Going viral is like a tidal wave crashing against the rocks. It flashes quickly and then disappears. Everyone wants to create something that goes viral but where is the value in that? How do you gain anything from going viral? Mr. Marketing Wizard, Mitch Joel of Twist media, says that you have to be your own brand. Everything you do is part of who you are and you are your brand. In this new strange world where privacy has died off and has been replaced by digital transparency, it's hard to know the difference between your real life and your online life. Personal branding creates a transparent life. Depending on your age, your online life is possibly more important to you then your real life. Or more specifically, there is no separation. You are alive and you are online. The issue with this is that you need a story to tell. Everyone is online and everyone is sharing their lives. Without a slightly different story or spin on what you're doing, you'll get lost in the noise. Mitch Joel suggests that we need to create ripples. "Ripples are the powerful conversations that are generated when you share your content....." Sharing content, sharing your life, finding a unique way to share your stories will create ripples across the internet. I don't want to create a tidal wave the goes viral and then disappears, but I am fascinated by the idea of creating ripples. I think I'm going to start referring to them as mini-viral events, small pockets of online movement that spread stories from one place to other. Stand by: the ripples are coming.