Guest post by Dan Schawbel, owner of the Personal Branding Blog and publisher of the Personal Branding Magazine.
There has been a heated debate as to which platform, either Myspace or Facebook, one should use to establish a Personal Brand. For those of you who are unaware as to what exactly Personal Branding is, it is how you are perceived in the minds of those around you. The elements that make up your brand are your appearance, personality, competencies and differentiation. By building your brand through social media, you are communicating your value proposition and networking with like-minded peers. Facebook and Myspace are two of the largest social networks on the internet, populated by millions of individuals who have objectives such as keeping in touch with old friends or finding work. There are many differences between these two platforms. Myspace is positioned more for bands to showcase their material, as well as having the ability to actually customize your "space." Facebook, on the other hand, allows you to keep up to date with every facet of you’re friends lives, as well as identify who they know, but is restricted to a specific page format.
This year, Facebook has updated their site with the ability to embed widgets and manipulate pieces of your standard Facebook page. What you’ve seen is a lot of social media integration that allows for more communication and connection between people. Myspace has remained stagnant and the search capabilities are quite poor. All things considered, if you’re looking for a social networking platform that delivers quite and seamless interaction and updates, you should use Facebook. This is also a great place for your Personal Brand, as you can upload a signature picture, use it as an avatar and then list your work experience and social interests at the same time. Myspace is a lot less formal, where you have more control over your page. Myspace should be used for bands that are looking to have people hear their sample music or maybe even for entrepreneurs that are looking to network. All things said, using these sites will allow you to communicate your brand to others and become more visible.
