Blogs, Branding, and Backing

By Jennie Atkins

In this, the age of rapidly changing technology, the use of social media is becoming mandatory to our success. We need to make our face recognizable to the masses, including what we are trying to sell—which as authors, is NOT our book, but our name!

So in a rush to grow our platform we create a blog, dump information out there that no one will read, just to say “We did it!”  We post repeatedly, covering a multitude of subjects, on Facebook or Twitter just so our face and name appear in the long line with all the other individuals vying for reader’s attention.

 

But I ask you, are we accomplishing anything? Or, are we the chipmunk running as fast as we can on the proverbial spinning wheel called Cyberspace?

I don’t claim to be an expert on branding and there are others out there that can tell you a whole lot more than I can.  But, I have learned a great deal about the concept in the past month while trying to establish my own personal brand.  Branding is a unique combination of our personality and what we are passionate about. It makes us recognizable. It draws our target audience in. 

I am borderline obsessive about gardening and my friends know it—evident by the number of questions they ask me on the subject.  The fact that I am eager to share my knowledge of the subject comes from my personality.  It only seems natural that I expand on that. 

Now that I’ve recognized my niche, I need to build a target audience by using social media (blogs, Facebook, Pinterest) to promote my subject matter.  Remember, it’s all about building a relationship with your reader (or future readers).  We need to let the public see us for who we are.

Branding builds loyalty, it markets your product long before a product exists.  They get to know you on a personal level and soon learn what they can expect from you. It helps you stand out from the other authors in your genre.

So what am I going to do about it?  I am re-working my blog, my website, and what I post on social media to reflect my passion.

Your turn:  What do you blog about?  Have you figured out what your brand is?