Blogs are something we all read on a regular basis, but how many of you actually use them to brand yourselves? There is nothing wrong with just reading them for news or entertainment, but why not take it a step further and leverage them to brand yourself?
Commenting
When you are reading blogs and you read something that you could potentially comment on, make sure you do so. You can disagree with the blog post, agree with it or even extend on the content, either way you should have something valuable to say or add. By doing this more people will get to know you and you’ll start building up your brand on the web.
If you have a website or a blog this tactic can be more effective because others that read your comments tend to click through to your website. If you don’t have a blog or website this should not stop you from commenting because you can easily create a user profile on sites like MyBlogLog and link your comments to that. This way if someone likes your comment they can visit your MyBlogLog profile and contact you through there.
Blogging
Another way to brand yourself through blogs is to create your own. If you already have your own blog you are ahead of the game, but if you don’t you may want to check out WordPress or Movable Type. Once you have your blog setup and you are ready to go here is what you should do to brand yourself:
- Start blogging on what you are very familiar with. If you are an expert on cars and if you want to brand yourself as a car expert than you should be blogging about cars.
- Participate in the major conversations that go on in your industry. When you chime in don’t just repeat what everyone else is saying, but add to it and give a unique perspective. I know this can be difficult to do, but as they say “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
- Blogging isn’t like writing for newspapers; you can be quite a bit more opinionated. Take a stance and also take calculated risks because it will draw more hype compared to being wishy-washy about a topic.
When doing these three things keep in mind that you need to provide some sort of benefit to whoever is reading your content. If you can help them by providing in-depth information that they can use then you will brand yourself as an expert. If you just provide the same repetitive information that everyone else is providing then you will be seen as just another Average Joe.
Conclusion
Leveraging blogs isn’t the quickest way to brand yourself but it is very effective. If you comment on blogs as well as write on your own blog you can brand yourself throughout the web as an expert. After a while you will notice that offline media will start picking you up. The key is to be persistent and patient because you won’t see great results in a few weeks; it takes months if not a year or two.
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Matt, thanks for the kind words.
Great stuff Neil. It’s nice to see someone focus on these topics in a straight-forward way. Keep it coming!
Last night I listened to the podcast StartupNation. They were interviewing the founder of farmersonly.com. In the interview he was asked how got the sight to rapidly grow in popularity. Turns out that he used the exact same method you are talking about in this post. Good ol’ PR. Get out there and talk/comment. Excellent Article…Thanks!
I’ve been thinking about this stuff recently too. Many thanks for an interesting and helpful post. Good luck with you new blog. I can assure you that it will go very well. I know, I’ve asked some people on my side of the fence and they know about these things.
Warm regards.
Good stuff! Blogging allows us all to express ourselves and share a piece of ourselves with the world.
Blogging is the most simple way to express personal opinions about something that is interreting us.
But, writing an opinion that can give something new to readers is not an easy thing…
That’s the real question…I think!
There’s thousand of blogs that are saying similar thing about same news…so “don’t just repeat what everyone else is saying, but add to it and give a unique perspective”
One great aspect of blogging is that you can essentially manage your own PR campaign by writing content for others in the form of guest posts.
It’s an effective and simple way to get “linked-in” to a certain community online and really reach a large audience.
The best blog template by far. Great job.
If you’re in the land of free-agent nation, then you’ll understand what Tom Peters said about Brand-YOU! Sooner or later, you will see a human exchange, where people will price you based on your BRAND value. Something like how a stock exchange reflects the price of a Company’s shares. Branding is without doubt important… this post reinforces that fact!
I just discovered your blog today. What a great resource!
Thanks for all the advice. It was very helpful!
Just found your blog via Shoe’s blog
I’d say be opinionated but be opinionated with a backbone. Be ready and prepared to defend your position or obliterate your opposition. If you toss out an opinion just to fire up a crowd but then either ignore counter arguments or respond with weak, indefensible replies, you’re going to lose credibility, big time.
Also its good to be opinionated but before you get too carried away (like me), its not a bad idea to decide who your target readers will be. If your readers are SEO bloggers, chances are they’re anti Google and pro result manipulation (its true…). If your readers are webmasters looking for SEO help, they’re less interested in your opinions on paid links than your ideas about how to get rid of duplicate content, for example.
Figure out what kind of readers you are going to attract, and shape your blog posts/comments around that.
Neil, I have to congratulate you on your new blog and your own branding success.
That’s some good information there Neil. I have a question. What are some good ways to get contest and promotions running for a blog or web site? For example Tyler Cruz tried a to promote a contest for one of sites but had some problems getting traction behind it. So I guess the real question is what do you think the best ways to get traction behind a web site? Other than what you stated in this post.
Could not agree with you more Neil. Blogs are such an easy way to have a crack at creating a name for yourself in your chosen field. Particularly when you reside in a small country where your expertise is a little too far ahead of its time to get local media attention.
Keep up the good work……thanks for the link shoe
Found you on shoemoney… I really like this article and agree 100%. I have recently started my blog related to my professional experience managing successful internet sales departments in the automotive industry. I am looking forward to reading your work.
Myron, if you are going to do a promotion or a contest make sure you leverage social media sites like Digg, Del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon. These sites can drive thousands of visitors in a very short period of time.
Hi Neil,
I have one question in my mind, is copy past data is allowed in the blog or it will affect our blog. I hope u will help me, Plz email me
Sudhir, can you please clarify. I am not sure what you mean by “is copy past data is allowed in the blog”.
Neil, I think Sudhir means “copy paste data”
Love this post. I’ve been telling all my friends to hurry up and snatch their domain names and start blogging.
I wish when we were your age, we had the foresight to do all the things you’re doing. Peace!
Jon
author of “The Rough Guide to Blogging.”
What a good site upon blog information. But I want add some information about health. Many years ago peoples are suffered from hair problems. But now people can use new technology for his hair problem like follicular hair transplant.
Hello neil, its the first time I read your blog and I am loving it. Its definately a wonderfull article.
This was such a quick read but it’s very helpful. I look forward to reading more from you in the near future!
Hi Neil,
Actually I am asking about the posting of some interesting material from other sites is valid or not. If not then please tell me some alternative ways.
Thanks.
Sudhir, I still don’t understand your question. Please feel free to email me at neil@pronetadvertising.com or call me at 562 292 3834 and hopefully I can answer it for you.
Sorry about that.
Very valid article although being an “expert” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The downside of building a brand through blogs and “becoming an expert”; is that most people are not experts… And if you’re not an expert, you then need to become an expert in digesting other peoples content with whom you want to peer with, and that’s an art in itself.
I think that 70% enthusiasm, 25% knowledge and 5% balls of steel is a much more useful combination than trying to blog about what you think you’re good at.
Good post, I tried a strategy where I commented nearly every post I read. The main problem was, that my blog is german, and useless for most people.
The other problem was the lack of time: sometimes I spend the same amount of time writing the comment as reading the post.
Nonetheless I think commenting is very effective in branding and promoting your name and blog.
This is my first time at your website and if you continue to blog more and more useful posts like these, you’ll be one your way to having a very successful site. Looking forward to more tips from you in the future.
Hi Neil,
Just a quick note to applaud your words.
I’m a fellow blogger and I just came across this blog of yours via Maki’s Dosh Dosh links.
Bye for now,
David
Branding is very important and, as you’ve indicated, a unique selling point (USP) is key to building an audience.
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Do you mind elaborating on why you disagree?
Hello Niel, That was a quick read, with simple steps to create one’s own identity in the world of blogosphere. I am sure commenting out in the bogs we read is the one best way to invite more readers, as I am inviting you to my blog now. Thanks in Advance for visiting my page. Thank You. – Anbusivam
No problem! Hopefully the advice will help you succeed in the blogosphere.
Good article but I think it’s a half complete advice, if you brand yourself through a blog you need to market it, otherwise people won’t find it and you’ll be wasting your time.
I’d say, spend 30 % of your available time writing your blog and 70% spreading it around
But doing things like commenting on other blogs will also help with marketing.
Hey Neil.
You mean to say that one must enter blogger’s park.In this park, you can find different beings spreading their different thoughts.
Exactly! If you don’t you will be less likely to succeed.
Neil,
I’m about to launch my first blog, and have been researching how best to go about it. Smashing stuff! Not just this post, but many other related ones. Your my new hero…
Awesome! Hope to see you back here.
Starting to do that now with my new blog. I have developed a few websites that received traffic but I never tried branding myself on the blogs. I am doing it from a perspective of trying to be an expert on the industry to also get some PR/Marketing work.
Awesome! Best of luck with your blogs.
Neil, I agree with you branding is key for any person who is serious about building a strong profile online or off line. And also specializing in a niche is very important in two ways, one you become an authority in your chosen niche provided you stay on top of your game by constantly enriching yourself through reading. Secondly your audience will trust your articles as you will be regarded as an expert in that field.
Definitely agree Neil,
I started a blog a few months ago and also began to visit other blogs in my industry. So far it has really done wonders for bringing awareness to my business. Since I charge nowhere near the typical companies in my industry, I naturally have to spend much less on advertising to pass that savings on to my clients. So blogging is just the type of low cost but highly effective strategy I need to let people know about my service.
Blogging will obviously cost you little to nothing as far as capital goes, but it cost a lot when it comes to time.
Yes, I have learned that very quickly. Notice I am usually up studying and reading and commenting on your blog and others in the wee hours of the morning when everyone else in the house is asleep. This has turned into my predominant blogging time. Time consuming that is for sure, but certainly as I am finding, the time invested will definitely pay off. The main chunk of the time investment for me has been education. I feel like I have crammed 4 years worth of study into 4 months. Blogging and SEO uses a completely different language than finance. Finance is easy, it is black and white. This stuff can make you go nuts because you never can feel like you know everything you need to know. There is always the next big thing that you have to learn.
SEO is super competitive and simply requires you to stay on top of everything.
i agree with it that even if we have not any blog we should comment on other blogs, because it create relationship with other people which might help us in future. i have come to know first time about the site MyBlogLog i will try this service. Thanks for sharing.
It’s all about networking with the right people . Mybloglog is a great way to connect with people you don’t know, so it’s very much worth your time to check it out.
I just read all your blog post and I just knew you from Andrew Warner.
Its a pleasure to meet you Neil and you are really inspired me when it comes to building a business online.
Nothing is impossible, right Neil?
The pleasure is all mine. Yes you are correct, nothing is impossible. Just so long as you’re willing to do what it takes.
What’s amazing to me is that at such a young age the amount of success and influence you’ve had on the internet. Simply amazing. Thanks for an excellent post!
Age has nothing to do with it… It’s about hard work and doing what you love. There are plenty of internet millionaires at the age of 15,16, or sometimes even younger.
I am going through your archives Neil, and it is refreshing to spot your way of thinking shining strong in the early days already. Building up your brand on the internet is of the utmost importance to establishing your authority and ultimately the value of your opinion.
Having a brand is important, but what’s more important for you to understand is that it takes a very long time to build it. Consistency and hard work.
This place is an opportunity to make yourself visible in world of information over load. when you come up with something new people get attracted towards that. this helps to elaborate things to people.
It Mean if I am good in Jokes, Then Should I start blogging about Jokes
Sure, That sounds like it could be great.