The Easiest Way to Claim Your Name on Social Media Sites

What's in a name?  Lots, when it is your name or your company name!

Fortunately for me, I was blessed at birth with a name no one else would choose for their own, but not everyone is so lucky. 

Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing a presentation by Laurie Brooks, the Public Relations voice of L.L. Bean on various social media outposts (@LLBean_PR on Twitter).  At one point in her presenation, she discussed the lengthy process the company had to go through to reclaim the L.L. Bean handle on Twitter and YouTube.

Anyone can stake a claim to your name or company name on any number of social media sites.  They are doled out on a first-come-first-serve basis, so your best defense is to claim them NOW if you haven't already done so! 

One great tool I discovered to check the availability across dozens of sites is a site called www.namechk.com.  Enter your desired name and in seconds you'll have a full report of any sites where someone has claimed it already and on which sites it is still available. 

Here's what a search looks like when I attempt to find a username for my boxer, Nutmeg:

This is very useful especially if you desire consistency across many platforms!  Check it out for free at www.namechk.com!