The Buzz at Ziggs

Picture Power

2009-06-01T13:33:00.004-05:00

When you think of the Louvre, what image comes to mind? A vision of priceless art work, the Mona Lisa, a King’s palace…?

The picture above demonstrates the power of affecting a brand through imagery. This diaphanous building is the future home of an extension to the Louvre, to be located in Abu Dhabi. It’s such a dramatic contrast from the rock solid weightiness of the Louvre in Paris, it’s hard to juxtapose the two for the same brand idea. Thanks to BrandBlog for bringing a photo and this story to my attention.

You can achieve the same dramatic stop-them-in-their-tracks effect with your Ziggs Profile by using arresting photographs of yourself. Arrange for a professional photo to be taken of you in an unusual location, against a striking color background, or with black and white film.

Here are a few examples of members at Ziggs who have impacted their own professional brand with powerful personal portraits:

David Johnson. Wendy Harris. Walter Marr. Ember Hagemann.

Cinco de Mayo. American Passion.

2009-05-05T13:06:00.003-05:00

After having lived in southern California for a number of years, Cinco de Mayo became known to me as an official holiday of sorts. Although this date is not celebrated in Mexico outside of the state of Puebla, it has become a US day of celebration and pride for Mexican heritage… almost the Mexican version of a St. Patrick’s Day (another US-originating holiday that is not really celebrated in the country it commemorates).

Whether or not you celebrate Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day, these quasi-holidays are a fun reminder of the power of celebrating what inspires you. If you’re inspired to celebrate your family, your friends, your heritage, your co-workers, your neighbors, your school, you should do so. In a similar vein, remember to celebrate the aspects of yourself that inspire you the most – your career, your parenting, your interests, your political views – whatever you feel passionately about and want to share with others.

Of course, be sure to celebrate yourself and your passions in your Ziggs Profile. A Profile written with enthusiasm and authenticity will carry you farthest.

Dos tacos de pescados, por favor. Gracias amigo.

"Don't Deny Your DNA"

2009-03-26T14:51:00.011-05:00

I give full credit for this thoughtful phrase to the company and person, Spike, that recently blogged about it at Brains on Fire, a highly creative identity agency.

Denying your "DNA" suggests that you’re ignoring your instincts or rejecting your personal gifts. But, in today’s world of economic quicksand, sticking to your “DNA” can be your key to staying afloat and grounded at the same time.

In fact, understanding your "DNA" - your personal brand - helps you know where you’re going and why. Once you're clear on your brand "DNA," you become more effective and focused in everything you do. For example, people who know their brand "DNA" tend to present the most compelling professional Profiles at Ziggs.com. These profiles are confident, clear and direct.

So, be sure to express your own brand “DNA” succinctly in your own Ziggs Profile now.

For more thoughts on this, read the recent Brains on Fire blog entry on this topic here.

What's Your Curb Appeal?

2009-02-25T15:41:00.014-05:00

You know the house. It’s that one house on the block with the most inviting look from the street. It draws you in because it's so well-maintained. This kind of house certainly attracts buyers more easily than an overgrown house with a cluttered yard. Creating curb appeal for your home is key to your sales strategy. What about your career sales strategy? Have you checked your online curb appeal lately?

As the economic crisis continues to deepen, it’s even more critical that your online brand is professional and inviting. It’s important to ensure that prospective clients or employers enjoy almost effortless access to you through the internet, for new business, or a new job. Your Ziggs Profile is the first place to start updating your online curb appeal. Here are three quick steps to update your online brand.

1. Update the landscape. A good professional photo can be likened to a well-landscaped home. Make sure your online photos present you as current, fresh and focused.

2. Paint the house. Just as the proper paint choice and trim color make a house shine, presenting the right content and tone in your profile will make a difference in your ability to make an impact with the reader.

3. Be found on the map. If a buyer can’t find your house, it’s hard to sell it. Making sure your online profile is easily found in search results is equally important. Upgrading your online visibility in search results gives your online brand a competitive boost. Learn how Ziggs can do that for you.

Taking time to enhance your online curb appeal might make all the difference for you in the year ahead… So join Ziggs and create your free Ziggs Profile today. Or, if you already have one, update your Ziggs Profile now.

Sold!

Pink Slip Job Tips

2008-12-12T14:08:00.002-05:00

According to CNN, unemployment is at its highest rate in fifteen years. If you’re among those who have recently received a pink slip, you’re not alone. The good news is that with professional networking websites and online brand management services that are easy to use, a job seeker has more free tools in his job-seeking tool kit than ever before.

Gerri Willis from CNN recently reminded job seekers that in today’s market, it’s not always "what you know, but who you know." She says that 80% of jobs today are found through networking with someone you know. Gerri also suggests that professionals get visibility online for themselves using a free professional profile. This helps you be found when recruiters search for you online. To hear more of Gerri’s tips, tune into her recent news story at CNN, where she also recommends Ziggs:

Whether you are a long-time user or a brand new member at Ziggs, here are three simple Job-To-Do’s every professional should check off today, employed or not.

1. Manage your free professional Ziggs Profile. Update it, add photos, add links to your work. Keep it fresh. If you don't have a Ziggs Profile, start yours for free here.

2. List yourself in several of Ziggs Professional Directories for added visibility in your field.

3. Use Ziggs' free people search to find others at Ziggs within your profession to build your network and your business.

For those looking for new employment, feel free to browse Ziggs’ free Jobs Board once a week.

Wishing you all good employment this holiday season.

Got Dirt?

2008-11-20T14:26:00.006-05:00

Google your name. If you find links to information you would not want your boss or a prospect to see, then you have digital dirt that could use some cleaning. As people continue to post personal information freely on the web, the incidents of digital dirt negatively affecting careers are on the rise. Career experts and even TV news journalists have raised the red flag on digital dirt and are writing about how you can clean yours up.

According to Rita Ashley, job search coach, veteran technology recruiter, author and blogger at Job Search Debugged, “personal digital dirt has no shelf life; it can last forever.” She asks, “How can you overcome these self made obstacles to create a professional brand? How can you manage your professional brand on-line and keep dirt away from your digital door?” Rita answers these questions in detail with six action steps anyone can take to shine up their online brand and keep it squeaky clean. I can’t help but agree with Rita’s ultimate suggestion – use the “uber solution” that helps push your bad search results lower by positioning your best search result content on top – a solution also known as Ziggs.

Ned Hibberd, newscaster at FOX in Houston, recently reported on digital dirt and how to respond to it. Ned recommends that you “accentuate the positive, even if you can't eliminate the negative.” He goes on to suggest using Ziggs to accomplish just that. Take a look at Ned’s views on this topic in his recent news story "What's Google revealing about you?" on FOX.

Got dirt? Rise above it... Check out Ziggs WebPro to learn how you can put your best foot forward on page one is search results using your Ziggs Profile. Don't have a Ziggs Profile yet? There's no better time than the present. Give yourself the gift of having a positive online brand by joining Ziggs now and starting your free Ziggs Profile.

Thank You From Ziggs

2008-10-21T14:44:00.002-05:00

Ziggs has been quietly fielding media interview requests for some time now. As a result of this growing interest in Ziggs, we have recently received national news coverage from CBS, Yahoo.com, AOL.com, MSNBC TV and numerous blogs during early October. We're honored to have our story shared by these media giants with you. Thanks CBS and especially Molly Hughes for your recent news story about how people can learn a little more about how often they're being googled and found via their free Ziggs Profile's email alert and tracking service.

From CBS: Who is Googling You? Ziggs Knows.

To understand exactly how this free Ziggs service works, learn more here.

We’d like to thank our new and existing customers for their interest in Ziggs and their ongoing support of Ziggs. We hope you take advantage of all the free services Ziggs has to offer professionals.

Remember to keep your Ziggs Profile updated, shiny and new at all times. So far, CBS and Fox have interviewed fifteen Ziggs customers from across the US, with more in the works. Maybe you'll be next!

Recession Proof Yourself

2008-09-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

According to the US Department of Labor, US jobless claims were at a seven year high at the close of the week of September 20th, 2008. Although this is partially due to a lift in jobless claims as a result of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, it's times like these that call for every professional to take frequent steps to recession-proof their business reputation and their career.

Steps can include taking classes part-time to expand skills or improve leadership abilities. Increase the frequency of networking activities with both distant colleagues and local events for your profession.

Since your reputation and your experience are part of your professional brand, it's a good idea to highlight your recent accomplishments both offline and online. Polish up your resume with new accomplishments. Put a fresh shine to your online business profiles, especially your Ziggs Profile.

Your Ziggs Profile can be enhanced by adding your recent accomplishments, adding new links to your online results, and improving your professional photo if possible. First impressions make a lasting impression so make sure your online impression is a powerful one via your Ziggs Profile.

To ensure potential job managers can find you online, be sure to give your Ziggs Profile top visiblity in all search engines, and also buy your own domain name for added professional visibility. You can do this through Ziggs quickly and easily. Ziggs will link your profile directly to your new domain name at http://www.yourname.com/.

Once you've completed these touch-ups to both your offline and online brand identity, continue to grow your network now. You'll be glad you did if you reach a point where you need to network for a new job. But in the meantime, remember to smile. We'll all get through this if we work together.

5 Ways to Give Your Online Brand an Olympic Boost

2008-08-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

Brush off those last bits of sand from your summer vacation and get ready give your online brand an Olympic-sized boost. Why? The more effective your online professional brand is the more compelling people will consider you when they google and find you online. Why now? At least once per quarter it’s a good idea to take a look at the status of your online brand and then take a few moments to identify ways to improve it. As the remarkable Beijing Olympics have just come to a close and we reflect on the incredible focus every athlete exhibited, give your online profile the focus it needs to help your brand stay active, competitive and current. This kind of footwork may some day help you earn the gold medal of your career.

Here are a few quick tips for boosting your online brand today, Olympic-style:

1. Refresh your Profile. Update all of your online profiles on the web, especially your Ziggs Profile. Update your work experience, add new photos, and expand your links in Interests. If you don’t have a free Ziggs Profile, start one now or learn more.

2. Join a Ziggs Directory. List yourself today in all Directories at Ziggs that apply to your profession. This increases your online professional visibility for free.

3. Own your Name Online. Is your name available? Have you ever checked? Here’s a quick way for Ziggs members to find out. If you're not a Ziggs member, you can find out here. Owning your name online gives your brand more power.

4. Top-list in Search. Catapult your name and link to your profile to a premium position in every search engine. Research shows that searchers rarely go past the first page of results to find information, so be sure your profile is found on that first page. Here's how.

5. Enhance your Signature. Add your Ziggs Profile link into your email signature. This gives everyone you email a chance to learn more about your talents with a click. Try it now.

If your online brand is already fully boosted, consider boosting a friend’s. Share this blog with a friend today.

Congratulations and thank you to all Olympians for giving our world a boost of unity.

Launch Your Job Search at Ziggs

2008-07-15T08:45:00.001-05:00

Ziggs has just introduced a new Jobs Service.

The new Jobs Service lets you find newly listed jobs at Ziggs by keyword, title or location.

You can instantly apply to any job in Ziggs and your Ziggs Profile goes along too.

You can easily track the jobs you’ve applied for with your own private Jobs List.

Ziggs lets you search jobs listed at Ziggs or jobs from across the web.

As recruiters or hiring managers view your Ziggs Profile, you'll receive an email alert every time.

Or Relax. Be Passive. Let the Job find You.

Blue-chip recruiters visit Ziggs every day. By keeping your profile updated and interesting, you can dramatically increase your chances of being searched for and found for great job opportunities via Ziggs. So once you’ve updated your profile, relax, be passive, and let the recruiters come to you.

Real-Time Alerts Grow in Popularity: Google, Ziggs, Twitter...

2008-05-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

Receiving real-time alerts about important data on the web is a growing trend and a pleasure for many. Google has been in the alerts business for some time. You can set an alert at Google for a keyword of interest to you, such as news on a specific company. Each time news about that company appears on the Internet, Google will send you an email alert giving you access to the link.

Ziggs is a friend of this trend as well. Ziggs sends a free personal Search Alert to its customers each time a visitor googles their name and then clicks through to their Ziggs Profile. Getting notified when someone has visited your profile helps you keep your fingers on the pulse of search activity to your name.

For job seekers, Ziggs Alerts provide a quick glimpse into the traction your online resume is receiving on the web from recruiters or hiring managers. Ziggs even shows searcher information from a global level or down to the building level (global Ziggs Search Alert map shown above, with each red marker indicates a searcher who googled and found my Ziggs Profile). Everyone should be more aware of how often they’re searched and found online. Ziggs can provide this information for free.

Newcomer Twittervision gives you another taste of real-time alerts in the form of global tweet viewing. Although it feels a bit voyeuristic to follow tweets in real-time across the US or even in France or China…..that is part of the point of Twitter: instant insight into the micro-ideas of the masses. I see it as somewhat of both a local and a global communications experiment, where the outcome remains to be seen.

I use Google Alerts to follow company news stories. I use Ziggs Search Alerts to get notified when someone has searched me and viewed my Ziggs Profile. And I use Twitter to follow tweeters on a number of topics including social media (Ziggs, LinkedIn and Facebook). My tweet topics vary but will often include Ziggs, professional networking, social media, marketing and branding. Follow me on Twitter and I’d be delighted to follow you too.

If you're using alerts from Google, Ziggs or following Twitter in real-time, I'd love to hear about your experience. Or, if you're enjoying another kind of real-time alert, I'd love to know more about it.

Building Up Your Online Presence

2008-04-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

The online world of social media is one of the most dynamic outcomes of the invention of the world wide web. Having instant access to both viewing and participating in online communities of millions around the world, regardless of your career/position/age/location on earth, is one of the biggest boons of the much ballyhooed concept of a “global web community.”

Having said that, many of you are just now starting with the baby steps of creating one or two online professional profiles. Companies like Ziggs have been there to provide this type of free service from the beginning of the social web explosion.

For those of you who are now ready to spread your wings into the social media world, for either business or personal pursuits, here are a few ways to start expanding your visibility online.

1. Always keep your online profile at Ziggs and at other online communities updated and interesting with a current photo. Then, consider your Ziggs Profile as a home base for anchoring the other elements of your online image, such as your blog and more. Be sure to add a link to your Ziggs Profile right into your email signature so people can easily find your online presence from your emails with a click.

2. Next, you may want to consider starting free accounts at a number of the key social media magnets on the Web today. Twitter is one of those irrepressible social media whirlwinds. Visit Twitter for a taste of this phenom and follow a few of the posters that post on topics of interest to you. And once you get the hang of it, you can join twitter conversations yourself and submit your own "tweets." And of course you can include a link to your own tweets in your Ziggs Profile.

3. YouTube isn’t just for teens any more. If you haven’t been to YouTube lately, or had dismissed it as a forum for karaoke disasters, visit it again today. You’ll find everyone from presidential candidates presenting their platforms, to eco-friendly groups promoting solutions for reducing your carbon footprint, to the Steve Jobs address at a recent Stanford graduation ceremony. You can of course post any video content you may have, or to start small, you can comment on existing videos that focus on topics of meaning to you. And of course, any video you post on YouTube can link into your Ziggs Profile.

Since these baby steps are just a starting point for those new to social media, this info is just the start of an action plan for you to continue building out your online presence. More tips on broadening the virtual you coming soon.

A Fresh Look at Ziggs

2008-04-25T14:55:00.000-05:00

Ziggs’ website design has just been updated with a fresh new look!

Come see all the new ways we can help you build your online brand, plus connect with your existing friends and many more new people now at Ziggs.

Caller ID for the Internet

2008-02-28T08:58:00.000-05:00

Admit it. You've screened your calls at times thanks to caller ID. Caller ID is one of the most popular features on home and cell phones today. Wouldn't it be nice to know a bit more about who's "calling" for you on the Internet as well? In other words, who's Googling you?

ABC and Fox news have recently produced a news story that describes Ziggs' Search Alerts service as "caller ID for the Internet." If you're familiar with Ziggs Search Alerts, you may already know how valuable it is to get an email notification from Ziggs each time someone has searched for you and then viewed your Ziggs Profile through any search engine.

Elizabeth Yekhtikian, Account Director at Blanc and Otus, says she receives a search alert from Ziggs at least once per day. "I can check on the site and it shows me with little maps where the searches are coming from, and from exactly which town, within which state or part of the country or the world," said Yekhtikian.

You may be wondering how Ziggs knows where someone has searched for you from? Technology is the key, according to Tim DeMello, CEO Ziggs: "Every computer has a Web browser that has an IP address, which basically gives you a location," said DeMello. "It gives you the ability to time stamp it. So if someone goes to Google and they are in San Diego, we clearly know the time they went on and the time it came into us. We know what browser it came from." If you're a member at Ziggs, we share this information with you.
If you'd like to get notified and learn more about who's viewed your Ziggs Profile through any search engine, just register for free at Ziggs. This service and many others at Ziggs - services that help you develop an online profile and control your online image - are all free.

If you're already a member of the Ziggs community and would like to learn more about who's been searching for you, visit your Search Alerts Map now.

See how Fox news describes this free service: "Who's Googling You?"

A New Year. A New You.

2008-01-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

The newest PEW/Internet study reveals that more than 53% of US Internet users (up from 22% in 2002) have looked up information via search engines on people they know, including work colleagues, friends, neighbors, old flames and more. In light of this insight, it becomes ever more important to really shine online.

So, as the calendar flips forward to a fresh start in the new year, it’s a good time to take stock of one’s accomplishments over the past year. Take a moment to savor your victories, learn from your challenges and set a new course for 2008. As part of this effort, ask yourself how have you changed in the past year… how have you grown? Then, take what you’ve earned and learned and incorporate it into your Ziggs Profile to advance your online brand to reflect the newest you for 2008.

How to update the online you for '08

Expand your Smile ... Add some new photos to your Ziggs Profile, up to six, to give your visitors a better view of you.

Bond over Books ... Instantly add images of your favorite books to your Ziggs Profile….what you’re reading, what you’d recommend.

Lead with Groups ... Join an existing group or start a new free public group at Ziggs to connect with colleagues over topics of interest, from investments to sports to parenting. Then include a link for every group you participate on the Interests page of your Ziggs Profile

Now that you're off and running, best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot

Brand U Topia

2007-11-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

Personal branding -- the art and science of developing your personal brand -- has become one of the most powerful motivational drivers behind the rise of personal blogs, social networking, amateur journalism and the ubiquitous self-expression found across the Web today. I am always inspired to see the breadth of participation from people, ranging from experts in their fields to newcomers or amateurs on a topic, who are leaving their own personal stamp on the web with their virtual voice, so to speak.

Case in point, the recent global telesummit, “A Brand You World”, covered the topic of personal branding from many different angles. If you’re interested in starting your personal brand online or continuing to build upon what you've already established, you may find the new content now available from this global telesummit quite helpful.

Here are a few of the sessions available for your listening pleasure:

Express Your Personal Brand Through the Power of Podcasting
With Neville Hobson

Jazz Up Your Personal Brand for Business Success
With Marc Gobe

Evangelizing Evangelists to Build a Business and Build Your Brand
With Guy Kawasaki, joined by Ziggs' Founder Tim DeMello

MicroBranding: Build a Powerful Personal or Local Brand…& Beat Your Competition
With T. Scott Gross

Promoting Brand You with Viral Marketing on the Web
With David Meerman Scott

How to Write a Great Business Blog
With Debbie Weil

For more information, visit: http://www.personalbrandingsummit.com/

A Brand You World's 2007 Global Telesummit

2007-10-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

This year is the 10th anniversary of Tom Peters' thought-provoking article on Personal Branding, published in Fast Company in 1997. To commemorate this event, leading personal branding strategists from around the world have organized a global telesummit on the topic of Personal Branding, to be held on Thursday, November 8th.

The buzz about this event, A Brand You World, is spreading around the world, as organizers, speakers, authors and participants will be joining together on this day from across the globe to discuss and learn more about the value and power of personal branding, plus how to apply it to your career and business for greater success. In light of the incredible value this event will be offering, Ziggs is very proud to be a sponsor.

To virtually attend A Brand You World's 2007 Global Telesummit:

Read the Press Release

See an Overview

This event is expecting over 100,000 participants and will consist of 24 separate seminars, loaded with value and expertise on personal branding from dozens of world class speakers.

We're very excited to share that Ziggs' very own Tim DeMello will be a speaker at this event at 10am EST on November 8th, on the topic of "Evangelizing Evangelists to Build a Business and Build Your Brand."

Mark your calendar today! I wouldn't miss it.

"Get a Better Paying Job"

2007-09-14T14:22:00.000-05:00

Gerri Willis, columnist for CNN Money, just published some great tips about which online tools to use in a search for a better paying job.

Gerri recommends that you 1) get connected, 2) be Google-able and 3) target your search.

She says “boosting your visibility online is more and more important, and there are companies out there that can help.”

“Check out Ziggs.com where you can post a free professional profile on the site. If a recruiter is looking for a job candidate online, your name may just pop up at the top of a Web search. [With Ziggs] you’ll even be sent an e-mail alert if someone clicks and views on your page [your profile].”

Gerri is referring to Ziggs Real-Time Search Alerts. Every time your Ziggs Profile is viewed, you will receive an email alert that tells you from where you were viewed, what time the visitor viewed your profile, as well as what search terms were used to find your profile. This free service helps you keep tabs on how often people are finding and viewing your Ziggs Profile.

New for Search Alerts, Ziggs now offers a global map with a red pin point for every location in the world from which you’ve been searched and viewed. To see the power of this hot new feature at Ziggs, click on your Search Alerts link in the Message Center of your Hub.

In addition to creating a free profile at Ziggs and being alerted each time your profile is viewed, job searchers can also search and network with the millions of other professionals listed in the Ziggs Index of Professionals. Find local people in your field of interest for free using Ziggs People Search. Try it out today.

Our thanks to Gerri for recommending Ziggs as a helpful tool in the world of job search.

The Personal Side of Branding

2007-09-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

I recently spoke with William Arruda, personal brand guru, founder of Reach and co-author of Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand. William has circled the globe helping thousands of clients build their online personal brands for career growth. It was very gratifying to speak with a comrade-in-arms on the topic of the power of personal brand building and taking control of your online presence on the Web today. Questions he asks every professional:

“Do you stand out among your competitors or colleagues? Should you command higher compensation? Can you pick and choose the clients, projects or assignments you want? Are you achieving your professional goals?”

To help professionals achieve their goals and stand out in their field, he has developed the “Personal Branding 1-2-3 Success!” program. Available through the Reach website, you can learn more about how he helps his clients build success with building their personal brand.

William has created a Ziggs Profile to support his own online brand. You too should be proud of the fact that you’ve already taken one of the important steps in creating an online brand with your own Ziggs Profile. Now, be sure it’s up to date and expresses your best self today.

Riding the Digital Fast Lane

2007-08-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

In 1993, Marc Andreessen and NCSA and the University of Illinois developed a graphical user interface to the world wide web and called it Mosaic. The digital fast lane was then officially opened to early adopters with this first graphical browser. Fortunately for you and me, today it’s easy to ride the digital fast lane, without being a techie.

If you already have an online profile at Ziggs, congratulations! You are officially on the digital fast lane. You have successfully merged onto the high speed lane of Internet life. Maintaining your Ziggs Profile - refreshing it when needed, typically once a month – helps ensure that your online image drives well and always looks great on the digital highway.

But what about your friends and family. Are they on the digital highway with you? Have you brought them online to join you? Having an online professional profile listed at Ziggs is quite frankly the easiest and safest way to participate in the online world in the good company of millions of other professionals. Once in Ziggs, your people can create their own profile, then you can all create groups, discuss topics, even send polls online – the digital fast lane, all within the privacy of your own online world at Ziggs.

See you in the fast lane.

A Tale of Two Profiles

2007-08-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

The opening line from Charles Dickens’ historical novel A Tale of Two Cities, written in 1859. For those who missed this in 8th grade English, it’s a story of two cities, London and Paris, and two characters. Charles Darnay is the high-standing, romantic French society man, who is respectable but not interesting. Sydney Carton is the English barrister who is charismatic and magnetic but seedy and secretly exciting. It would be interesting to ask Dickens for his reaction to today’s world where millions of people have created their own online “characters” or profiles to portray themselves as either respectable and honest or to present a more alluring living-in-the-fast-lane life of hipness and hotness.

Just as Elvis and the Rolling Stones were considered provocative and erotic in their day, so today’s adults sometimes see the explicit online imagery and communications expressed in some social networks as out of bounds for them and their own children. It will be fascinating to watch how the new generation growing up in social networking websites matures into professionals with careers and to mark how their online personas or profiles morph with them from social to professional. Which type of profile have you created?

From Profiles to Avatars

Beyond an online profile, virtual worlds, such as Second Life, give you the ability to create an avatar, a virtual online representation of yourself. Depending on your goal, your virtual self can be similar to you or complete fantasy. For example, one of the most famous avatars in Second Life is the one created by Ian Hughes, virtual world pioneer and evangelist. Known inside as epredator, it’s befitting that his avatar is fantastic (and looks nothing like him).

According to Irving Wladawsky-Berger, even IBM now has policy guidelines on creating an avatar: "Virtual worlds give you the ability to create the way in which you want to represent your digital persona visually. This can be anything from a reasonable likeness of the actual person to a fictional creature... In general, your digital persona’s appearance is up to you. When you are using your avatar or persona in association with IBM, however, your judgment in these matters should be shaped by the same general guidelines that apply to IBMers in physical environments – i.e., that your appearance be appropriate to the context of your activities. You need to be especially sensitive to the appropriateness of your avatar or persona’s appearance when you are meeting with IBM clients or conducting IBM business."

So, how many identities can one person have? Actual, virtual, physical, student, work, home? The list could go on. How about having just one?

Now Back to the Physical World

For the majority of us living in the physical and professional world, here are some tips on portraying your best professional self online while also projecting interest and depth - in other words, be the best of both Darnay and Carton:

For the career-minded, it’s a must-do today to post a profile in two professional networking websites. The first, of course, is Ziggs. For those unfamiliar with Ziggs, this website offers you the most comprehensive profile template for daily use in your current profession as well as for visibility to recruiters for both passive and active job searches. In addition to Ziggs Bio-Builder which helps you easily write up your own bio, your Ziggs Profile gives you several ways to build honest interest into your professional points. For example, by answering a few of the interview questions offered in your Ziggs Profile, you can present a more well-rounded view of yourself that gives a newcomer a better chance to bond with you. Here's a great example of a very professional yet expressive online profile at Ziggs: Meet V. Cheryl Womack.

Ziggs also offers daily utility by giving you the ability to import the people important to you into Ziggs from most popular email systems. Then easily create and use groups, discussions and polls to better stay in touch with your colleagues, your clubs, your charities, as well as family and friends.

In addition to Ziggs, LinkedIn is the other important professional networking website that lets you create an online profile. It’s a good tool for the job seeker needing to network outside the immediate circle of contacts.

And for the edgy at heart, MySpace and Facebook will continue to be home to the online profiles of date seekers, band promoters, music followers and collegiates.

How to Get a Better Job While on Vacation

2007-08-02T15:12:00.001-05:00

Just the simple act of creating an online profile at Ziggs immediately puts you in front of thousands of recruiters, including Fortune 500 blue-chips like Microsoft, Sony and Pfizer, who come to Ziggs daily looking for new candidates for great jobs...new candidates such as yourself. So even when you're off on your summer vacation, your professional profile at Ziggs remains on the job in the eyes of recruiters.

CNN's Money Magazine recommends Ziggs for this purpose:

"If you recoil from networking events, never get around to putting out feelers and have no clue how to 'work a room,' congratulations! You're the ideal candidate for a terrific new job."

"More than a fifth of the Fortune 500, including blue-chip names like Pfizer, Sony and Microsoft, use these outfits [i.e. Ziggs] as part of their recruiting process."

"The bottom line: Even if you're not looking for a new job, you want potential employers to see you in the most flattering light. Fortunately, it's easy to take control of your [online] profiles."

If you don't have a free professional profile at Ziggs, create one today. If you already have one, be sure it is complete and compelling. Maximize your profile by answering the Interview questions offered in the Interview section of your Ziggs Profile. Your answers to these questions give you the opportunity to share more of the real you in a positive light with your audience, far more than a resume could ever provide

Super Brands

2007-07-31T09:02:00.000-05:00

Each year BusinessWeek ranks the top 100 Global Brands and reports them in July. This year’s results yielded a repeat in the top positions and an upset just below.

BusinessWeek uses Interbrand to determine the global brand rankings: “Interbrand takes many ingredients into account when ranking the value of the Best Global Brands. Even to qualify for the list, each brand must derive at least a third of its earnings outside its home country, be recognizable outside of its base of customers, and have publicly available marketing and financial data.”

According to BusinessWeek, the top three global brands for 2007 are repeat winners from 2006: Coca-cola is #1, Microsoft and IBM are #2 and #3.

Other movers and shakers: the golden arches stepped over Mickey when McDonalds jumped one position to #8 and Disney fell one to #9. Tech kings increased their global repute: Google vaulted four positions to #20. Apple leapfrogged six other brands to #33. Starbucks jumped three to #88.

Why is brand power important to companies and individuals? A growing global brand equates to increased future earnings and growth in stockholder value.

Super Brand Builders at Ziggs

In the same vein, the power of your personal brand can raise or lower your current and future value in relation to your competition. As you build your own professional brand during the course of your career, the value you bring to your daily team and your yearly initiatives can grow.

Some of the best brand builders at Ziggs are the individuals who have created the most comprehensive profile for themselves and then in some cases, even positioned their profile on top of every search engine (a Ziggs service called WebPro). Congratulations to these super brand builders at Ziggs: Krishna De, Doug McCready, Yvonne LaRose and Kevin Abt.

Designing for Web 2.0

2007-07-25T12:42:00.000-05:00

Designing for a web 2.0 company takes patience and an understanding of user behavior - how the user will interact with the site. In this web 2.0 world, designers and developers now have access to technologies that can improve a site’s look and function more dramatically than ever before. For example, AJAX, a development technique, makes a webpage more responsive to the user. It can give the user better navigation or the ability to drag and drop information across a webpage with ease. However, the problem with new technologies, like AJAX, is that many designers and developers overuse them, inserting them where they’re not needed. Crowding a new web 2.0 site with these components leads to a lousy user experience that will only drive visitors away. So, to all fellow designers and developers, choose your 2.0 design components wisely, because mediocre or overwhelming UI's just won’t cut it in a web 2.0 world today.

Feedback on the Ziggs website is always welcome at rkelleher@ziggs.com.

Ryan Kelleher

Graphic Designer, Ziggs

Interning at Ziggs

2007-07-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

On today's Web, amateur bloggers command publishing space alongside our most seasoned writers; citizen shoppers join the ranks of Consumer Reports; and classmates create friend groups with the scope and influence of master networkers. Interning at Ziggs has allowed me to experience a striking offline parallel to the culture of the new Web in which amateurs are immediately granted an all access pass to participate on a meaningful level with top professionals. I joined Ziggs while the company was in the midst of launching the Ziggs Hub. The culture of transparency and across-the-board participation that rules the Web was immediately palpable when I was offered a seat at the table at company planning meetings and encouraged to digest and contribute to new business and marketing developments.

I have been using social media for many years, but soon into my internship at Ziggs I realized how much I still had to learn. The biggest challenge was learning the language - the tech code: spider, bug, beta, tag, devweb, CPM, CTR, VOIP, Vlog, build, track, RSS, FTP. It is a language of acronyms and applications and, as a self-proclaimed non-techie, I was not prepared. At my first morning meeting with the team, I could understand about half of what everyone was saying. Ziggs has offered me a crash course in what is happening on the Web where techies have taken over the social spheres of average users and are gradually infiltrating IT jargon into daily communications between friends.

I have never been an intensely out-of-the box thrill seeker, but the Web today still feels like the wild west of the business world. It remains a relatively new, unexplored territory where room for innovation driven by instinct is as much written into business plans as traditional strategy and Six Sigma metrics. While my classmates are on a morning Starbucks run for colleagues at a traditional, vertically structured company, at Ziggs I always need to be totally plugged into the site, exploring new functionality, ready to adapt at the drop of new code for our point releases. As a young professional, this open-source, nimble-enough-to-innovate-everyday pace at Ziggs is refreshing and keeps me on my toes.

Amanda Mooney, Ziggs Intern-at-Large