Every day I check Google Analytics to see if this amateurish blog has had some action. I then check Twitter to see if I have any replies to my posts there, FriendFeed to see if there are any comments to the things I share. And all that action doesn’t even include checking my Facebook and Gmail – because I’m usually caught up there thanks to the Blackberry.

So why is any of that important?

It’s important because, even for someone who does all this for fun, I participate in my own market research. I learn who is following me, tweeting with me, commenting on my FriendFeed – and I adapt my behavior as needed. In essence, I’m learning what it’s like to be a brand. Now, my brand doesn’t even register to most people – but the actions I take is illustrative of the power that Social Media (in all its forms) has.

Branding is important. In my day job, I see the successes and failures of proper utilization of brand messaging. But what was once resigned to firms, well-educated groups with M.B.A.’s in marketing are now available to anyone interesting enough to attract an audience or smart enough to find a niche. With the internet, you can determine the strength of your brand.

As for creating a brand, I have failed. As an avid blogger for years, I’ve bounced back and forth between blogs – changing names, blog titles, subject matter, etc far more times than I’d like to admit. I have established a moniker, a domain name, even a voice that would allow for me to achieve any sort of resonance in the crowded online world. In many ways, that’s exactly where I would like to be. I like to keep my blog personal – private without having to block people out. My failure at branding has kept me – for the most part – exactly where I would like to be. Yet, recognizing this tool, I regret not having a domain name, a voice, a place where I can be heard to people that will give me their unfettered opinions. Perhaps it’s time for my brand to evolve. Only I can really determine that, and that’s something that I will be thinking about a lot.

From a career standpoint, I get frustrated daily that my company is not utilizing the tools on the web in a productive manner. When I watch companies like Zappos do what they do (with blogs, twitter, viral marketing, etc) – I get steamed that we haven’t created the infrastructure to be successful doing that. As the power to shape personal brands have trickled down to the common person, so has the power to shape national and worldwide brands. Bloggers have helped create/destroy companies. They attack/applaud every chance they get. As the younger, more tech-savvy generations grow up – this power will only be magnified.

As I work on my personal brand, I think I have to decide what my career brand will also be. I find myself very passionate about the evolving landscape of social media. The company I work for – reluctant participants. This disjunction is still trivial now – but will it be in the future?