Originally posted on the Personal Branding Blog.

Everyone starts out as a commodity until they discover their personal brand. A commodity is something that has no differentiating qualities that separate it from others.  This means that you are just like everyone else.

When you're first starting off, it’s very hard to break through. Who is going to link to your site, reach out to you or comment on your blog if you don’t have a legitimate “resume.” I hate using the word resume, but it’s still so commonly known and used that you get the point. The media doesn’t care about no-name brands because there are far too many experts they can already use for sources. Why should they bother with someone who doesn’t work for a high profile company, nor has done something remarkable?

For example, take Jim (I’m using this name as an illustration).

Jim A just graduated from college, and after discovering his brand, he is setting out to become a well-known internet marketer that specializes in providing services to small businesses.

Jim A creates a blog, adding an about page listing internships, his college, some technical skills that he has gathered and his LinkedIn profile. Jim has high hopes and expects a lot of attention to his blog because he feels that he can provide value and that he can turn this value into clients.

Jim A is so confident that he doesn’t reach out to anyone, comment on any blogs, or even tells people that it exists. Jim types his name in Google and views over 290,000 results, of which none are him or his blog. Jim A realizes his mistake and quickly makes use of his beginners toolkit. He is so passionate that he spends the next few months building his eBrand, in hopes that his dreams will come true.

Jim B is the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company

A press release goes out, announcing Jim’s blog to the world, through a few wire services. After his first post explaining who he is (people already know him around the world), the type of content he will write and a podcast interview with Forbes.com, he receives 2,000 subscribers.

Jim B goes to his corporate website and also notices that his blog is linked on the homepage. He starts receiving messages in his inbox from people he has never heard of, all wanting his help.

One asks “could you please get me a job” and another says “can you link to my site.” Jim isn’t worrying about a thing and his PR department has taken the liberty to promote his blog internally and externally. He lays back in his chair and says to himself “Boy, I thought blogging was strenuous.”

Conclusions

This is essentially the idea of a push and pull strategy when you build an eBrand.

Basically, when you're already known, it’s far easier to develop and maintain your brand. If you are an executive for a company, your company will promote you, knowing that you don’t have time to do it yourself.

When you take your brand and place it on the Internet, many people won’t bother with you unless you are unique or hold a high professional status. If you don’t have a name brand, then you have to work VERY HARD, make the right connections, and offer something special.

I started off with nothing and went through “pledging” to build my eBrand online and then teach others how to do it as well. The people who get the attention online already have the attention, just like the people that are on the NY Times best sellers list will just become more popular.

Executives at big brand companies are just going to be more recognized with eBranding. The rest of us need to spend long days building our futures, so that we, too, can have that luxury someday.