May

8

Just say NO to trust, and then what?

Filed Under Branding, Monetization | 1 Comment

I have a post in the works about trust and marketing, and I’m stuck.
I have issues. Specifically, I have issues with advertisers who don’t get that marketing is hand in glove with trust. I’m going to clear the air.
Yes, it’s true. I am going to rant. I’d put this [...]

Apr

14

A Preface to my Bouncing Baby Benchmarks

Filed Under Branding, Content Development, Social Networking | 2 Comments

Question: What did I want from my 101 days?
Answer: A sense of direction. An orientation beyond web design.
Question: Why couldn’t I just pick some keywords to write about? Use that to form a bridge between my beloved web stuff and a prospective audience?
Answer: Because keywords are only a part of the picture. [...]

Apr

12

Questions for Readers, and a 101 Day Round-Up

Filed Under Branding | 13 Comments

I’m here with you and the spirit of WordPress, writing away on a gorgeous Spring weekend, to sum up a little of what’s gone on here over the last 101 days, and get reader feedback for some plans I’m cooking up for this site’s theme.

My hope is to arrive at how the [...]

Mar

22

Personal Branding, Personal Connection

Filed Under Branding | 8 Comments

All branding that works is personal, because it makes some sort of personal connection.
Sometimes personal is manufactured. Betty Crocker was a creation that represented a corporate brand.
Sometimes, “personal” seems to spontaneously ooze from the people behind the brand. Joe and Mark, the two enterprising yard care teens who [...]

Jan

26

Kitty Kitty?

Filed Under Branding, The Meaning of Life | 1 Comment

It’s been in the 20’s here lately. Our January average low is 32. My usual practice is to turn off the heat at night and pile on the blankets. Environmental awareness meets necessity: I’m both cheap and good. Sometimes mornings are very cold - under 50 degrees indoors. The colder [...]

Jan

5

Identity Groundwork

Filed Under Blogging, Branding | Leave a Comment

Today I am making a commitment to 100 posts in 100 days. I’ll be using those 100 posts to explore how my personality and my values can be a foundation for my “brand,” as reflected in my blog and what I do on the Internet.
Why?
For the journey. To backtrack, here’s a quote from [...]

Jan

4

Ritual, Manners, Branding, Identity

Filed Under Branding, The Meaning of Life | 2 Comments

As I cast around for how I want this blog to develop, I’m constantly revisiting what impresses me about other individual blogger’s values. “Values” is not exactly the right term. What I’m talking about is more of an atmosphere that says “this is who I am.”
Even people who don’t talk about their [...]

Dec

9

Powerful Taglines

Filed Under Blogging, Branding | Leave a Comment

Why are you and why should I care?
Will I remember you tomorrow?
Strong branding can help on both counts, and brand is all about identity. Business name and tagline are a powerful pair that can help to plant an entity’s identity into the memories and imaginations of readers.
From Nancy Schwartz’s Getting Attention blog:
Does your [...]