Joel-Mark-Witt.com

Over the past two weeks I’ve been very focused on what I’m calling my “target 10″ strategy.

I’ve targeted ten people and their blogs to read every day and make thoughtful comments, help promote their stuff, retweet them, etc.

At first it went well. I was able to find some great posts that I could recommend via Twitter and make comments on. But after several days I ran out of content. These folks were simply not posting enough.

So I moved into reading and commenting on some more general blogs. But then something else struck me.

Most of these blogs are very news focused or general in nature. I’m looking for content that’s helpful. Something I can share with my audience that will help them market or build their personal brand online.

After working through this over the past two weeks here are some thoughts and advice to help you market and build your personal brand online.

- Post every day. Or at least post every weekday. It is critical that you pump out consistent content on a regular (daily) schedule.

- Write specific, helpful, how-to style articles. These are much better for people to share with others.

- Help your audience find other useful content online. Be helpful and promote other’s stuff too.

Now go take action.

I like Michael Dell’s advice of failing fast and experimentation. This is a 3 minute video that is worth watching.

I read a book a while ago called Rich Dad Poor Dad. In the book author, Robert Kiyosaki talks about how rich people acquire their wealth.

In his view it is a simple process…

They create, build or buy assets. These are businesses, real estate properties or products that are entities in themselves.

From a business perspective you have the same potential. But there are a lot of bloggers and online creators investing their time and energy into building their personal blog or website.

I think this is a big mistake.

Of course I’m not suggesting that you have no personal presence online (your reading this at my personal blog after all) but it won’t be an asset that you can sell. It’s tied to you as a person.

I made a decision two years ago to build Folk Media as a separate entity and brand rather than Joel Mark Witt. (BTW … I’m not in love with the word *brand*)

Walt Disney did a good job of selling himself as the brand – but it’s probably not the best idea for you. Disney lived in another time and was a very unique guy.

I would suggest that you have a home base online with your name on it. But I’d also suggest that you begin to build an asset separate from yourself. Something that can be sold or licensed to a third party.

Spend today either investing or reinvesting in an asset for your future.

What do you think? Comment below.

*Photo by thinkpanama