Social Media Assignment #8: Get Your Vanity URLs Now — Before it’s too Late

Ominous, right?

I mean it, though. If you don’t have the following (insert your name instead of mine) you are SO going to be sorry one day.

http://www.google.com/profiles/marijean.jaggers

This is a Google Profile — you should create one post-haste — and control some of what people find when they Google your name.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/marijeanjaggers

A surprising number of professionals skip this step in the LinkedIn profile process. Grab that vanity URL — don’t leave a bunch of numbers hanging out after your name.

https://www.facebook.com/JaggersCommunications

Hopefully you have a page in Facebook for your business. If you do, and that page has more than 25 fans — go to www.facebook.com/username  and make sure you’re grabbing the right name for your page. While you’re at it you will also be making sure that you have the right user name for your Facebook profile so, again, not a bunch of numbers in the extension.

Last but not least, in the name of all that is good and holy — go get www.yourname.com

I have had http://wineguildcville.com/marijean for years (it redirects to my company site these days) and I’m delighted I grabbed it when I did. (You know, because my name is so common. Read My Cocktail Party Spiel for a laugh and to find out how spell check changed my life, It’s not what you think; I am a terrific speller).

Class dismissed — now leave me some of those lovely vanity URLs in the comments.