May | 30 | 2007

You Are A Brand (Part 1 of 2)

Posted by Benj as Opinion, Writing

If you’re a blogger whose main objective is to achieve a certain level of popularity and celebrity status, it is imperative that you view yourself (and your blog) as a brand. Just like in any field, clients and customers will go to the institutions and venues that would cater to their needs. This will be the case whether you’re blogging for stature, monetary considerations or a combination of both. This is true for almost every blog out there. Whether you’re featuring political articles, culture-related writeups or even just personal experiences and day-to-day life, it is important that you consider your target audience and your current audience.

There are two sides to the schools of thought when it comes to successful blogging. One side is more focused on the content part while the other side is more concerned with the behind-the-scenes machinations of SEO and similar strategies. Since SEO articles are dime a dozen on this blog, let me focus on the more visible and arguably achievable aspect - the content. People visit your site because of the following reasons:

They like your content. You blog about things that fall within the scheme of their interests.
They admire the way you write. Even if some of the things you write about alienate certain people, your writing style makes up for it by still making the topic palatable to all people regardless of background.
You have built a viable and vibrant community. The battle now is who can build a better and stronger online community. Blogs are no longer a personal diary - they’ve become an ongoing conversation between the author and the readers. This interaction can be a point of attraction as well even if it has nothing to do with the actual blog posts.
SEO wizardry

It doesn’t take a genius to see that a blog IS a product. It is more than just your thoughts and your ideas - it is your platform in making business over the internet. Now that we’ve discussed the principles of getting readers, part 2 will feature the nuances and strategies to keep readers coming back for more.

One Response

Alex
01|Jun|2007

Brand management is all about knowing your target market and being able to interface with them the best way you can. In case of blogs, your market’s your readership. IMHO, everything should be geared towards relationship building with them. And that entails a lot. From design to content to feedback to discussions. I agree with you in community building. It’s one of the ways you can really reach out to your audience.

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