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Isn’t that funny? My best guess is last summer I participated in a Ménage a Blog promo. Other than that, no freakin clue!
ReplyI love branding as a writer, but it’s the content that needs to zing . . . then how to sell one product until the next book comes out . . . and so on and so on. It’s not an easy life. The work must speak for itself. The brand can bend. Great thoughtful post.
ReplyYes, absolutely JBo! Content is king, no doubt. My goal with branding is simply to help people come up with ideas for content — it’s especially helpful if they’re stuck for inspiration. Having go-to words is like a security blanket — you always have something to write about!
The other important factor in discovering one’s keywords, and therefore branding, is when it comes to SEO/SMO and this carries across one’s entire platform. Most authors (including myself when I first started blogging) had no clue about any of this stuff. It’s more common knowledge now which is great. But it becomes increasingly more important when we have books to sell.
xo and great points!
Reply“Once weekly works well to start, twice weekly is also good. Anything more and you risk burnout.”
Wholeheartedly agree with your statement. My gay humour blog is only 1 1/2 years old, but it’s going strong because I stick to an average of 2 posts per week or sometimes 10 – 12 posts per month. I’ve become very firm about that. No one wants to blog about shit, but that’s what you get if you over extend yourself.
I also use WordPress.org.
@JustinBog:
“The brand can bend.” I love that!
ReplyThank you, sweet. I can barely keep up w/ everyday life in general, let alone maintain a daily blog. I have no issues with people who do; but for me, I’ve seen so many people become so stressed by HAVING to blog as opposed to being EXCITED about it. That’s when you know it’s time to back off a bit. My Alexa rating is still good (on RachelintheOC.com — this is a newer blog but still gets a decent rating) and I post 1-2X/week. And yes, having a daily topic is difficult unless you’re doing something every day that merits it. My thoughts, anyway.
I help people manage their writing time — if blogging daily takes away from that, then you need to prioritize. Thanks for visiting!
ReplyI like Justin’s comment! The content must bring people back. You don’t want to post about what everyone else posts on, and your blog must reflect you as well as your brand. You don’t want to dread going to the blog. Great post! Again!
Thanks for sharing! Love the pink Ninja…..
ReplyHa, thanks Barb. Not sure why my mind went to pink ninjas but she is kinda awesome. I see lots of stream-of-consciousness type blogs and often wonder: if these people went to someone else’s blog, would they read this? My next few posts will discuss HOW TO BLOG more specifically (have a beginning, middle and end to your posts, for example) but this is a start. A foundation, if you will. There are also tons of terrific blogs out there which I aspire to. It’s all a great learning experience.
ReplyHey Rachel – great post with some very interesting points. I agree with Barb and Justin. We cannot avoid branding these days, but the quality of the content wins overall. Thanks for sharing:))
ReplyThank you, Jane. People fear branding, but it’s really just a matter of knowing what your focus is more than anything. If you’re a cookbook writer, then write about food, right? If people came to your blog knowing you’re a cookbook writer and see posts about politics in Mexico, that would throw them off (unless perhaps, you’re discussing the difficulty of obtaining a certain ingredient due to political strife — or something). Of course, what I advise people is to be your authentic self and do what comes naturally (because people see through the facade anyway very quickly). When you can achieve that perfect mesh, magic happens.
I hope that makes sense. :))
ReplyOkay, pink ninjas it is. Where do I read that one? I have to add something that you shouldn’t blog about. How miserable you are. Okay, a good rant is fun, and fun to read, too. But, please, no whining. I have a husband, if I want to hear someone whine, I’ll just listen to him.
ReplyFunny, Miss Groovy. I see the dark humor for you, for sure! Yes, there are a lot of rants which CAN be very funny however, when it ends up as whining I agree — enough. People say I ‘rant’ in my Mancode book which is interesting to me, given that it’s satire and not meant to be taken literally. Well, what can you do? Humor isn’t fickle; people are.
Dammit.
ReplyExcellent and much needed advice for newbies and vets alike! Thank you!
re: Social Media, my current experiment is Pinterest. Who knows if it will work or drive readership, but what’s the harm in trying? It not only puts me out there, but I’m MORE than happy to promote others, too! Paying it forward never hurts. 🙂
Excellent attitude, Peach. Promoting others is a terrific way to engage, and Pinterest is a great place to concentrate since many aren’t understanding how to use it promotionally or for business. Focusing on ‘new media’ and learning all the ups and downs also helps you become an expert and go-to person. 🙂
ReplyHow much do I LOVE your writing? As common sense as all this is – few can say it the way you do and persuade people to get on board. ALL great info that bloggers must learn.
The biggest problem I see in many blogs is lack of focus – too many topics /categories.
IMO, it dilutes the brand and makes worthy posts less valuable to the reader.
I do have a monthly agenda, more for me to keep organized than as a calendar for the reader.
Great post,
eden
Thank you, Eden. I agree with you on lack of focus — when I see a header or tagline that says ‘random musings’ I think ‘UH-OH’ because I really want to know what that person has in mind or whether I should make it a point to come back.
I enjoy your blog immensely and often refer clients to it — both for layout (it’s beautiful) and focus. You’re doing an amazing job.
xo
ReplyHa, thanks Toby. Not sure if that’s the case, but I love your support.
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