
Building a brand? Even if all you do is maintain a blog, it pays to have the future in mind. When I started out blogging, it was just a hobby. I wrote about our family vacations and travels throughout New York State. The blog rapidly got attention from travel fans and advertisers, and my hobby developed into a really nice little sideline business. I’m not rich by any means, but the income I get helps to fund our travels. It’s been a really great experience, and has stretched out into other avenues of interest, such as home improvement and this tech blog and a few others.
There are things I should have done differently, of course. For one, I should have established my blogs on my own web space and domains. And I definitely should have created my “brand” early on. A brand is an image or logo or jingle that identifies you from all the others. For example, McDonald’s and Coca Cola and Apple all have their own brands. These companies have marketed their brands so well that they don’t even need to advertise– they have infiltrated the culture and are just “there.” Developing a brand for your hobby or business is what makes you stand OUT amongst all the others.
You do not necessarily need a brand for merely products, either. I have tried to develop a brand for my travel site. And I’ve come across numerous tourist venues and state tourism departments that have developed a brand for the entire industry. Think about the “I Love NY” brand, or even the brand for the West Palm Beach Travel Information. When you think of Florida, what do you think of? Relaxing by the sandy beaches, enjoying the shops and attractions…. the Florida Ad Agency has done well, developing a recognizable brand for numerous Florida businesses (and others), using creative and “gravity-less” thinking to rise above the status quo and get the brand noticed. That’s what matters.
While there are some folks who can develop their own brand for themselves, most of us need a helping hand from a creative agency. Whichever avenue you choose, whether it’s for a hobby or a serious business, GET A BRAND. It really does make a difference!







