Hajj Flemings, a blogging friend and author of “The Brand YU Life”, offered some compelling thoughts on the future of personal branding:
1. Creative Economy – Creativity will be to the information age what manufacturing was to the industrial age. We’re all personal brands and will need to think creatively when developing strategic partnerships and ways to differentiate ourselves.
2. Purpose/Mission – More people will seek opportunities or careers that give them greater satisfaction and match their passions. We may have to set our sights on lower pay, but in exchange, we’ll be aligning our work to the way we’re wired, what we love, and what we were designed to do. Given the same 24-hours, passionate people find out how to get more out of their time and produce higher quality results, than those who are not doing what they love.
3. ‘Personal Branding’ Term Commoditized – The term ‘Personal Branding’ will become more commoditized and genericized. The term has significance and value when understood and properly implemented, but the term itself is already overused and misused.
4. Traditional Journalists Become Commodities – The voice and influence of bloggers and social media experts increase. Traditional newspapers are losing money and have to compete with the new media. Traditional journalists are already integrating social media and beginning to establish their personal brands.
5. Personal Branding Experts Commodization – With the increase of social media gurus, the line between personal branding experts and social media experts is blurring. The personal branding niche will become oversaturated and the cream will rise to the top. Those of us in the personal branding industry will be working harder to cut through the noise.
6. Twitter Relevance Increases – Twitter will gain relevance as a search and primary news source. Business opportunities with strategist business models and usages will continue to be developed.
7. Personal Brands Being Healthy – Being fit spiritually, mentally, and physically is critical. Without good health, all the money and influence in the world means nothing. People will learn to have balance and nourish their lives outside of work.
Related posts:
Work Your Passion: Fit Your Career With Your Personal Brand
Top 10 Trends for 2009 Executive Job Search and Personal Brand Management
Thanks for commenting, Yinka.
It’s going to be interesting to see how things develop this year. Personal branding has become requisite, especially for C-level executives and top business leaders.
The personal branding industry already has a good foothold and is making headway. I think 2009 will be the year that people come to understand the value of branding and what it can do for them.
-Meg
what a great advice, personal branding commoditization is here for real, the tsunami will soon be felt by quack, experts must put in their differentiators not to be drown.