Branding. It’s a word you’ve probably heard quite a bit about. It is no longer enough to simply throw a blog on the web and write some posts. You need to build a name for yourself. You need to earn your reputation as someone the public can turn to and trust. The reality of the situation is that it is not just your blog that needs a good brand. It’s really all about you.

Simplicity is Key

You’re going to need to start by making sure your site’s domain is short, sweet, and easy to remember. Say, for example, you want to create a site about how much you love cats. Let’s call it Cat Lover. Your domain should be just that – catlover.com. The term “cat lover” is very easy to remember and you will need to use that identifying tag on every single social media site you encounter – from Facebook to Twitter and on. You should be THE cat lover people think of when they think of their own cats.

Stop Making Stuff Up

The world of marketing changes every single day, but our vocabulary is pretty set in stone. Don’t make up a new word to describe an idea or process we should already be familiar with. It may seem catchy to you, but it is confusing to the rest of the community you’re trying to reach. Stick with familiar terminology and try to avoid using buzzwords as much as possible. Otherwise, you’ll simply be remembered as that “odd” site I stumbled upon and not the genuine expert I was hoping to find.

Start Guest Posting

Guest posting is an incredible method for branding yourself and your blog. You’re going to start by going to some of the site owners in your own niche. In this case we’re still talking about cats. Hopefully you’re already a fan of a few cat-related blogs. You’re going to approach those owners and ask if you can write a guest post for your site. Many blog owners are open to guest posts and by writing one of your own you are doing two things. First, you are putting your name out there as an expert in your field. Second, if your lucky you will get a backlink to your own site in the process.

Build a Social Media Presence

Earlier we mentioned making sure you are using the same name across all of your social media sites. Now’s the time to talk about how important it is to have a presence on social media. Did you know that Facebook is currently competing with Google for the top ranking as a search engine? People spend tons and tons of time on social networking sites, talking to friends and searching for information. You need to be where the people are. You need to have professionally designed pages that are active and up-to-date, allowing you to communicate with followers, build a reputation, and send readers back to your site.

Create a Logo

Last, but certainly not least, make sure you have a logo that stands out in the eyes of your viewers. Once you have that logo, make sure you are consistent with the design, fonts, and colors in all of your marketing materials, websites, social media profiles, and even offline items like business cards. People who consistently see your logo will begin to associate it with you.

These are just a handful of the things you should be doing to brand yourself and your blog. Make sure you are taking some time to think about the way you are portraying yourself online. The message you send will make or break your business.

Corinne Dominski is a huge fan of communications and social networking. She also loves using sites like Adecco USA temporary staffing services and online faxing services to make communicating with others just a little bit easier.

Originally posted on October 22, 2011 @ 9:43 am