Part of protecting your brand, your business, and even your personal online reputation is making sure that others don’t claim your name or try to impersonate you.  So here’s a hint:  sign up your name, brand, and business on every social media site – even if you don’t use it, even if you don’t have plans to ever use it.

Here’s the point:  Until you claim your user handle and stamp a password on it, anyone can claim your name.  Once they have your username, they can do anything with it – like impersonate you, or drag your business in the mud.

It’s actually a really big deal, and it happens to a lot of people.

So to impede those imposters, impersonators, phonies, and frauds from stealing your (or your business’) identity, there’s a handy tool ready to help:  KnowEm.  KnowEm will check your brand, product, business, or personal name on as many as 300 social media sites – and then help you register your name (before someone else does!).

When you reserve your name on all these sites, you’re making it that much harder for people to jack your brand.

Basic service at KnowEm free, and there are also other paid packages that can help you fill out all the forms and profiles.  And here’s a sweet bonus:  having profiles on all those sites can help boost your Web presence and any social media programs (current or future) for your brand or business.