Choosing an online username is not easy. It requires some thought & creativity, and is one of the most important decisions you'll make when trying to get off the ground with social media.

I always get a kick out of seeing what kind of clever usernames people end up choosing for themselves. Some are practical (use of real names for easy identification) while others try to be metaphorical or witty. I've seen a lot that are humorous in nature, and still others that are just downright strange.

Steemit is no exception when it comes to varied and creative usernames. Sometimes I like to just scroll through the list of my followers, trying to imagine what people are like in real life just from their account names. For me the best names are those that convey some sense of what that person likes to write about, or tie in somehow with their purpose for using Steemit.

So what does @cryptomancer mean?

My name is a play on the word "necromancer". A necromancer is a wizard, a student of the black arts who commands dark magic that allows him or her to commune with the spirits of the dead (and often reanimate their corpses). By analogy, I view myself as a kind of techno-wizard, able to summon life into inanimate machines in the form of computer programs, by means of arcane coding spells that are a mystery to most people.

My other big passion in life is cryptocurrency. It's what initially attracted me to Steemit. I love discussing it with like-minded individuals, and one of my missions as a blogger is to share my knowledge of it with the world. Hopefully, it might someday also be the key to breaking the shackles of corporate oppression and freeing me from the drudgery of my 9-6 daily grind. And that's the "crypto" in @cryptomancer.

Oh yes, did I forget to mention I'm an Ethereum perma-bull? Shorters will be shot on sight, you have been warned (if this makes no sense to you then don't worry; it's an inside joke).

So my name is chosen to reflect my core interests, plus serve as a reminder of both the theme that pervades many of my blog posts, and my ultimate goals in life.

And how's that working out for you?

Well, after joining Steemit I discovered there are plenty of other crypto-enthusiasts in the community. And I guess it's true that great minds think alike, because we all chose similar sounding names! Here's a top 10 list of my favorite crypto related names (sadly a couple of these people look like they're no longer active):

1. @thecryptodrive
2. @cryptos
3. @cryptomental
4. @thecryptofiend
5. @cryptoctopus
6. @cryptogee
7. @crypt0
8. @cryptoiskey
9. @cryptohead
10. @cryptoking

When I was still relatively new to Steemit, @cryptomental and I both commented on a post about Steem prices. And then someone else insinuated that we were the same person, since our names are similar and we joined Steemit around the same time. That's not true, of course; I have a rather dim view of people who make lots of alt accounts in weird schemes to game the system. But I could understand why someone might get that impression.

So yeah, if I could join Steemit all over again, I might try to pick something a bit more original that would stand out more. But it is what it is; sometimes you've just got to be flexible and learn to make the most of the hand you're dealt. And you have to admit: @cryptomancer has a cool ring to it.

Speaking of standing out, how do you make a name for yourself (pun intended)?

Especially if you are new to blogging and lack much of an online presence, it can be quite difficult to carve out a toehold for yourself on a social media platform like Steemit. At the beginning, your name is literally the only thing you have going for you. You need to treat it well, give it the respect it deserves, and let it represent you as your own personal brand in the online world.

As in the physical world, brand recognition is a key way to get people to remember you. The recently concluded presidential race in the US is a perfect example. Regardless of your views on Donald Trump, one thing I think everyone can agree on is that he has been quite successful in leveraging the power of his personal Trump brand. The Trump name is something he has spent nearly his entire life promoting & building up, through his businesses and reality TV show.

In the online world, it's much harder to associate a physical image to your name so that people remember you, but it is possible. One good way of doing this on Steemit is by incorporating a stylistic signature into your blog posts. A very cool example of this technique is how @papa-pepper incorporates an awesome pepper logo into every post he writes.

Why don't you have a cool logo?

Well, I'm no graphic artist and I'm not about to rip off a free image from Pixabay or wherever (I do source images from Pixabay frequently but am of the opinion that logos should always be original work). I also don't particularly care to pay someone to make one for me.

But that doesn't mean I don't have a signature. Adopting a consistent writing style, themes, and posting schedule is another way to get people to remember you. When you read a @cryptomancer post, you always know it will be a substantial piece (I have been accused by my boss of being overly verbose) that you can look forward to once a week on average. And it will always have a written signature section, often in the form of a "links for further info" and short blurb telling you what topics I like to focus on. Cause that's the way I roll.

Pffft. I'm all about the logo.

Well, more power to you then and I wish you much success!

So, what does your Steemit name mean and how do you build your personal brand? And who do you think has the coolest logo? I'm curious to hear from you in the comments and get some good discussion started!

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Links of awesome niftiness (tell me you saw this coming)

This post by @papa-pepper is an excellent demonstration of brand symmetry - it's got the signature logo and a theme tying in directly with the username! https://steemit.com/contest/@papa-pepper/and-the-winner-is-the-super-hot-pepper-challenge-from-papa-pepper

I also like how @mindhunter has incorporated the use of signature logos into his posts: https://steemit.com/steemit/@mindhunter/the-mindhunter-s-steemit-pearls-of-wisdom-my-lucky-7-pearls

Want to shamelessly promote your own posts? Go for it! If you have posted something that has a strong thematic connection with your username or shows use of an excellent signature, put a link in the comments (plus an explanation if it's not obvious). I'll pick a few favorites and edit them into this post as a shining example to hold up to the masses. As an incentive, if I decide to highlight your post, you'll get 1 Steem Dollar as a prize!

For more posts about cryptocurrency, finance, travels in Japan, and my journey to escape corporate slavery, please follow me: @cryptomancer

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Image credits: all images in this post are made from combinations of graphics from Pixabay used under Creative Commons CC0 .

The Ethereum logo in the 2nd image is from a screenshot of the Windows desktop icon for the Ethereum Wallet software. It's the original creation of the Ethereum Foundation and used here in accordance with these public branding guidelines: https://www.ethereum.org/brand