Last weekend, a Facebook friend I didn’t know beyond the crowded world of social media added a comment to one of my posts.
My post isn’t important, but her comment is.
She wrote, “Wally, you haven’t changed a bit from our days in Mrs. Hirons’s class.”
Mrs. Hirons was my high school journalism teacher — many more years ago than I wanna count.
I was flabbergasted. Here was a Facebook friend with whom I shared a past, and I hadn’t even realized it.
I didn’t recognize her name. I didn’t recognize her profile photo. I didn’t remember her at all.
But she remembered me.
It was embarrassing.
I mentioned the incident to Deb.
“People tend to remember you,” she told me. “You’re memorable.”
That’s kind’ve a scary thought. And here’s why…
Becoming “memorable,” as my Facebook encounter proves, is more often than not totally out of your control. It’s organic.
I once wrote, “Every time you post a blog comment, send an email to your list, stick your neck out on a forum, or say something really lame on Facebook, you’ve unconsciously cemented another brick into your personal brand.”
The same is true every time you step into a Starbucks, or get your oil changed, or flip off someone on the freeway.
But you don’t have to lose total control of how people remember you.
Your personal brand doesn’t always have to grow “organically” — that is, through your own negligence (for example, being a genuine asshole) or the false opinions of others.
In the day-to-day offline world, you can shift your attitude, put a smile on your face, and make sure to pause and check yourself before you say something really stupid.
The same is true in the online world. Don’t be a spammy, trolling dickhead. With some care, you can deliberately, and almost instantly, plant the images you desire into the minds of followers on social media, forum acquaintances, and even potential customers, clients, and joint venture partners.
So why NOT take control of how people remember you?
