This post is based on Episode 206 of the ProBlogger podcast.
So you start a new blog. It could be the first, or it could be one that you set up to try something new. And you are in the process of buying the domain name for it.
But now feel free because you still haven’t decided whether your new blog should have a personal brand or a business brand.
Sound familiar?
Even if you already have the domain name, you may be wondering which route to go. Just because you have a business related URL doesn’t mean you can’t personalize it and vice versa.
This week I want to talk about some of your branding options so that you can decide how best to brand Your Blog.
Get personal
Let’s start with the personal brand. Everything here revolves around the blogger. The URL is often their name (or a variation of it), and the content pretty much focuses on what they’re thinking or doing.
Here are some of the benefits of using a personal brand on your blog.
1. It gives you more flexibility
If you’ve started blogging about bird photography and now (or want to) talk about parenting, having a personal brand gives you the freedom to do so.
2. It’s a great way to sell yourself
If one of your goals is to become a professional speaker, writer, artist, consultant, coach, or whatever, creating a personal brand is perfect because for each of these professions you are essentially selling yourself.
3. It helps you become known as an authority
If you want to be seen as an expert, authority, or thought leader in your niche, having a personal branded blog that includes your face, ideas, and appearances in podcasts and videos is sure to help.
4. It helps you connect with your audience
People do business with those they know, like, and trust. Having a personal branded blog gives you an opportunity to create a personal connection, especially when using media like podcasts and live video.
Why not brand all of their blogs this way? Well, there are some downsides too.
1. It doesn’t explain what your blog is about
Most people who see our domain name problogger.com immediately assume that it has something to do with blogging. But if I had used darrenrowse.com instead they probably would have no idea unless they either knew me personally or were visiting the website. Using your personal name as a URL makes it difficult for users to associate your name with what you are blogging about.
2. It makes selling your business difficult
When you create a brand that is all about you, it becomes a lot harder to sell your blog later. The new owners want a blog that they can use right away instead of having to de-personalize it first. If I set up ProBlogger with darrenrowse.com as a url, I doubt I could ever sell it – especially if someone else already owned the url of problogger.com.
3. It makes it harder to scale your blog
When you create a blog that is all about you, your audience expects all of the content to come from you. How can anyone still write about something? you are think or feel? So you either have to keep writing all the content yourself or face the potential backlash if you bring in other writers.
4. It puts you in the spotlight
Being the center of attention can be great. But it also means that you are the person everyone points their finger at when things go wrong. You have to fix the problem and take the blame. And depending on what happened, it could be difficult to deal with.
On the business
Now let’s talk about business brands. Here everything revolves around the company and / or the product or service. The URL is usually the name of the company, product, or service, and the content is focused on what the company does or sells.
Here are some of the benefits of using a corporate brand on your blog.
1. It makes it easy to scale your business
People generally understand that companies typically have more than one person working for them. That means you can grow your blog by bringing in other content creators without annoying your audience. You can add her to the team or use her as a guest blogger.
2. It makes selling your business easier
Having a blog that isn’t tied to a specific person makes it much more attractive to potential buyers. They know they can use it right out of the box without making too many changes. They may even be able to use the same contributors that you used.
3. It explains what your blog is about
When people see the names of my blogs (ProBlogger and Digital Photography School) they immediately get an idea of what they are about and who they are for. (It can also improve your SEO slightly.)
4. It can keep you out of the spotlight
While ProBlogger is technically a business brand, I tend to bet pretty heavily on it. My photo is on the homepage and I create a lot of the content. But with digital photography, I’m not very present at all and can stay out of the spotlight.
Of course, setting up your blog with a corporate brand also has some downsides.
1. It makes panning difficult for you
Once you’ve branded your blog around a specific niche, it will be difficult for you to narrow down / expand / change that niche as a result. You may need to completely rename your blog or start a second one.
2. It can get harder to connect with your readers
Many readers who come to digital photography school assume that we have an actual school they can attend. They don’t expect people to be on the site to help them learn about photography. Having a personal brand makes it easier to connect with your readers.
The best from both worlds
Nothing prevents you from creating a business brand that is completely personal. I did that with ProBlogger. Despite being a business brand, I’ve made it very personal, which helps me make personal connections with my readers.
That means, of course, that people ask, where’s Darren when I’ve been away for a while? But it also allows me to bring other voices to the blog. We have written a lot of posts from other people and there are hardly any setbacks as long as the content is good.
What will you choose
Hope this post has helped you decide how to brand your blog, whether it’s your first, your next, or a blog redesign.
So what did you decide? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Fachry Zella Devandra on Unsplash
