Researcher identifiers help readers find journal articles, books, and a specific author's work. They usually include numbers. These identifiers are separate from platforms, such as academia.edu for example. Using your ORCID iD on publications provides a seamless way for readers to find you confirm what your work is. Many publishers are starting to encourage authors to include personal research identifiers when they submit their work. Other examples of research identifiers include:
Before ORCID was created, some database vendors attempted to identify scholars' specific work and distinguish them from other authors with similar names. These services are now compatible with ORCID but they are useful to know about, especially if you publish in the sciences.
There are several other organizations that ORCID has integrated with. This enables users to simplify their citation tracking.