DandyID has just launched ClaimMyName, which is a new service that allows you to claim your name across a bunch of different social services. This “makes it easy for brand-conscious individuals and organizations to protect themselves by registering their custom URLs across hundreds of social networking and social media sites.”  The service was launched in response to the fact that “several brand-conscious professionals and corporations (i.e. not just hardcore social media enthusiasts)” have chosen DandyID as their platform of choice for managing their brand online. These are established brands that have been forced into the social media space by the changing nature of marketing.

I think this is an awesome tool for a company or individual that is planning to engage in social media. It provides you a starting point to not only sign up on most of the top social services, but makes sure you grab your preferred name. Your identity is important and having the right username is a vital part of that identity. It makes it easy for those interested in what you have to offer to find you. ClaimMyName offers a Starter Pack which covers 20 services of your choice. You can also opt for the Pro Pack, which grabs your name on 300 different services.

The Starter Pack will run you $79.99 and the Pro Pack is available for  $699.99. As far as the cost, I have to agree with Louis Gray and Seth Godin. Free is the future. Most of us expect services to be free, so even that $79.99 looks a little high. I think DandyID makes a valid point in mentioning that this service is actually aimed at established brands. If your name is already known, it’s probably worth the money to snatch it up in as many places as possible. Even for a small business or individual, the $79.99 could be well worth the money to avoid having to go through the sign-up process for 20 different services.  I know I could probably sign up for 20 services in a matter of minutes, but I don’t think I’m your average case.

As RWW points out, Bill Clinton found out the hard way that owning your name is imperative as  williamclinton.com, williamjclinton.com and presidentbillclinton.com all forward you to the Republican National Committee’s website. If you’re not all that famous, using ClaimMyId could be seen as simply wasting space on a bunch of social networks that you never plan to use. It may not bother you, but users of social media tend to take offense. I appreciate what DandyID has created here and I think it will help many brands jump into social media feet first. On the other hand, if you don’t have the time to actually sign up for a service, you probably won’t have time to participate either.