Originally posted on the Personal Branding Blog. 

Brands were originally developed as labels of ownership: name, term, design, symbol (Wikipedia). Branding is the art of developing brands, which sounds simple, but if you have noticed, it’s evolved quite a bit this century.

No longer are we just concerned about product brands, which are items we purchase either for need or luxury. Corporate brands are the embodiment of those product brands, so we tend to care about the total perceived value and reputation of them as well. Oh wait, then you have personal branding (of course), which forces us to consider each individual person who represents a company.

In December of 2007, 20% of the entire world had an Internet connection. That is over 1.3 billion users, which is simply incredible, especially because the growth was over 250%. As advertising dollars and attention is drawn to the Internet, our personal brands are now digitized and in online form, which we consider an eBrand. An eBrand represents the face you want to show to the world online, whether it is a blog, traditional website, existence on a social network, or all three.

In order for organizations to recruit online in this new web 2.0 world, they have to switch gears and provide their own eBrand in the form of an employment brand. Employment branding is complicated for companies, especially Fortune 500 companies.  The companies are used to traditional methods, such as offering jobs through portals.

eBranding is about providing an online experience for potential candidates, employees and everyone else. It is used to attract talent, retain it and shine the entire organization in good light. Smart companies are successful in this area by providing a unique experience, consisting of videos that showcase what it’s like to work there, a Facebook network and group, a Ning network, or a blog written by key members of management.

I would also like to introduce everyone to what I call “social branding.” A social brand is one that thrives and connects through social media and networks. It may be a quick instance, such as a “Tweet” on Twitter, a blog post, or even writing on someone’s wall on Facebook.

Social branding is how you are judged as you hold conversations using social media platforms. It starts with your avatar (which should be a picture of you), and then progresses to the messages you type and your "about" page.

Personal branding takes into account professional branding. Professional branding is how you display yourself in a work setting. We all act somewhat differently when we are at work because there is a corporate culture and you know what you can and cannot get away with based on a few days at work.

For example, startups and marketing/PR firms typically allow you to wear jeans and a dress shirt.  If you work for a Fortune 500 company and are customer-facing, however, it’s required that you wear a suit and tie.

Developing your personal brand will likely involve taking all of these into account.  When you discover your brand, you should be proud of who you are and what value you can contribute to others.