Whether it’s a box of cereal or George Clooney, branding is critical to break into the public eye. (See Blogs 1/21/13, & 8/2/13) But unless you’re a steer how do you manage it, especially if you’re a blogger working at home?
I thought I’d find the answer in an article entitled: “How To Become A Brand.” Unfortunately, the catchy title had no substance. The advice boiled down to, “being in the right place at the right time.” (“From Ink to Inc.” by James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, April 2014 pg. 96.),
Apart from committing a heinous crime, costing the taxpayer gazillions of dollars or knowing the right people who can open doors, I’ve yet to come across information that reveals how to get branded and attract an audience. Consider the competition each morning — a shooting at a military base, thousands killed in a civil war, still more thousands left to starve in the African drought – and you get an idea of what a blogger faces.
In the meantime he or she has to produce work that is fresh on a steady basis. In this last regard, two bloggers come to mind. Sydney Stevens writes a blog 7 days a week about her life in Osterville, a small town in Washington. Somehow, she manages to keep the stories so varied and so lively, one would think she lived in the middle of New York City. She’s been writing that blog for years and her column is never skimpy, plagiarized or filled with “guest” bloggers. If anyone deserved to be branded and have a large following, Sydney does. http://sydneyofoysterville.com/oysterville-daybook/
Another writer worthy of attention is Elizabeth. She’s been knocking out daily book reviews for years, offering candid opinions that help readers find good writers. She never misses a beat or a day and is chock full of insights. http://silversolara.blogspot.com/
A third blog writer, Terri Patrick addresses herself to practical spirituality in Life and Writing the Story. http://terripatrick.wordpress.com. Definitely a place to drop by.
All 3 women are devoted to quality and, like me, I suspect they’ve paused above their keyboards long enough to wonder how to grow a larger audience. I wish I had an answer to share. So far the best solution I’ve come up with is to commit a crime.
(Courtesy of www.illustratersource.com)
