Jobless by khalilshah on Flickr

Industries are in a period of flux and college grads are facing the worst job market in years (sorry!). Traditional media is failing and the poor economy is forcing companies to re-define themselves. As David Carr puts it, “[The] feeling of age, of a coming sunset, is tough to avoid in all corners of traditional publishing.”

So what can you do? Stay informed.

The rules of the game are changing, so when it comes time for a job search, interview, or a deal with a new client, you have to show that you really know your industry.

It easy to get so overwhelmed with the amount of information out there that you end up shying away from it instead of learning from it. Think of social media as an opportunity to learn rather than an obligation.

I am interested in how independent creative minds can use social media to build communities, brand themselves, and ultimately increase sales. So, I followed leading creative minds on twitter, asked questions, read blogs, wrote blog posts, shared links, and got hired to consult by an independent artist on her web design and social media strategy. If I can do it, then you can too.

If the internet age has proved one thing, it’s that if you don’t keep up, you will be left behind. Progress waits for no one.

Being able to tell a good story is a notably powerful marketing tactic. A compelling narrative is something that people will tell their friends, tweet about, write about, and most importantly: remember.

Lives are a continuous narrative with a series of beginnings, middles, and ends. You can harness this inherent appreciation of story in your own personal social media strategy. When thinking about personal branding and self-promotion, there are a few things you should always keep in mind.

People may trust facts, but they remember stories. The object of a good story is to elicit some sort of emotional response from your viewer. Emotion is closely linked to memory and higher levels of attention. What were you doing on the morning of September 11th, 2001? I bet you remember where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing. People remember stories because they are channels that spread the emotions contained within them.

Your most unique quality is your own personal story. No one lived your life but you. Spend some time thinking about how you got to where you are today. Make a list of a few key events that shape your art. Knowing this story, your story, will help focus your audience’s attention on what is special and different about you. You have competition, so why not promote your most distinguishing quality?

Carrie Underwood (the.diet.starts.monday on Flickr)

Reality shows do this all the time. American Idol’s Carrie Underwood was the country girl from Checotah, OK (population 3500). She used her rags to riches story to appeal emotionally to audiences.  Branding not only helps you focus your attention, it helps your audience relate to you and your work. I don’t advocate choosing a niche or archetype that you can “fit” yourself into. Instead, identify the unique elements of your own narrative and incorporate those into your brand.

The perspective of your story is just as important as the story itself. You can weave a compelling narrative without mimicing the insanely inspirational stories that you see on Oprah or the heart-wrenching clips from Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  In fact, people are fairly cynical about manufactured drama.

By contrast, Dave Barry became one of the most celebrated nationally syndicated humor columnists by collecting and commenting on the absurd extremities of his own life.  He built such a supportive community that he was essentially able to crowdsource his column from the absurdities that other people sent him.  Almost every single item in his annual Holiday Gift Guide was submitted by a reader.