Having a calling card on the web

I was listening to my favorite podcast, the Tropical MBA, and this week they talked about how essential it is for now and the future to have a personal calling card out on the web. I really do think that it's important to see what someone is all about when they're providing services, and this idea is taking it further than just having a LinkedIn profile/resume.

Credibility is so important, and having a personal blog or portfolio online is a way to build that social proof. If I have nothing online, and someone is going to work with me, they don't have any way to check to see if I'm a good person or what I stand for, unless they have personal references. These personal references are indeed powerful, but unless you have a super-connected network willing to vouch for you (say if you're new to the industry or new to the job market), you won't have these references to work for you.

Enter the blog/portfolio. A quick search can show the style and quality of your work, the beliefs you have about whatever topic you choose to illustrate, and then hopefully some social proof will be built.

The great MarieForleo.com

This of course ties together with the concept of personal branding. You need to tie yourself to a brand (for example, if I connected my personal brand to my city guide websites), or to a personal website (for example, if I did something like My Name .com).

This week there was also an article launched on ThinkTraffic on personal domain names. It showed some great examples of personal domain names. I thought it was interesting that on all of the examples, a large photo of the individual featured prominently as part of the design. There is also a good deal of personality added to these (as a focus on the individual should).

The personal website is something that all entrepreneurs and self-employed workers should have, and it's becoming more and more important as time goes by. Definitely worth starting up now!