Blog Branding

At this point I think it is safe to say that we are all aware of the importance of maintaining a personal blog. In some arenas it has even become a necessity. Since blogs, more specifically being a blogger, has grown in popularity, it has also become a necessity to distinguish your blog from the millions of others in the world. Now, we not only have to focus on branding ourselves professionally, but how to brand our blogs as well. Luckily, I stumbled upon an article that inspired me and gave three short tips to keep in mind, and keep you focused, when developing your blog and its brand.

1. Identify what you want to be known for. As opposed to choosing an arbitrary topic to center your blog around, think about what you want people to say about your blog. Do you want your blog to be known for being informative? Comical? It’s important to pinpoint your blog’s purpose so that every post is a step towards accomplishing that goal. 
2. Be what you want to be known for...consistently. This may sound like a simple concept, but it does take some practice. Keep the brand that you want to portray in mind when doing anything related to your blog. From writing a post to sending a tweet, it’s important to “stay in character,” so to speak. You don’t want to contradict the brand you are trying to create.
3. Monitor and participate in conversations about you. The author of this article simplifies branding as what people say about you when you’re not in the room. So, find out what people are saying about your blog when you’re not in the room. While some reviews may not be so easy to hear, the purpose of researching people’s opinions is not to defend your blog to the death. Instead, enter into it with a “genuine desire to listen and connect.” You may discover something that can be improved.

What is most important to remember is that your brand should be an extension of yourself, and your blog an extension of your brand. If you stay true to who you are then you, your brand, and your blog may be imitated, but can never be duplicated.