The internet is a wonderful thing.  It enables us to shop, communicate, indulge in our passions, get the latest new and sports scores (or gossip), blog , post in forums and so much more in relative anonymity.  The thing is, though is that so many people out there are purporting themselves to be experts on a given subject, giving advice that they believe should be taken seriously, yet they hide behind a pseudonym.  A friend once asked me why I use my real name (or a variation of my business’ name-GreenBridge Advisors) on my blog, posts on other blogs and in forums and my response was quick and simple: I don’t feel the need to hide, and if I want to be taken seriously and make it easy for prospective clients to find out more about me and my business it seems transparency is the best method to achieve that goal.

When I read other blogs or forums, and see posts by others with colorful names, the first thing I look for is a link to their website to see if there is an “about me” section.  If there is, and some revealing and real information about them is given, then I don’t give their post much more attention in that regard.  However, if I, or some other reader cannot find out anything about a poster, then what on earth would cause me to take their advice at face value? Granted, many people aren’t malicious in their intent, however there are a number of people who are susceptible to scammers and those who are in fact looking to dispense wrongful advice to these misguided souls.

Anyone who is running a business and responding to blog posts or forum posts or even writing their own blog and using it as a means of attaining credibility or simply promoting themself or their business would be wise to adopt some level of transparency.  Not only does it make other people feel more comfortable knowing that you are being upfront about your identity, but it also lends additional credibility.  I don’t know many people who would take advice from a stranger called “gumdoc23″, but they would if his name were Joe Smith, DMD with a website and current license which were verifiable. 

Trust is hard enough to establish offline with someone you can physically see and shake hands with.  It makes sense to do everything you can to come out from behind the screen name and let others see you for who you truly are when online, especially if your intention is to try to get those people to take your words and products/services seriously.

Tags: advice, credibility, marketing, pr, promotion, public relations, trust

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