Some of my Twitter friends have recently changed their profile pictures. It was somewhat disconcerting for me because I recognize their posts by their pictures, not their harder-to-see Twitter names. But, it got me thinking about branding—brand visuals or symbols to be exact.

Here are some of my thoughts on the importance of associating symbols or visual image with a brand:

1) Personal Branding. In social media, the first brand association for you is usually your profile picture. What does it say about you?

If you use Twitter primarily as a socially engaging entertainment platform, then having a whimsical, funny or even kooky profile picture makes sense. You want to show this side of your personality and your interests.

However, if your main motivation to be on Twitter is to brand yourself professionally and to grow your Twitter following in your area of expertise, then think critically about what your profile picture is conveying. Say you want to be known as a marketing consultant. If your profile photo is a fuzzy shot of you with a fishing rod, one’s first reaction might be that this person does not do a good job of marketing himself.

Remember that in branding, consistency is key. Changing your photo regularly will make it difficult for your followers to find you in the Twitter stream.

2) Corporate branding. Never a day goes by without me shaking my head about the symbols, pictures or look and feel that companies use to represent their brands. So often they are totally wrong for the image that they are trying to convey.

I have had clients who were enamored with a certain look without regard to whether the look matched their stated brand personality and strategy.

One client wanted all black business cards with red and white accents that had a distinctly macho Las Vegas feel. Only when reminded that their largely female customer base might be put off by this visual machoism did this professional services client back off from the gangster look.

A long-time acquaintance of mine just launched PetAirways, the pet-only airline, and when I went to their website, I literally said, “Yes!” Not only was the logo and tagline spot on (see the graphic), but the entire site was simple, sincere and exuded pet-friendliness.

This is just one of so many examples of companies doing it right with their brand. Based on my knowledge of the Pet Airways founders, I’m sure they are living their brand and delivering on its promise.

Visual branding can confuse your audience if done poorly, but when done right, it reaffirms everything we want to believe about a brand. What are your favorite brand symbols and why do you think they work?

Myth #1: Social media and personal branding are synonymous.

It’s true that social media can amplify your personal brand quickly. But, whether it does it effectively is dependent on your decisions about the value you want your brand to deliver. For instance, are you trying to entertain or are you trying to educate about your area of expertise?

Personal branding also works offline, and has for years—it’s just that people didn’t call it that back then. A brand is a reputation. So make sure you act in accordance with how you want your brand to be perceived—in person or on the web.

Myth #2: Personal branding is about how you look and what you wear.

Wearing a power suit might send cues that you are a professional. But, if you are not smart and competent, you’ll soon be known as an “empty suit.” Looking the part can help with first impressions, but you need to deliver on the brand promise of value. Better than buying a new suit would be developing a unique skill set or deepening your professional experience.

Myth #3: The more people who follow or friend you, the stronger your personal brand.

Certainly numbers can help. But what’s more important is having the right friends with whom you have a real connection. A small number of strong relationships with the right people will always trump a mass of people who don’t really know or care about you. When I recommend people, it’s people who I like, know and trust.

Myth #4: Ubiquity builds a strong personal brand.

You don’t have to be on every social media platform. You don’t have to tweet 20 times a day. Be generous with your ideas, your expertise and your support of the community. But, don’t post just to post. It’s fine to let people know what you are doing (so birds of a feather can flock together), and to show some of your personality. Just don’t clog the system with mindless blather. On a regular basis, post something of unique value that adds credibility to your brand.