Blog Duck - Blogging Tips & Ideas

First off, I would like to start off with an introduction. Most of you know me as “Enkay” from Enkay Blog and this is my first guest post for BlogDuck. I really hope you visit soon because theres a lot more great posts coming soon!

On a daily basis when you find some time to sit on your computer, you may find yourself browsing over to some of your favorite blogs. Without realizing it, the only reason you are able to remember them is because of the way some image from their blog has settled in your mind. For example, if I show you the image of a bunch of cows grazing a pasture, its pretty obvious that you’re thinking about the crazy cows from JohnCow or if I show you the picture of a man wearing glasses holding a check under his eyes, your first guess will most likely be ShoeMoney. So whats so special about these images? Well, its all part of successful branding. Every blog needs to be able to brand itself to stand apart from the crowd because thats the only way to gain recognition in the blogosphere. So, how do you successfully brand yourself? Lets take a look:

1. You - The best way to brand yourself is by posting up a picture of yourself somewhere on the blog. Look at Ms. Danielle for instance, you go to her blog and you see a picture of her at the top. On the contrary, you pretty much know exactly what John Chow looks like too. Its all about how people remember you. When they see your picture and if they happen to like your blog, they will remember your blog mainly because of your picture. Having a picture of yourself is great but its all about how you make use of that picture, meaning, don’t create albums of yourself, rather put up a picture of yourself in the “About” section of your blog.

2. Graphic Characters - There are several cartoon characters being used to represent bloggers such as the flamboyantly dressed Rich Jerk or our own Brian Aldrich’s ThePrizeBlog character. These are also successful ways to brand your blog specially if the character is well designed and can be told apart easily. One more blogger to add to that list would be ZacJohnson who is known as the “super affiliate” so its all upto the way you present your character.

3. Style of Writing - You may have a particular writing style that sets you apart from others. Whether its comical or the way you present your information. The way you present your content affects the way people perceive your blog and if they like the comical aspect of it, they will surely come back for a good laugh. On the other hand, if you present your content as if its the “news” then people are more likely to go elsewhere because you can get news anywhere! Information doesn’t have to be bland, you have to use your style to set it apart from the rest

4. Blog Title - They say that its all in name and its true! The name of your blog makes a big difference. The easier it is to remember, the better it is for your readers! You will have more frequent visitors if your blog title is catchy and more importantly, easy to remember. The last thing people want is a blog url that is longer than the line at the nearest USPS office at lunch time. You need to have a blog name that is easy to recognize and, if possible, has a connection with the type of content you present.

Hopefully now you may know a little bit more about how you can help your blog gain celebrity status by creating a brand that sets it apart from the other blogs in the blogosphere! So what are you waiting for? Lets see those tips go into effect!