Branding - Thing 3

I'm starting to relax with this blogging lark. It's doesn't seem half so bad now I'm getting into it!

Branding is one of those things we easily overlook. I have a tendency to sign up to sites and online tools with very little thought as to how I'm going to use them, tie them all together and keep on top of them.

Some of the sites (the ones I can remember!) I've signed up to include Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, Slideshare and Google+ . I mainly use Facebook and Twitter and have only dabbled with the others and use them very occasionally.  All have different profile pictures and very little to connect them with each other. I do try and use my name but sometimes find that it's already been taken by an imposter as surely I am the real jo mather! To get around this I tend to add the first available number at the end (hence jomather2 forTwitter - not ideal but you can't always come first!)

I'm currently involved in a social media project at work and have had to create additional accounts for work purposes (I sense an opportunity for a quick plug, so please 'Like' us?  NPTC Libraries). Guidelines stated that our accounts had to be linked to our work e-mail so I now have 2 Facebook accounts,  3 Twitter accounts (my personal account, one for work and another I signed up to during a social media training session!), this blog and this morning I unwittingly created myself a Google+ account when creating a You Tube account for work.

In terms of my profile, I do like to keep the personal and professional separate and I tend to use Twitter more as  a professional tool. Facebook is slightly different as I most definitely use my personal page to connect with friends and family. I don't think I want people that I communicate with for professional or work purposes to see my 'lighter' side. My privacy settings are quite high so I'm more difficult to find on Facebook and I quite like it that way.

So to remedy my branding issues I've tried to link all my 'worky' stuff together, so if you find my blog you can find me on Twitter and vice versa.
I've changed my profile picture on my Twitter account so it's the same as the one on this blog. It's the photo we had taken in work for official use and appears on college moodle and library pages. The next step is to change my Twitter background so I've got a visual connection with my blog page.

Lastly, I googled myself (admittedly not the first time!) and there are surprisingly more Jo Mather's out there than you'd think. My Twitter account came up on the first page but all the Facebook search results were for imposters. My Flickr photostream of birthday cakes I've made came up on page 2, which I wasn't expecting (possibility of a lucrative little sideline?). I had no results for my blog so I'm going to have to work on improving that. If I search Google images it appears I'm a world class baseball player.

If I'm feeling brave, I may ask someone in work to comment on my branding. But for now, I'll leave it as it is and tuck into the jaffa cakes.

Panic - Thing 2

Ok, it's Thing 4 already and I'm only on Thing 2! The Fear has now turned to Panic! I don't want to get behind but how do the weeks go by so quickly?

It wasn't so bad investigating other people's blogs as I'm a naturally nosey (curious?) person. I resisted the temptation to look for and contact  people I sit next to, (Lovely Libraries), and looked instead for blogs with interesting names. Made contact with a few people in Wales, as it made sense to narrow my search down somewhat, including How many things? Only 23 and Taken for Binding.

There are a lot of interesting people out there, working in libraries, and living up to the stereotype, a lot of gin-drinking, cake-eating, cat-loving, knitting, Librarians! (I fall into 2 out of 4 categories). What a great profession to be in!

I must admit that despite my blogging reservations, I did have a little thrill when I had comments left on my first blog post, and an even bigger thrill when the lovely Library Wanderer tweeted about it. Thanks Helen.
After seeing so many 'good-looking' blogs, I need to tidy mine up, but I guess that'll come with Thing 3 .
Onwards and upwards!

Fear

I'm starting this blog with a feeling of trepidation. I'm not sure if trepidation is the correct word to use; it should probably be fear!

I'm wondering why anyone would possibly want to read my ramblings. The inner workings of my mind are often chaotic and sometimes confused. To me they make perfect sense, depending on how I'm feeling.
Fear of plunging into the blogging world is probably more apt. I'm definitely feeling a little (actually a lot!) fearful as to what I should write, how much and how often. Who really wants to listen to me?

I'm also fearful at signing myself up for another course, when I haven't yet finished my MScEcon at Aber. What am I letting myself in for? I guess I'm hoping that all the formal stuff I've covered in Aber will be backed up by more current topics and things that are definitely trending. Stuff (for want of a better word) that we Librarians really need to know about, use and share.

It's also a great way of meeting new people and catching up with friends I've met along the way. (Is that why I'm taking so long to finish my Distance Learning course, as I don't want to lose touch with some great friends?)

I'm currently working as a Supervisor in a very busy F.E. College Library. The work is challenging and often stressful, and if you're stuck in a room with up to 1500 teenagers a day, you'll know where I'm coming from!

So I think in best Librarian tradition, I'm going to publish this blog and have a nice cup of tea and a jaffa cake, before I start thinking too much about what I've written, whether I should edit it, make it longer, what will people think, and on and on and on...