I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  On its best day, the site is great for social networking, catching up with old friends and spreading awareness about your own personal business ventures and life events.  On its worst day, Facebook is a place for people to overindulge in self-promotion, irrelevant drama and become way too informed about other people’s personal lives.  At the end of the day it’s all about discretion, and one of the things that Mark Zuckerberg has taught me is that there’s one thing people love talking about more than other people: themselves.  Take a look as I poke fun at 10 annoying behaviors that you can find on “The Book.”

by Alexander Cain

Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Apple; these are all brands we are obsessed with on a daily basis and associate with high quality and prestige. All these brands have invested millions of dollars and manpower in order to maintain their status and continue the legacy of their brands. While we face an influx of advertising, there is a brand we are heavily vested in that doesn’t get the attention it deserves: ourselves. Whether we are hanging out at social events or working day-to-day at our jobs, everyday we are building our brand for better or for worse. For those running their own business, the personal brand becomes critical.

While many people like to think they make decisions on pure rationale, at the end of the day many decisions are made on the concept of “fit.” During many job interviews, interviewers often cite someone not being the right fit as the reason for not hiring him or her. For business owners, many customers decide on purchasing a product or service based on the perception of the owner or sales team. Peter Montoya’s book The Brand Called You is often cited as a top-notch book resource for anyone interested in changing how business owners and professionals promote themselves. Despite having a focus for those currently owning a business, there are many lessons any individual can take away from this book.  Montoya explains personal branding in the three parts. Hexplains what exactly is a personal brand, he then gives insight to the three essential pieces of personal brands, and finally, he provides insight on how to bring your brand to life.

(The Network Journal) — Today’s business owners need an affordable way to set themselves apart from their competition. For start-ups, every penny spent on advertising has to count. Without hiring a pricy PR firm, is it possible to get the word out about the new products and services you have to offer without breaking the bank? Of course it is!

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