With a bad economy, more pressure at work and overwhelming competition, investing in yourself and your future is crucial. There are a lot of new trends and tricks that you can take advantage of now. Below are five easy and initial steps you can take to start building your brand today. These will help you control your online identity, protect your future, centralize your digital assets, safeguard your brand from threats and more.

Recently, Google (Google reviews) launched Google Profiles, a feature that enables users to claim their own profiles which are displayed at the bottom of search results when their names are Googled.

To get started, register for a Google account. If you are already using Google documents or Gmail (Gmail reviews), then you have an existing account. Use your full name when you register, so you can get a vanity Google Profile URL.