Are You Missing Out On Your Biggest Self-Marketing Opportunity Ever?
Posted on January 06th, 2008 by Conrad in Self-Marketing
In our current environment, everyone is looking to get ahead, and everyone is trying to push their own personal brand up to the next level.
Yet many of us (myself included until recently) are letting our most precious and powerful self-marketing tool slip under our noses. We are not taking advantage of one of the most crucial vehicles for self-promotion that we have, and simultaneously putting ourselves at risk to be taken advantage of in the future.
So, have you figured out what I’m talking about yet?
The internet is growing exponentially year after year. Very soon, everyone in all the major, developed countries will be online.
Therefore, does it not make sense that for you, as a person, your greatest self-marketing tool is your own personal domain name?
I’m not talking about just any domain name, I am talking about yourname.com. Do you realize how important it is to own?
If you do, great. I hope that you are action-oriented enough to have bought it already. If you do not realize how important owning your own personal domain name is, then this article will show you exactly why you are taking a major risk with your future if you do not buy it immediately.
Playing with Fire
It had never occurred to me until a few months ago that I should buy www.conradhees.com. It was something that I, just like many others, simply did not think about. But as soon as I realized why it was imperative that I bought it, I logged on and snapped it up immediately.
I am lucky it was still available. Will you be so lucky?
There are many reasons, both good and bad, about why you must buy your name as a domain right now. Some of them are:
GOOD REASONS TO BUY YOUR PERSONAL DOMAIN NAME:
- It is a GREAT self-marketing tool. Your name is your biggest brand. It is the only name that you are stuck with FOR LIFE. Don’t you want to control your personal brand name’s biggest online counterpart?
- You can shape the world’s perception of you. You can use it to put up a blog, a website, or even just a short biography of yourself. Think of it as an online resume’ that the entire world will have instant access to. Don’t you want to control the things that everyone will know about you?
Putting up a personal website will allow you to shape the world’s perception of you by allowing you to display all of your most positive, impressive attributes. This can be a huge advantage for anyone.
- Soon, the number one tool people will use to find out about you will be Googling your name. Prospective employers, business partners, friends, and even enemies: all of these people will be using Google at one time or another to find out information about you. Don’t you want the number one search result ( yourname.com) to give them positive information?
‘BAD’ REASONS TO BUY YOUR PERSONAL DOMAIN NAME:
- If you don’t, someone else will. Have you tried to buy a domain name recently? ALL of the good names are taken, as well as most of the bad ones, too. How long do you think it will be until people start to buy up other peoples’ personal domain names? My bet is that it is already happening.
- If someone does buy yourname.com, how do you feel about buying it from them? Having to buy your own name from someone else? Scary thought, isn’t it? Don’t wait until it happens to you.
- Or worse, what if someone keeps it and uses it for something stupid, vile, or negative? Then, when people Google you, they will really get a good impression, won’t they!?!
-How many other people do you think have your full name? Chances are, there are dozens of people who have the same name as you right now, but there is only one domain name available, with a limited number of extensions. Don’t you want to be the one to own yours?
All of these points are extremely valid, and I could probably list several more. The overwhelming point is: what are you waiting for?
Overcoming Short-Sightedness
Even after reading all of the points I just made about why you should buy your own name as a domain, I know that many of you may be saying to yourself, “It’s not necessary, I’ll never use it.”
My argument for you in that respect is that thinking that you will not use it now is a very short-sighted perspective. You have no idea what you might do in the future, and needing your own name for a domain is a very real possibility. Do you really want to risk one of the negative consequences listed above happening to you, just because you don’t want to pay $7 for a domain name?
You have many years ahead of you, and many things are possible in the future. Buying your own domain name right now could be the most significant investment that you could ever make for yourself, and for your future.
Never trust your judgment about what you may need in the future. The truth is, you simply don’t know. Why take chances?
Get Out That To-Do List……
After writing this, I am fully aware that I may come off as if I am selling domain names on commission for one of the big companies. Maybe I should sell this article as a sales letter, eh?
Seriously, though, the only reason why I am pushing this so hard is because I feel that many people do not understand the severity of the situation. I would not want any of my readers to have to go through the pain of having to pay another person their hard earned money for their own domain name, simply because they were unaware of how important owning theirs really was.
So please, for your own sake, don’t wait. Put getting your own domain name up at the top of your to-do list. I promise that at some point down the line, you’ll be glad you did.
I will leave you with this quote, because it sums up my message perfectly:
“Do it now, because sooner or later, you’ll either be saying, “I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did.”
-Unknown
What do you think about getting your own name as a domain? If you have a comment or story, please add it in the comments section! We’d love to hear from you!
Hello! My name is Conrad Hees, and I am an entrepreneur and writer from New Jersey. I write about how to promote and market yourself, your blog, and your business in todays current environment of new mediums and stiff competition. My mission for this site is to create a community of people who want to get ahead of the curve and learn how to elevate their status quickly and efficiently. I am working hard to make sure that this blog is a must-read for anyone who is serious about their success.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Conrad,
Nice article. I think you’re right about getting your own name. There is even a growing side of the SEO industry that is all about “reputation management”. There is a bit more about it here:
http://www.stuntdubl.com/2007/07/11/reputation-management/
But seriously, getting my name as a domain felt pretty damn good… now just how to help people remember my name until they get to their computer…
Brad
January 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Great comment Brad…especially for a freelancer like you, getting your own name for a domain is crucial.
And we could all benefit from some ‘reputation management’ :),that is an interesting term.
You are on your way to building a solid personal brand Brad! Everyone go to Brad’s site if you want some quality design work or blog setup done….he did this site and I have no problem promoting him right here….he’s great!
Thanks again for the comment Brad!
January 7th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Smart advice Conrad! I don’t know why I never bought my own name as a domain name before! I even sell domains… but had never thought to buy it. But after reading your article and before leaving this comment, I did buy it - great idea!
January 7th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Thanks Christine!
Yeah that is funny that even though you sell them, it never occurred to you to buy your own! I’m glad that you did, though; with the powerful personal brand that you are building, I would hate to see someone else own ChristineOKelly.com! You are the one and the only! lol
Thanks again for the comment and support!
January 7th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Hi Conrad,
Great post, a lot of people are just starting to wake up to how important it is to get your domain name before another namesake of yours does. I missed out on stevemills.com, but have now got http://steven-mills.com so I am happy about that.
If anyone is thinking of being a consultant, online marketer, musician, author, or anything where they are the brand, getting your own domain is paramount.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Thanks for the comment Steve!
I am glad that you got that domain before it was too late. Even though its not the one you wanted ,its better than not having any version.
Thanks again for the comment and hope to see you here again!
January 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
This is a great tip, and one that I give to people when I suspect that they might become famous someday. You definitely don’t want someone else to steal “your” domain name, and they will if they have the same name, or if you become well known. The show “Everybody Loves Raymond” has to give a message in every episode to say “be sure to visit us at everybodylovesray.com” because someone else took the domain they wanted. On a hunch, I just checked billgates.com and it definitely does not belong to Bill Gates.
What do you think about going hog wild on your domain names? Meaning different extensions, different variations (Steve vs. Steven), or with and without a dash?
January 7th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Hey Hunter thanks for stopping by again!
That is a great point about going crazy with the domain names! I might just do that. Right now I own .com.net and .info, but I think I might have to snap up a few more :).
Thanks for the tip! Keep up the good work with your blog Hunter!
January 9th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Wow!!! What a great article!! It never occurred to me that people will be googling my name for resume searches and job hunting, and any number of other reasons, and that they could be getting false information or worse, damaging information that could affect my whole life and reputation… I also love the term “reputation management”!!! Even friends that I have lost touch with over the years could be doing a search on me right now and I would never know it if someone else had my name. I am going to go out and buy it right now if it is still available. I love the way you write Conrad and your articles are all very easy to read, incisive, interesting and always hit on the important aspects/ pros and cons of what you are discussing. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!! I AM SO HAPPY THAT I FOUND YOUR SITE AND WILL DEFINITELY SEND MY FRIENDS YOUR WAY!!!
January 9th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Thank you for the comment Stuart!
I am glad that I inspired you to buy your own name as a domain. It is a bit scary to think that someone could be Googling you right now, isn’t it!
Thanks for the compliments and I hope to see you here again!
January 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
You make a totally valid point here, and considering I myself am a freelancer this is probably a really important thing for me to have.
As servers generally let you create other things attached to a domain (or at least mine does… God bless mediatemple), letting people know you are you@yourdomain.com looks a lot more professional than your.full.name@gmail.com - I’m actually going to get on this tonight and start using it.
January 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Nico!
You are right, as a freelancer, having your name as a domain is very important. I am glad that my article inspired you to buy your own name as a domain.
By the way, nicopolitan.com is a great blog name. Very creative, which is important, especially in the blogosphere.
Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you here again, Nico!
January 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
You know.. you hold a good point Hees.
I keep thinking my full name is unique enough to hold out but then again.. I have all these plans for monumental success.. I really ought to make that purchase
that and JEMi.com was already taken. can you BELIEVE that?!
January 14th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Hi JEMi, thanks for the comment!
If you have big plans for world domination
then you should definitely reserve your own name as a domain…especially if you are a blogger! HAHA and that is funny that JEMi.com was taken…I’m telling you, they’ll all be gone soon….
Thanks again and hope to see you here again!
January 14th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
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March 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
That IS a really good thought . There are so many things that we have not thought of having to do with the internet.
This (for me) was definitely one of those things never thought of.
It’s very logical though. I hope that i’m not too late to obtain my own name.Tommy
March 11th, 2008 at 5:18 am
I wonder what advice you would give to someone who has a very common name - and the .com is taken already. Would you say grab the .net? Or put in hyphens to get the .com?
June 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Conrad, i wish to be here some early because my name is being taken, even my son’s name is taken.