Brand identity, part I – And you are special because…?

Which of these kids is doing his own thing?

Topics on popular blogs are cyclical and right now, one of the hottest topics is branding.

Seems easy enough, right?  Well, I have an undergraduate business degree with a Marketing emphasis, an MBA, and worked with some of the top ad agencies in the US and I still can’t define branding with one broad stroke.

What branding means to a blogger

Typically, when people write “branding”, what they mean is brand identity. In a nutshell, brand identity is what you want people to think of when they see your name. In this case, that would be your blog. It’s an extension of you, your personality, your knowledge, your ability to deliver a quality product or service — essentially, all the things that make you different from others in your space.

Find your edge

If you don’t know why you’re different from other bloggers in your category then neither will your readers. Find your edge and promote it.

Maybe you’re more knowledgeable than your peers. So tell us you are, provide supporting evidence, and remind us by sprinkling your expertise throughout your posts. Perhaps you have a great sense of humor; make sure that shines through in everything you write. Or maybe you have inside info, special advice, incredible analogies, or amazing visualizations. In other words, you have to provide value that people can’t get elsewhere.

Regardless of what the edge is, you better have one or figure it out soon. Otherwise, you really are just like everyone else.

We’ll continue this multi-part article tomorrow with first steps to creating a blogger brand identity.

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This entry was posted on 2009/11/03, 1:22 am and is filed under Promoting your site. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

22 Comments

• At 2009.11.03 08:47, Rob said:
  

  As funny as this may sound,less than a year ago I did not even no what a blog was, and now I have one and realize its importance. I look forward to your upcoming post Gabe. Thanks for sharing.

  [Reply]
  • At 2010.07.13 03:41, prom dresses said:
    

    Awesome blog. I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work!

    [Reply]
• At 2009.11.03 09:17, Gabe Young said:
  

  You’ve come a long way but the journey doesn’t really ever end, does it? Keep up your hard work, it’ll pay off.

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.03 10:13, Zeesu said:
  

  when i read your about me page I was impressed.Now when i read ur posts I am impressed further.
  Branding is very imp.I am writing on tech on my main website but i am not so successfull .(in terms of money)
  I have another blog on blogspot,only 6 post.Till now it has generated a lot of revenue.The difference is my second blog is about field which i am expert.
  so expert=brand according to me.

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.03 13:36, Gabe Young said:
  

  Thanks for the compliment!

  For the majority of bloggers, the first few months don’t leave much opportunity to make a lot of money. Instead, I would focus on creating fresh content and building a brand.

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.03 18:40, daydaily.com said:
  

  nice tips bro,
  thanks for sharing

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.04 11:31, Tweets that mention Brand identity, part I – And you are special because…? | Free Blog Help dot Com -- Topsy.com said:
  

  [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dr WordPress, Dave Joseph. Dave Joseph said: RT @pnstlion Brand identity, part I – And you are special because…? http://bit.ly/sqtWl [...]

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.04 12:42, Tekshek said:
  

  Branding is really an important thing to bloggers.you have come up a long way but struggle does not end ever.

  [Reply]
• At 2009.11.05 11:23, Gabe Young said:
  

  Yes, it’s an ongoing process. Check out the last part in this brand identity series Brand identity, part III – Building your brand identity long-term.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.01.29 22:12, Shower Radio Girl said:
  

  Obtaining a Brand Identity takes time unless of course you can spend millions like the big boys to build it. A little tick that I always follow when emailing someone is to prefix my email subject line with my website name. If you do that with every email you send, people soon recognize who the email is from and are constantly reminded of the website.
  Shower Radio Girl´s last blog ..Shower Speaker – Wireless Bathroom Speaker with Dock Transmitter

  [Reply]
• At 2010.05.05 14:34, Sergey said:
  

  Great article, been reading this site for a while now, thanks!

  [Reply]
• At 2010.06.03 11:40, hummingbird feeders said:
  

  As fun as it may seem, beneath than a year ago there is not even what a blog was, and now I accept one and apprehend its importance. I attending advanced to your next column Gabe. Thanks for sharing.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.06.22 14:13, Sudeep Acharya said:
  

  Really good post.
  Sudeep Acharya´s last blog ..How to cartoonize your image using Photoshop

  [Reply]
• At 2010.06.25 09:18, Jude Fren said:
  

  I agree that branding is a very useful thing for bloggers, but unfortunately a brand name registered in USA is not recognized by France or other countries so you will have to register your brand all across the world and it is too expensive.
  Jude Fren´s last blog ..How do I set up an IVA?

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.06 03:53, Randolph said:
  

  Yes branding is useful, but how can you choose the right brand, especially when you are earning from affiliates.
  Randolph´s last blog ..Reengineering Health Care Book Review

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.13 03:02, Mary said:
  

  I think that branding is not so essential for bloggers at the beginning due to the fact that they have first of all to form their site, then to get listed in top SERPs.
  Mary´s last blog ..Why it pays to pay down debt

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.22 17:07, Business Guardian Angels said:
  

  A profile of business or company is a marketing document designed to attract attention and inform potential buyers about its products or services.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.25 02:16, Soap opera spoilers said:
  

  Typically, when people write “branding”, what they mean is brand identity. In a nutshell, brand identity is what you want people to think of when they see your name.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.27 08:03, Spencer said:
  

  I guess branding is a useful feature, but I think that the brand should also contain a word from you niche, for example if you are in finance, it should contain a word from finance.
  Spencer´s last blog ..Bernanke Close To Vest

  [Reply]
• At 2010.07.29 07:20, GoosPoos :: Tech Blog said:
  

  Finding niche is one tough task because not everybody has in-depth knowledge about particular niche. My idea is, select a broad niche while starting and ultimately closing down on one which is your forte. I think niche will find you.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.08.09 18:36, wedding photographers clovis said:
  

  That;s right that branding is really important to bloggers on the beginning because we wanted to created a name and a good reputation. We don’t just wanted to be label to have a bad quality write ups

  [Reply]
• At 2010.08.15 00:01, Toronto Dentist in Etobicoke said:
  

  Wow, I see confusion about branding. I live or die on my client’s perception of my brand.

  Your brand is defined not by a clever logo or slogan, but by the front-line experience of your customers.

  Unfortunately, many organizations spend enormous sums of money in advertising to drive people to an unsatisfactory experience. If a company lacks heart and soul, if the products and services are not compelling, if there is weakness in the structure and organization, then branding efforts will not resonate deeply with anyone.

  Joe
  Toronto Dentist in Etobicoke´s last blog ..Drama Triangle – Victims- Ogres and Rescuers – Drama Queen IV

  [Reply]

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