For Many People Personal Brand Counts Most

By now we've all heard of branding. That particular marketing strategy where companies attempt to make in image of themselves that is easily and consistently reproduced. But being recognizable and reproducible is only one part of the equation. The other half lies in becoming a part of the consumer's lifestyle. Starbucks is more than just a coffee shop, it's a way of life.

Anyone who's read Naomi Kline's No Logo will recall that in the 90's while branding was becoming all the rage in corporate culture, it was being denounced by Gen Xers. Well today that counter-cultural view has shifted. For Gen Y branding is all about finding a way to build a social identity on the web and in the working world. The principles of branding are now used by young professionals to build a Personal Brand, a way to stand out amongst the intense competition of the current job market.

But it doesn't stop there. Working and unemployed professionals, young and old, are building personal brands for themselves through blogs, Twitter, and any number of social media networks. From the kid just out of college to corporate CEOs, personal brand is becoming the way to market a professional identity for oneself in a broadband world.

This trend has taken off so much that it's becoming a business in itself. Today personal brand experts charge top dollar for consultation. There is also a growing number of personal brand resources on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and a seemingly limitless number of blog entries related to the subject. On Twitter, people like @DanShawbel and @YourBrandYou are becoming a popular resource for personal brand information. Facebook hosts this blog's own steadily growing group called The Personal Brand Network, and there is even a Personal Brand Network on the social media site Ning to accompany this blog.

So what are you waiting for? With all these resources constructing your Personal Brand should be no problem!