Google Me: The New Business Card

What’s the first thing you do after meeting someone?  Search for them on Facebook? Google them? Follow them on Twitter? Essentially cyber stalk your new acquaintance. Don’t be ashamed. We all do it.

HR representatives use these tactics daily to get a glimpse into the lives of prospective employees. We’ve all heard the perpetual warning from parents and professors: “Be smart about the content you post online. Don’t post pictures online of you doing a keg stand, your escapades on Bourbon Street and such.”

So, when a potential employer Googles you, what comes up? Are you all business or all biddie? If you feel that the Google results provide an accurate representation of your skills, experience, passions and interests, then why not use this nifty, new era business card designed by Facebook Creative Director Ji Lee?

Google Me Business Card

Now, let’s compare my two cards:

Traditional Business Card (front)

Traditional Business Card (back)

Since the other Katelyn Stokes is a rising tennis star featured in the Washington Post, I often compete with her for the number one, two and three spots. However, recently, my Twitter and this blog have helped me score top rankings. Therefore, I would feel comfortable giving out the Google Me business card.

Although, I think my traditional business card provides more pizazz than the card with the standard Google interface featuring my name. Also, this style business card lists all my contact information. If you Googled me, you would only find ways to reach me virally: Twitter, LinkedIn and email.

Which card proves more effective?

I think it depends on what results appear when you Google your name. Also, it depends on your audience. If you are applying for a stiff, corporate suit-type job then I say stick with the more traditional style business card.  For people in more creative fields who have “optimized” names, I recommend the Google Me card format.

My (hypothetical) Google Job Experiment

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

Jobs seem to be the trending topic around COM. Unlike finance majors who have known  their post-grad future since September, most COM students anxiously await the fateful day they hear the glorious words “You’re hired.”

In my interactive marketing class, our professor talked about Alec Brownstein’s creative approach to the job search.  He devised a strategy to gain the attention of advertising top Creative Directors at his “dream” agencies. The insight behind his self-promotional campaign was everyone “googles” themselves.  Using his SEM knowledge, he bid on the names of industry bigwigs like David Droga, Tony Granger and Ian Reichenthal.

When each CD did a “vanity google“of their own name, an ad appeared in which Brownstein asked each exec for a job. What’s the ROI? After investing a whopping $6, Brownstein now works for Y&R.

After hearing about Brownstein’s brilliant employment strategy, I thought to myself how would I consolidate my elevator speech into a 25-35-35 character ad?

First, I would need to customize each ad for the executive and agency I was targeting.

For example, I would love to work for the Third Act, Digitas’ brand content division. Based on the information I learned from a conversation with the Third Act’s Paul Kontonis, I would create this targeted, keyword-rich ad:

Keywords to bid on:

• Paul Kontonis
• Stephanie Sarofian
• John McCarus
• Eric Korsh
• Teal Newland

As a Digitas fanatic, I would continue to confess my love and desire to work there with this ad:

Keywords to bid on:

• Nora Kassis Walker
• Elliott Seaborn

As a Happy Socks-wearing, Stella Artois-drinking, Target-loving gal, I am obsessed with Mother New York. To gain Mother’s attention, I would say:

Keywords to bid on:

• Angie Vieira Barocas
• Pernilla Ammann

Although I haven’t invested in these PPC ads, I’m hoping that organic traffic to this blog post will lead to those magical words “You’re hired!”