29/08/2012