When I starting my personal-branding business eight years ago, virtually no one had even heard of personal branding, let alone considered buying some of it—hence a rocky start to an eventually burgeoning business.

But interest in personal branding has grown tremendously, the term has become a part of the careers industry vernacular, and personal-branding consultants have set up shop around the globe. When I launched my company (Reach), there were five other consultants providing personal branding services—and I knew all of them. Now, there are thousands, from New York to New Delhi.

Personal branding is something that every career-minded professional needs to be thinking about—every day, and with everything they do.

And for professionals working in the field of marketing, the bar is higher. Personal branding needs to be part of what you do to manage your career and reach your goals. With the recession growing in severity and marketing budgets being cut, now is the time for you to be thinking about your personal brand—before your name lands on the layoff list.

Here are my predictions for how personal branding will evolve in the coming year.

1. Video as Primary Personal Branding Tool

Read the Full Article