What do you consider the most powerful media?

Newspapers? Nah. Radio? No way. Magazine? Fuhgetaboutit. Television? Nope. The Internet? You know it!

A faster adoption curve is one reason the Internet is king of media. Another – and one that is much more important – is that anyone with access can be a producer and publisher for free. The other media outlets can’t make a claim that is even similar. That’s why blogging, YouTube, and Twitter have all grown incredibly fast. More than 200 million blogs, 50 million-plus Twitter accounts, and hundreds of millions of videos a day viewed on YouTube can’t be wrong. Anyone with access and an idea has a voice and can speak to a global audience – very powerful indeed.

Services such as Twitter, YouTube and Blogger have made it easy, oh soooo easy to get started. There’s no money required, no software to buy. Just start typing and you are out there.

That low barrier to entry can create some problems, however. I’ve seen it over and over again. Write some blog posts, add some iPhone pictures, follow a multitude of Twitter profiles, try to make some money, add Google AdSense, add banner ads, review a product, run a contest, open an affiliate e-commerce storefront, and then DISAPPOINTMENT.

Web traffic and Twitter followers can fit in your backyard. AdSense and banner clicks are exceeded by the number of times the kids ask for a toy they see on TV. Business inquires are selling snake oil or doing CPA deals.

All the while a select few blogging friends are kicking it and living large! They are speaking at conferences, getting invited to parties, receiving free products and trips, and seemingly cashing in on their bit of fame.

What’s going on here? You are just as good a writer, have funny stories to tell, and are just as competent with Photoshop as anyone else. And what started out as being fun is now a slog that evokes the recurring question, “Why is no one paying attention to me?”

The answer, as I see it, is rather straightforward. Those enjoying success are treating their work as if they are managing a BRAND. They have selected a niche. There is a consistent tone to their work. They choose partners carefully. They recognize how much competition there is, so they stay focused with their efforts. They show up regularly. And they take appropriate risks.

They recognize that everything they do adds to or subtracts from the brand they are creating. For some, that brand is literally themselves and their persona. For others, it’s an image and name they have created. For both, the objectives are the same. They’ve created an emotional relationship with their readers. They see their brand as an implied promise to deliver a level of focus and quality to their audience that the audience has come to expect and will continue to expect.

Ultimately, an identity is created that resonates with readers, customers, and the community at large. This identity is necessary to build a powerful voice online, succeeding as both a brand manager and a blogger.

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Some basics of branding can be found on About.com. There also are numerous books written about it.