Twice last week controversial rapper Namewee was called in for questioning by the authorities over his YouTube video ‘Nah'.

The first time was with the police and the second time was with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

His case has been commented upon by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, MCA president Chua Soi Lek and Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak, amongst others.

Both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin have also made thinly veiled comments about his case. And all the online news media outlets have reported on this case.

This is publicity money can't buy.

namewee at ttdi police station t thirt message Of course Namewee ( right ) is no stranger to controversy nor to publicity generated through YouTube . He first became a household name in 2007 with his spoof rendition of ‘Negaraku' which became a viral hit across the country.

His current video, in which he rails against racism in colourful language, has been pulled by the rapper himself. But it has already done its job. The publicity generated by the three-minute clip has once again hurled him into the limelight.

Check out his Facebook page.

At the time of writing, it's got 299,636 people who like it. That's not too far from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's page which, at the time of writing, has 346,360 people who like it.

If I were his manager, I'd launch his latest CD now. Or go into the studio and quickly record one if there isn't a new one on hand to release.

Of course you don't have to be as controversial as Namewee to generate publicity and branding for yourself. But his innovative use of new media - blog, social media and multimedia content - is something that everyone can learn from.

Obviously personal branding is most important for those who are in the public spotlight and who can earn more business if people know who they are.

This would include celebrities, artistes, photographers, writers, consultants and freelancers of all kinds. But even 9 to 5 office workers have something to be gained through effective online personal branding.

Nobody sticks to a company for life anymore. Young and ambitious people want to move on up the ladder to bigger and better things. Whether to get headhunted to another company or to get business opportunities to start their own enterprise, personal branding helps.

Get a blog

The best way to get started is by establishing a blog. It's easy to set up and it's free. Through the blog, you get to showcase your knowledge, talents and skill-sets. I'm not talking about the kind of blog where you talk about everyday life unless your life is very interesting. I'm talking about blogs that have central themes like a car blog or a personal finance blog or a beauty blog.

blog and pod casting Whatever work you are involved in, you can write about it and establish the fact that you are an expert or thought leader in that field.

Some might say blogs are passe. I have said publicly that blogs have seen their heyday. They peaked perhaps two or three years ago. But that doesn't mean they aren't relevant. Blogs are particularly good for longer entries.

Social media is primarily about updating your status. These are usually brief. So, if you want to articulate something at length, blogs are a good avenue for that.

Social Media

With Facebook and Twitter generating endless buzz these days, you must have a social media strategy. In one very important way social media is more potent than blogs.

Unlike blogs where the reader has to go to a blog in order to read the latest postings, with social media, the content you post are displayed in your fans' or followers' public timeline. So they don't have to go to your Facebook or Twitter pages. They just log in and your postings will be there for them to see.

earth Of course before that can happen you'll need to get them to like you (in the case of Facebook ) and follow you (in the case of Twitter ). You do that, of course by posting compelling content that is relevant, useful and interesting for your audience. Both are very good tools for sharing.

But stick to your central theme. If your aim is to boost your personal brand, don't post up everything and anything that you come across in your daily life. If you are in the telco industry, post content related to that industry. If you are in publishing, post up content relating to that industry.

Multimedia

Lastly, generate multimedia content, whether in the form of podcasts or online video. Today, this is not very difficult to do. Audio and video recorders are cheap. In fact, most smartphones can record both audio and video. Editing software are plentiful and some are even free. Hosting for podcasts and videos are free too.

The great thing about multimedia content is that they can very easily go viral. If you create something witty that strikes a chord with your target audience, they will share your content with other people in their social network.

Namewee started building up his personal brand while still a student with a non-existent marketing or advertising and promotion budget. He did it all through online means. What are you waiting for?

 OON YEOH's new social media book 'Like Me, Follow Me' has just been published by MPH. You can connect with him via Facebook and Twitter .