This post is part of the Guest Blog Grand Tour over at Life Without Pants – an epic journey of over 75 guest posts. Want to learn more about Matt Cheuvront & see how far the rabbit hole goes? Subscribe to the Life Without Pants RSS feed & follow him on Twitter to keep in touch!

“Personal Branding” has become an idea I wish I could delete from my memory. I get it, really I do – I understand that, especially in this day and age of technological innovation and public communication, we need to consider the things we do and say, and realize that our information is not private online. But we have gotten so caught up in this concept of Personal Branding that it’s starting to take control of our lives.

We’ve become obsessed with maintaining and promoting a positive (personal) brand image – saying the right things, keeping up appearances, being careful not to offend, and dancing around issues. We’re an indoctrinated culture of “personal branders” who are so focused on always being at our best that we lose track of what really matters most – being ourselves – being real and honest with ourselves and each other – speaking what’s really on our mind even if it means we make a mistake from time to time.

I’m 24 years old. To me, at this age, I’m far too young to even consider being “right” all the time. I know I’m not, I know I’m just your average guy who can say stupid things, get frustrated, and retaliate when someone rubs me the wrong way. I’m human – and as far as I know, so are you. That means it should be OK to be vulnerable, OK to be wrong, OK to screw up and say the wrong thing from time to time.

The minute you stop being yourself in favor of being something you’re not in an effort to shape your personal brand is the exact moment that you lost the point of “personal branding” in the first place. There is NO right or wrong in the personal branding world. Your personal brand is YOU – whatever that means, for better or worse, you are who you are and once you embrace that and run with it, everything else will fall into place.

The Internet allows us to share ideas and discuss opinions easier than any generation that has ever preceded us. Use that to your advantage. We have tools at our disposal that no one ever has, so get out there and LEARN something – you don’t have to be perfect, no one expects you to always be on your “A” game, and it’s OK to be wrong and ask questions. Let your Personal Brand evolve and develop around YOU, don’t force yourself to model behavior after a cookie-cutter idea of what people think is “right”.

These are the years in our life where we are supposed to screw up and get things wrong. We go to high school, graduate college, and get thrown into the fire of the “real world” – which, come to find out, college doesn’t really even prepare you for. Do you honestly think you’re supposed to have it all figured out already? Do you really think a mistake here and bad decision there is really going to have a long-term effect on what people think of you forever?

I don’t. I’m open to failure and mistakes because I know they are an inevitable part of growth and success. This realization has allowed me to effectively speak my mind without regret – because at my age, the PR I create for and around myself and my “brand” is a work in progress, not a final product.

What do you think? Are we too young to be worrying about our Personal Brand? Are you as tired of hearing about “personal brands” as I am?

Over the past week or so, I’ve been working on my own “personal brand” design elements. And now I want to know what you think!

Do you like my new logo? My blog design? Twitter background?

I’d love some feedback!

Oh yeah, and if you’re a fan of PRetty Social, I’d love for you to subscribe!

And of course, thanks to all of you who continue to read my blog post after post! It’s much appreciated and I’m hoping to reach a point where I’m blogging a bit more often…so stay tuned for some exciting things to come : )

“Personal branding” is a buzz phrase I hear almost daily. We all know it’s important to have one, especially in a world where jobs can be hard to come by. For those of us who have jobs, building a personal brand is still important — particularly for those of us in an agency environment. After all, I’ve gotten new client referrals based on my own personal brand.

Not only does it help you, but it also helps the company you work for — But how do you build your personal brand?

Here are my top 6 tips for building a personal brand and putting yourself in the social media spotlight:

1. Figure out what you’re trying to accomplish. What’s your mission? When building your personal brand and your social network, you need to have a goal in mind. What do you want to accomplish? Are you hoping to champion a cause? Find a job? Become a thought-leader in your field? Make friends in your community? Your goals can be large or small – it’s just best to really know what they are. So if you aren’t sure, it might be smart to sit down and outline them.

2. Keep all the elements consistent. The internet is a cluttered place, so it’s important to keep your online identity consistent. Register the same user name on all networks you use and own your own domain! If someone loves you on Twitter, make sure you make it easy for them to find you everywhere else too! Once you find your tone, goals, etc. — keep them consistent as well! And if you have the extra cash, consider grabbing your own logo and keep all design elements consistent. Why not treat your personal brand just like a company brand?

3. Be the same online as you are off. Once you decide who you’re going to be online – make sure that’s consistent with who you are in real life! Transparency is equal to trust, and trust is the key to being successful. Think about it: if you’re awesome online and terrible in real life, who really wants to be your friend? Just be who you are – online and off. And when you’re beginning to build your personal brand, keep that in mind.

4. Love what you do. If you’re trying to become “internet famous” then you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Work to become an influencer because you love to enrich lives, teach and empower others, to champion a cause, etc…NOT to get rich. Plus, what’s the point of wasting time doing something you hate? And remember what I said about transparency! It all goes hand-in-hand!

5. Give, give and give some more. IMO, this is the most important tip rule for building your following on social networks! If you’re trying to build your network, give to your followers more than you are looking to receive back. Everyone wants to know “what’s in it for me?” If the answer is “nothing,” then why would they want to follow you? You will be successful in your personal brand by continuing to create value for others. So share interesting links, promote other in your network and continue to give as much as you can!

6. Build and foster relationships. Social networking is all about relationships. I mean, it says it in the name, right? Build a community around you by empowering others and giving as much as you can. Connect to people — in your industry and outside of it. Make friends and stay in touch! And when you can, try to attend tweetups, Social Media Club meetings, conferences, etc. to stay connected and meet some of your social media friends in real life!

Do you have some tips of your own to add? Let’s discuss in the comments section!