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It is essential to have a personal brand and a good online reputation. We live in a connected world where people are online a lot. The majority of jobs are found via networking, and more people than ever before are looking to the internet to find out about prospective employees, clients or services. Because of this, it is essential that your personal brand reflects well on you, as well as on anyone you represent. How can you enhance your personal brand and get the most out of it?

Be visible: Be involved, if you are a business, find forums and blogs related to what you do. Comment on them without pushing yourself. Clients will see you know what you're talking about, and your reputation will increase. If you are looking for a job, be visible in the industry you';re looking in so that potential employers see that you are knowledgeable. Use social media to connect with your peers and people you want to appeal to.

Be real: Have something real to say, and it will be taken seriously. As you gain a reputation for being genuine and informative, people will trust you as a resource and refer you to others. If someone has an opinion or some information you find helpful, pass it along. They will thank you, and you will create trust with people who pay attention to you.

Be patient: If you're on Twitter and don';t get 100 followers overnight, don't worry. Follow people you respect and are using it successfully and see how they make it work. The same goes if you start a website, or a blog, or any other social media site - be patient! Keep working, and don';t be afraid to change tactics if one isn't working.

Be proactive: Even though we are constantly hearing about things 'going viral' and being bombarded with emails of cute kittens and funny videos on YouTube, the truth is very few things 'go viral', or get a lot of attention on the web, without a lot of hard work. Get people involved, build on the contacts you already have. Ask people to forward, submit, retweet and recommend you and your work. If you just throw something on the internet, it will get lost, you have to work hard to keep it afloat and visible.

If you have not cultivated your personal brand yet, start working on it today. If you have already started, work harder. With advances in technology and communication nearly every day, your personal brand is essential to your success!

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