Welcome back to class after last week’s vacation. I hope that those of you who attended BlogHer are recovered and those of you who didn’t are recovered. I’m NOT recovered, so forgive me if my voice sounds squeeky, or at least squeekier than normal.
The focus of today’s post is your brand. How your blog looks and how you market it is your brand. Think about brands you see everyday. You can see the “golden arches” and immediately recognize McDonald’s or the red target and know Target (duh.) Your blog should have something similar that makes it easily recognizable.
Consider the following areas when developing and marketing your brand.
1. The name of your blog
Most likely if you’re reading this, your blog already has a name. If not, then try to come up with something unique and memorable. Google the name to be sure nobody else has the same or too similar blog name.
Also, since it’s very easy and FREE to set up a blog through Blogger and WordPress.com, I’d recommend setting up a blog with your blog name with those sites so that no one else can. I have blogs set up at playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren.blogspot.com, playgroups…forchildren.wordpress.com, AND I own this url. In Blogger and WordPress, there is a way to make it so that it’s not found easily by search engines so that people are not accidentally redirected to those dummy sites.
2. A visual association to your blog
My visual branding is the buckethead picture. It’s the picture I use for most everything I do related to my blog. It’s my twitter picture, my favicon, my avatar for StumbleUpon and MyBlogLog…it’s MY BRAND. People recognize the buckethead pic and immediately know it’s me. Those who don’t know the picture will see it and think, “hmm! That’s a funny picture, I’m going to click to find out who that brilliant genius is!”
In all actuality, I have no idea exactly what people really say when they see the picture, but I do get compliments on the picture choice. I purposely chose it because it was unique, funny, and easily recognizable.
3. Your personal nickname when blogging
I use the name “playgroupie” because 1) it’s easily derived from my blog name and 2) it’s unique. With a very common name like Jennifer, I like to use “playgroupie” as my email address, twitter name, etc…
Also whenever I leave comments, I say “Jennifer, Playgroups are no place for children” to distinguish me from the 2,000,000 other mommybloggers named Jennifer. I recommend that if your name is Jennifer, Heather, Deb, Amanda, or something equally as common, you choose a nickname derived from your blog name and/or use your name followed by your blog name.
For example: Deb, Mom of 3 Girls, or Heather, Queen of Shake-Shake, or Burgh Baby
4. Use your blog name or blog nickname as your email address, and put your blog url in your email signature
I mentioned this in number three, but it bears repeating. Everyday I get emails from people whose addresses I don’t recognize and without their blog url in the signature, I’m so confused as to who I’m replying to!
Also, if you’re not using Gmail, *HEAVY SIGH*, you really must get with the program. Gmail is far superior to crappy Yahoo and Hotmail email accounts. With Gmail, you even have the ability to chat with your contacts (which is a great way to be accessible to your adoring fans! 
)
So that’s it! Unique blog name, associated nickname, unique visual representation of your blog, and a Gmail account and you’re on your way to becoming a millionaire blogger!
I wish.
Please leave your thoughts about branding in the comments section. Next week we’ll discuss RSS feeds and learn why partial feeds ARE EVIL.
To read more of my blog tips, go HERE.
Let’s just say, hypothetically, that you had a really stupid name for your blog because when you started it you didn’t think anyone but your mom and husband would look at it. Now, three years later, you know about the blogosphere and want to join in the fun, but your blog name is boring and contains an apostrophe. Now what? Is it too late to change it?
I have thought about making a subtitle like, “Andi’s Exciting Life: ” and then eventually dropping the “Andi’s Exciting Life” part. I don’t know how feeds complicate this or if it even matters if I change the name if I have a minuscule number of readers. Any advice would be appreciated!
As always, thanks so much for taking the time to help us noobs
I never realized exactly how popular of a name ‘Deb’ is until I started blogging, lol. Great advice in this post, as usual. And thank you for the shout-out!
Thanks for the great tips! I love reading this stuff.
Kendrawolfs last blog post..Part 9: Growing Pains
I have unintentionally managed to stick in peoples heads when they see Crocs or Ugg boots. My hatred for these monstrosities is well known and people even BLOG ABOUT IT! I have even had people buy them just to torment me.
Perhaps I should change my avi to vomit covered Crocs?
Kelleys last blog post..Dear ‘Concerned’
@applepiesf: Depending on how established you feel, I think you could easily change your name…your feed could remain the same, as it doesn’t have to change just because you change your blog name.
The idea of using Andi’s exciting life as your tagline is a great idea.
With that said, I don’t think your blog name is a bad one! If you don’t love it, though, you could easily change it.
and precisely why I chose mine
I TOTALLY respond any time someone hollers:
MISFIT!!
xo xo,
Miz.
MizFits last blog post..S.L.A.P. and the Power of Personal Catchphrases.
good tips.
I am trying to figure out what your favicon is a picture of, you said buckethead..I must be outta the loop cause I don’t know what you mean.
Don’t mind me…just too early
mandys last blog post..Randomosity
Thanks for more great tips! I’ve been thinking of changing my name from just Kathryn to something more catchy. But I don’t know if I should do that now that I’ve been using Kathryn so long. ??
Kathryns last blog post..PSF- It’s A Mystery
crap…i always commen as “ali” and i thought, hey, it’s all lowercase, distinguishable…but there’s another ali floating around and then i’m all “hey! did i already comment on this site?”\
what d you suggest
…ali, cheaper than therapy?
also…there’s something else flying around as cheaper than therapy…even though i’ve had the name for YEARS and she’s been blogging since, like, april or something. i think we’ve discussed this. recommendations?
alis last blog post..i am a liar! (albeit not a very good one)
great post, as usual. I’ve been working on this exact thing for a few weeks now myself, and still have a long way to go.
can’t wait for next week on feeders…I just posted on that yesterday. Figured out that oh, about 10% of my fits are coming from feeds. Don’t people know it’s like the best time saver ever?
DesignHER Mommas last blog post..Feeders, Readers and Blogs…oh my!
Does this mean after your last post you will be creating a blog called “Shots To The Crotch” and your moniker will be “Crotch Shot”?
Knot
Knots last blog post..Dream
Fabulous darling, as always.
Welcome back and I thought the scratchiness in your voice made you sound all sultry and what not.
rachels last blog post..Princess strikes again or Home Again Home Again, Jiggity Jig
Oh, noes! From the looks of your first comment, it appears someone else in the blogosphere has the name andi! How is this possible?
Excellent points, as usual. Although I’m still confused about this whole brand thing. I keep thinking about redesigning my site but am worried about what it will do to the “brand.” Good thing I’m not hugely popular or people would be confused.
andis last blog post..Common sense and impeccable timing: I have neither
For some crazy reason I thought the name part might get to long and mess up how it looks..but now that I think about it, I think it’s a Mister LInkey issue that does that..or am I totally off my rocker and dreamed this up?
Jean@workingmomma247s last blog post..This Post Brought To You By The Letter W for Work Whine
I got compliments on my ‘brand’ at BlogHer. It wasn’t entirely intentional but it has served me well. My only problem is that I need to write a really good post on why we’re ‘headless’ to post in my sidebar-the question comes up a lot.
Headless Moms last blog post..Wait! Come Back!
Okay so I think I am actually doing this part of blogging bnearly right! GO ME! Thanks for the tutorials!
KD (A Bit Squirrelly)s last blog post..Don’t Answer the Door! It’s Child Protective Services!!
Thanks so much for these weekly tips. My blog is still in its early stages, both (!) my readers already know me… but as it searches for its purpose, I am keeping all your ideas in mind. I knew it was time to go back to blogger instead of stupid livejournal, if just for the commenting section!
I’ll make the move back soon, thanks for reminding me why!
Great tips as always! My question is about Stumbling – how do you get the Stumble It button to put at the bottom of your blog so people can stumble one of your posts?
Mary Beth (Cats/Books/Life is Good)s last blog post..THE DARK KNIGHT
Good tips. It hadn’t occurred to me to go squat at wordpress. I may have to do that right now.
magpies last blog post..My Books, My Books
Interesting.
I never thought of going to other platforms and reserving classy chaos. Great idea. Adding it onto my HUGE list of things I need to do this week. sigh.
@Mary Beth (Cats/Books/Life is Good): There is a way to do this with some coding in your template. There are instructions on SU’s site…try looking there. I had trouble adding the SU button when I was still on Blogger, it was easy to do with WordPress through a plugin.
If any other commenters know how do to this in Blogger, would you mind telling us?!
Sigh. I wish I had read this before I created my blog. Now, i use gmail and my blog name is in the email, but my blog title is LAME. LAME LAME LAME. It’s true, but I am not clever or anything fun like that, so I went with what I knew. Oh well.
thanks for the info!
Kristins last blog post..The post where I bitch
Great suggestions! And dare I point out the fact I used #2 above and called myself Mike of the Neborn Identity? Just plain Mike likely hasn’t been cutting it, has it?
Mike of the Newborn Identitys last blog post..More Asian Love!!!
[...] Check out the next installment of Jennifer’s blog tip sharing series over at Playgroups Are No Place For Children – this one is all about your ‘Brand‘. [...]
Thank you for confirming everything I’ve been planning to correct on my blog. My url and my blog name don’t match. My blog is called “The Z Files,” but my url is zlikezebra.blogspot.com because ‘thezfiles” was taken. (Yes, I probably should have thought of another name, but I was green and didn’t know any better.) Also, when I comment, I use my last name because it’s not common, but it also has no association to my blog, other than it starts with Z. See! It’s all so confusing!
I am working on a major rebranding. I’m not that popular so I don’t think it will throw a jolt in the universe when I do.
So…here’s my question. Do you think the name of your blog has to make it obvious to people what your blog is about? For instance, one of my ideas for a new blog name is littleglasses.com. I write a Mommy blog, and Little Glasses is the name of the imaginary friend I had as a child. Do you think it’s too obscure? Please tell me honestly.
Thanks so much.
Zellmers last blog post..Facing forward
Well, I just had a vote about my blog name and of my 11 fans 9 of them wanted me to keep The Suburban Farmer.
I guess I need to make an new gmail account with that email addy because I use HipMarye.
Oh, having that common name, I tacked and -e onto the end of it.
I think Marye~ is fairly recognizable, at least I hope it it. Thanks!
Oh, a quick question; Why isn’t my last blog post being added with my post?
It’s been like that here and on several other peoples blog with CommentLuv for several weeks now.
Just wondering….
Great list. I found myself hoping I’d covered each one as I read through it and I had!
Since we just met at BlogHer I’m off to read your previous blog tips.
Shannanb aka Mommy Bits]s last blog post..Busted – A Letter to My Husband
Wow, it’s like I meant to do that! Which I didn’t;) Now all I need is to “get with the program” and get a gmail account:) I’m off
Nap Wardens last blog post..Holy, AMAZING, Batman!!!
@Zellmer: At BlogHer when I’d tell people the name of my blog, they very often looked confused and said, “Oh. Well? What is your blog ABOUT?”
I LOVE the name Little Glasses for a blog! I’m sure that real blogging experts would say that a blog name should say what the blog’s about, but look at Dooce, Finslippy, Amalah, Sweetney….those names don’t give any indication what the blog is about! And those are some of the most read blogs around.
@Marye~: It has something to do with your feed. There’s nothing I can do about it!
And Marye~ is very recognizable, at least to me! I always know it’s you! You could sign comments as Marye~, Suburban Farmer to really seal your brand.
Wow, I`m happy to report that I am actually using most of your techniques.
So, where are my millions?
Genesiss last blog post..Are You Up For a Challenge?
@Genesis: They must be in the bank somewhere with mine!
@Marye-are you sure you put in your “http…” (your URL for your website) in the right field? Hmmmm–wierd.
Jennifer, I have NO clue what to use as my favicon when I get my new site up (which is a hilarious name for that–favicon–I laugh every time I see it). All these tips are so helpful, as usual. Thanks!
Dude. You used me as an example. I feel all like special and stuff now!
Another thing I did along the lines of securing web urls was to register not just plain old “Burgh Baby” but also “The Burgh Baby” and some other obvious derivatives anywhere and everywhere. There has still been some instances of copycats, but at least it makes it more of a challenge to try to ride off my wave of four readers.
BTW, just for YOU, I will stop having all my emails forward to the account they are currently pointed at and will start using my gmail account. See how much I love you?
Burgh Babys last blog post..Let the Games Begin: Caption Contest
@Burgh Baby: Excellent point about registering derivatives of your name!
And I love you, too.
Ok what bucket picture are you talking about? I see no bucket, so confused. *smile*
mojavi at simple thingss last blog post..by the way
Thank you thank you thank you!
Zellmers last blog post..Facing forward
I was thinking that instead of Marinka, I should have picked a different moniker, like AngelinaJolie, or something catchy. But now I see that I was right to stick with Marinka!
OMG, I am so nervous about the RSS session next week, I’m really starting to believe that my DNA is not RSS-understanding compatible.
Marinkas last blog post..9/10
Well, my email, name I use and my website on blogger match…but my title of my blog will only be around for another 2 months or so. “Tales of a preschooler and a pregancy”…obviously the pregnancy will end and I will have a preschooler and an infant. But that just doesn’t ring many bells for me. And one day the preschooler will no longer be either. So I think I will have to have a contest to find a new name…or just change it to Jersey Beach Mama…. mmmmm what to do?
Beach Mamas last blog post..Had a Busy Busy Week
Hmmm.. should I be commenting as something other then sam? Should I use ‘temptingmama’? Would you know who I was then?
Something to ponder? Thanks Jennifer – wonderful as always. Me love you long time!
*clapping from the back row*
*she slipped in late while everyone was listening intently*
Yeah! I love this. All of it. I have figured out a catchy picture to use, BUT the name thing is driving me crazy. I started my blog without ever reading a blog which has put me in a few corners…like for instance using my initials HRH while nice isn’t setting me apart and I never refer to myself as HRH in fact when I sign emails I use “hh” which further is a problem since lately I have been referring to myself constantly in the third person on my blog as “HOLLY” which while annoying is not helping my branding as HRH or hh. To top that all off I was signed into online poker as Texasholly so I started using that when HRH was taken on Twitter and plurk and Stumble which is just confusing things further. OH and my email is junecleaver because WHY NOT?
WHO AM I?
Oh, and just to add an increased level of difficulty…I will never get enough karma together to CHANGE my name on Plurk so any advice on all other venues would be greatly appreciated.
You may want to send me a bill after this therapy session.
HRHs last blog post..Car wash. Car wash.
Brilliant as always. Branding is so important, and by the time I realized i should have picked a more general, non themed name, I was already branded. But hey, it supplies the shock factor to new visitors:)
brittanys last blog post..Running (er briskly walking) with the devil
@HRH: Hmmm, you’re quite a conundrum. I guess from here on out, pick ONE name and stick with it???? You’re texasholly on SU and twitter, right? Why not stick with that and start signing comments as texasholly, june cleaver nirvana???
I don’t know….I’m just brainstorming!
My therapy bill is in the mail.
Yeah, seriously. What’s with all of the effing Jennifers? Did all of our mothers belong to the same cult or something when they gave birth? I thought I’d left the sea of Jenniferness behind me in college, and then I get to the blogosphere, and this is where you all went.
Manager Mom (founding member of Blogoholics Jennifernonymous)
manager moms last blog post..A Statistical Analysis of My Post-Vacation Nervous Breakdown
I LOVED this episode!! Nice work!
(Love, VDog, who can be found round the internets as VDog, VDogBlog, or VDog & Little Man, LOL)
My name is Amanda. So I just go by Shamelessly Sassy. Also, I am officially stumbling this.
Shamelessly Sassys last blog post..Why Yes, My Neighbor Did Poop on My Couch.
There are a few rachel bloggers out there as well. But I am the only truly nerdish one so I think I am ok there.
Thanks once again for another GREAT entry into the BTSP category.
rachel b. ——> threedayblog!!!!! (how is that?)s last blog post..hot diggity blog
I’m about to pull my hair out!!
I need to rebrand my blog and quickly because I am making so many friends over at All Mediocre that already know me as The Chronicle but I didn’t really like that name to begin with…..and now i’m on a couple blog rolls as that too.
There is already a ‘weiss chronicles’ and I can’t seem to wrap my brain around any other names.
Connie @ The Chronicless last blog post..Easy Like A Sunday Morning
Thanks, Jennifer! I think it’s likely that you just SAID my blog name wasn’t that bad because you felt sorry for me, especially since I couldn’t even type my comment properly (should have been “Andi’s Exciting Life: -insert hilarious subtitle here-”). But whatever, I’ll take it. I’m going to give a go at making the most of the title I picked instead of changing it, so now I’ll and try to make my nickname “Not So Exciting Andi.” Going to set up a new gmail address now…