Either by intention or by default, branding starts during the design and strategy stage of creating a new blog. That’s when the blogger chooses the niche (subject matter and keywords) and lays the foundation for what kind of a blog they intend to create, selects a url, blog title and blog tagline that reflect the intended “brand”. Thereafter, branding begins to shift as a reader community develops and grows.
Ultimately, the blogger and the reader community become co-creators of an ever evolving brand.
Flexibility
A blog’s brand is never set in stone unless the blogger is rigid and inflexible. The result of rigidity and inflexibility is a declining readership, rather than one that’s growing. The better blogger accommodates for changes in direction, increases and decreases in emphasis, and becomes more successful by observing and celebrating the fact that he or she and his or her readers are co-creators of an ever evolving brand.
How branding evolves on the blog
(1) The better blogger is continually aware of what the trending topics reflected in the most popular posts on his or her blog. Conversely, he or she is likewise aware which posts do not receive many comments and show no evidence of growth in popularity. His or her observations lead to the creation of new posts on trending topics.
(2) The better blogger is vigilant when it comes to discerning changes in direction(s) occurring in the discussion on their posts as presented in the reader’s comments. Their observations lead to the creation of new posts reflecting directional changes based on reader interest.
(3) The better blogger is vigilant when it comes to taking note of meaningful comments indicating a need to create new posts reflecting related subject matter based on reader interest.
(4) The better blogger is also vigilant when it comes to noting the search terms readers are typing into search engines that result in them visiting his or her blog. Creating new posts reflecting frequently used search terms flows from such observations.
Beyond the blog
* Normally the definition of blog niche is limited to the intent to make money from marketing in specific subject area. In this post I use that same term to reflect a groups of blogs targeted at the same subject matter eg. parenting, movies, food, dating, blogging tips, etc.
(1) The better blogger subscribes to the RSS feeds of the blogs of several leading bloggers in his or her own niche as well as to newsletters and ezines that reveal trending topics. These may provide inspiration for creating new blog posts which may affect change in the better blogger’s blog’s brand.
(2) The better blogger garners information and news from networking in social networks and in social media that may likewise provide inspiration for creating new posts, which may affect change in the better blogger’s blog’s brand.
(3) The better blogger is always aware of what what’s being said on the topics he or she blogs on found on similar sites, whether or not they are blogs of leading bloggers, or bloggers on their way up in search engine rankings.
Adjustments to make
Over time as a their blog’s brand evolves the better blogger updates his or her keywords in their blog description found on their About Page, and in their blog descriptions posted on Profile Pages at the the social networking and social media sites they are members of.
This blog began as a wordpress.com blogging tips and blogging tools blog. It expanded to include free resources for wordpress.com bloggers. It expanded again to include blogging tools reviews for bloggers on all blogging platforms. Then it expanded yet again to provide tips, tools, resources, and tutorials for bloggers on all blogging platforms, as well as, SEO advice. With each expansion the tagline and the blog description was updated to reflect the evolving brand.
Dedication
This post is dedicated to Pierre who has a cool blog with an evolving brand titled Warfare – The Delightful and Dreary Sides of Gay Life
References
The difference between marketing, PR, advertising and branding (pic)
Twitter Introduces New Personal Branding Tool: Lists
Related posts found in this blog:
How to form blog centered relationships
Encouraging blog readers to comment
Blogging: Learning SEO is worth the effort
Blog It! Writing Ideas Checklist
SBA
November 21, 2009
Well said — very useful advice that opens up your perspective and takes you beyond the header logo and favicon! You pointed this out to me last year when I wondered why my readers on blogspot were mostly bloggers. Originally I envisioned having design customers as primary visitors. I realized my blog had evolved with the readership dialog, questions and feedback. Naturally today’s posts are nothing like the first ones. Naturally my tag line, categories and various ‘about me’ profile in social networks had to change. Thanks for putting this down in such a matter of fact way, because it is. The only hard nut to crack is the choice of url names… if you box yourself in, then there could be a disconnect a couple of years later.
timethief
November 22, 2009
@SBA
Thank you for reading and commenting. You’re right about the url choice. It could “box” one in.
Nita
November 24, 2009
This is an excellent post TT. Some of these things came naturally to me as I have the background in journalism. At work we were always required to keep our nose to the ground, sniff around for the latest, and write about that. We were always required to be focused on the topic, and also be very aware of feedback. This helped me a lot in blogging. My older blog changed too, as I found what readers really liked and got excited about. My new blog is different, but already in the space of 3 months, I have changed the title and am trying to keep up with what is “hot.”
In your post you have summed up everything neatly. It will be very useful to any newbie and in fact there were some points here which I found useful too. On the beyond the blog section.
timethief
November 24, 2009
@Nita
I appreciate you feedback very much. I have observed many blogs where the blogger has failed to update their Profile information and incorporate new material in their blog descriptions, or they have done that on their blogs but have failed to follow through in their social network profiles.
NITYIN
November 24, 2009
I must say TT your blog has really been an eye opener for me. Once through the initial phase of trying hands on blogging and now digging for serious readers, your insights have really been helpful. I am now molding my blog as per your suggestions and this has really starting yielding results. From a domain name of my own have now taken up a more search friendly domain, am doing the content changes and SEO as mentioned in your previous articles.
A suggestion, you must publish your articles as E-book.
timethief
November 24, 2009
@Nityin
Hello there. It’s good to hear from you and of course, positive feedback is always the best kind to hear. Without doubt my approach to blogging has evolved as I have learned. In keeping with my blogging goal I pass on what I learn almost immediately after I learn it.
When it comes to ebooks there are so many bloggers creating them only to find:
(1) they cannot sell them;
(2) and the information contained can be superseded within days of publishing.
In addition creating newsletters has also become a vogue means of “sharing valuable content to readers”. I’m not inclined to do that for these reasons:
(1) IMO “sharing valuable content with readers” is what posts are for;
(2) I read so many blogs that I don’t have the time or inclination to read newsletters as well;
(3) and I strongly dislike the pop-up ads that are used for newsletter subscriptions and ebook downloads.
Having said all that I do appreciate the terrific compliment you paid me by making your ebook suggestion. :)
thebooreport
December 28, 2009
Hi timethief. I really appreciate what you’ve written to help other up-and-coming bloggers figure things out. My own blog is less than a week old and I was wondering if you could take a quick looksee whenever you can spare the time and tell me what it is I might be doing right or wrong.
I acknowledge that you’re probably very busy and must have requests such as mine very often so if you can’t that’s quite alright. Thanks for the tips I’ve been reading so far anyways :)
timethief
December 28, 2009
Hello there. I have briefly visited your blog and cannot see any glaring errors to correct. You seem to be on the right track so blog on! :)
thebooreport
December 28, 2009
Oh that’s great :)
I was a bit worried that my “niche” is a bit too saturated with soo many other news/gossip blogs which are a lot more established than mine is… but I guess I’ll find a way to differentiate myself, if not I’m determined to have fun anyway.
Thanks a bunch for your time.
timethief
December 28, 2009
It’s true that there has been a tsunami of blogs created solely for the purposes of gaining an income in all niches. The make money and news/gossip/entertainment niches are saturated, so you are on the right track when you say you will find a way to differentiate yours from the rest. I also agree that it’s important to enjoy your blogging, because if you don’t, your blog will be among the hundreds of thousands which are abandoned within less than 6 months of their creation date. Best wishes. :)