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The Best Personal Branding Advice I Ever Got {Or Gave}

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personal branding advice

As a smaller blogger, unsure of my niche and how to bill myself, branding was a big, intimidating obligation, kind of like meeting prospective in-laws for the first time. (Can we just get this over with?)

Much of the advice I read seemed to apply to people who could already define themselves and what they had to offer their readers in one tidy sentence—all that was left to do was hire someone to design a logo and header to match.

But what if you are too new to know what your main contribution to the blogosphere is will be? Or what if you’ve got your hands in a lot of different stuff, and don’t yet know which one you’ll end up focusing on?

The best branding advice I ever received came from Michelle at So I Married a Mennonite. Intrigued by her unique blog title, I asked her why she chose it. She said, “I picked something about myself that would never change.”

So, I ask you: what’s something about yourself that will never change?

Don’t think too hard here. It’s right in front of your nose.

Your Name.

Letting your name be your brand is simple, yet it works for you in so many ways:

  1. It allows people to connect with you personally. The online world is all about relationships–people want to connect with real people anymore, not a billboard or a slogan or a caricature.
  2. It allows for growth and change of direction in your online pursuits without losing your followers. No matter where your blogging journey takes you, they will know how to find you.
  3. It gives you a solid place to hang your hat today, even if you haven’t quite figured out what you’re about yet.

But what about protecting my identity? Michael Hyatt says hidden online identities are a thing of the past. People can now Google you and find anything they want about you. Why fight it with a nickname people can’t spell or remember?

“A real name communicates authenticity and accessibility. Don’t hide behind a made-up name that is only meaningful to you.” -Michael Hyatt, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

We are here to build relationship. We need to introduce ourselves the same way we do in real life—by announcing our name.

How this works:

  • On your blog: call it whatever you want, but make your blog address yourname.com. You’ll be easy to find no matter what you blog about.
  • Your Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest handle: Use your name, or a close variation (see below).
  • Your Email: YourName@gmail.com, or, better yet, yourname@yourdomain.com (ie. trina@trinaholden.com)
  • Facebook Fan Page: Name it after yourself. A personal fan page is simply  the easiest way for people to connect with you on facebook—no friend request necessary, just one click of the ‘like’ button and you’re connected.

I know this can sound a bit egotistical, but really, it’s not. You’re simply removing barriers and making it easy for people to find you and talk to you. It’s a favor to your friends and anyone you meet online to be consistent in your online identities.

Having a solid brand is as simple as just being yourself wherever you go.

Creative Variations

But what if your name is already taken? If you have a popular name, you will have to get creative  with your handle. But don’t go too crazy. You still want people to recognize you.

  • Use your first and middle name if your first and last aren’t available. This is also a good idea if your last name has the potential to change or is hard to spell.
  • If that doesn’t work, try using a verb after your first name—something about you that won’t change, or something pertaining to the particular social media platform you’re on. (On facebook I’m TrinaHoldenWrites because TrinaHolden wasn’t available. On Twitter I could have been TrinaTweets if TrinaHolden wasn’t free. If your domain name isn’t available, try YourNameBlogs.com or YourNameWrites.com.)
  • When trying a variation of your name on for size, imagine referring to it in a phone conversation to a friend—if it flows easy and you don’t have to spell it for them, it’s good.
  • Keep in mind that a long handle will get in the way on Twitter. You want it as short and too-the-point as possible. Avoid numbers and too many initials in a row.

Use a site like KnowEm.com to help you check availability. When you find a handle that works all around, grab it!

Now all you have to do is BE yourself each place you visit, and people will begin to associate your writing voice, personality quirks, and actions with your name, and you will have created a brand for yourself. Are you fun and funky? Deep and articulate? Artistic and random? Embrace who God made you to be and let it shine through your online identity! (<– Tweet this!)

True Confessions Time: What’s one of the aliases you’ve gone by during your online journey? I started out with my dutch name, Trintje, in an effort to be unique. But my friends told me it was impossible to spell or say! What about you?

P.S. Have you already built a brand but feel the need for a change?  There’s no better time than the present–you’re smaller now than you will be!  Check out my friend Gretchen’s rebranding journey and all her awesome branding tips.

Comments

  2. This couldn’t have come at a better time. I have spent the last three days feeling it’s time to change my blog name.  I wanted something that stood out, that let people know what my blog was about, silly me….I never thought “what could be better than my name?”  Thank you so much!!!

  5. TRUE TRUE TRUE! As much as I hate seeing my name everywhere, it does make it easier for other people to find me. Thanks for continuing the Smaller Blogger series, Trina. Such great info!

  6. Love this advice, but may I add one thing to consider? I jumped straight in and started using my name online. Now, three years later, I wish I had used my maiden name online. By all means, use your name (I still do), but consider how it might affect your family down the road? You never know what God might bring your way, and this can be an added layer of protection for them.

      • I’ve thought of this because of my husband’s job.  The domain only has my first name, but there are subjects I don’t plan on touching with a ten foot pole.  Great advice from both of you lovely ladies.

  7. Super great advice Trina! (Too bad the Trintje didn’t stick…I like that!) I have been “hiding” behind something that I created years ago, but, you are right…it’s time to come out of the closet! 🙂

  8. Interesting post! 🙂 I’m glad I used my name for my domain.  However, I wanted a “title” that would be associated with my blog/shop (which I didn’t even know I would have once I started my website!).  This turned into Here Am I, which is nice to use when people ask the name of my shop… on twitter and facebook page, my handle and title is Here Am I, but I needed to use my name AND blog title for the facebook url since both individually were taken – either way, I’ve tried to keep each communication username/title the same or basically the same since starting my website.  It’s seemed to go pretty well 🙂  Now just finding time to write and work on my shop after getting a full time job!  It’s been hectic. 🙂

  10. I have been fretting over this for MONTHS, with no resolution! Part of me wants to rebrand before Allume Social, part of me wants to wait until after Allume Social… figure out my direction and then rebrand.

    I have a VERY common name (Julie Wilson), so when I started commenting on blogs I used Julie Anne to differentiate (still very common)
    my twitter name is a Greek word (meaning confidence)… but it’s short and I like short twitter handles (and everything else connected to me/myname is taken)
    my blog was named to promote my handmade cards, but didn’t really end up that direction. and I want to stick with a free blog because I’m not making any money to justify investing in a “hobby” yet!
    I own “whimsicalwords.us” which I use for my cards, but not sure I want to be branded “1. Playfully quaint or fanciful, esp. in an appealing and amusing way. 2. Acting or behaving in a capricious manner.” on my blog.

    sometimes I feel like I am beyond help in this matter, but I would take any complaints, criticism, advice, suggestions… 🙂

    • Julie, I’m reading and wanting so badly to come up with the perfect solution for you! As I work on my blog relaunch, I agonized over what domain to choose. I really wanted the name of my blog, and it wasn’t available. My last name is just uncommon enough yet not weird enough to choose my name as my domain (mandymianecki.com, but it isn’t ready yet:) What about something like julieannecreates? I hope you find something you love!

    •  Julie, can I just say, ‘I know how you feel?’
      I know how all of this can feel so urgent, too, especially with a blog conference on your schedule! Can I just assure you, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get this all figured out in three months. Lord knows I was as brand-less as they come my first blogging conference, but I made friends and learned a lot anyway 😀

  11. I’m seeing more and more people making this transition lately.  I debated a lot about this.  My blog started out as a scrapbooking blog (where I was “Scrapper Mom”).  But then when I started it back up, I decided that didn’t really “define” me or my blog purpose anymore, so I had every intention of being “Crystal Brothers” instead.  However, somewhere along the way, I decided not to do that…I can’t even remember why exactly, except that I wanted the site to be about my topic more than me…and there are many sites like moneysavingmom.com, etc. where the branding isn’t the person, so I just went with it, and settled on “Serving Joyfully”  (I have been everything from livn4change, and thankful4hope back when I first got online, to Scrappermom to now, Crystal @ Serving Joyfully 🙂

    •  Thanks for chiming in an sharing your story, Crystal. I think the perspective we have to maintain is that using our real name online can be a tool toward the main goal of being authentic and accessible. This can be achieved in a variety of ways besides going by your first and last name. But that should be the overriding goal, yes?

      • I wasn’t trying to be argumentative about it at all, and I’m sorry if it came across that way.  I see nothing wrong with using your name as your branding, and it’s what all the experts are saying to do 🙂

        •  Hey, you are just keeping the discussion alive, girl! No problem!
          I’m coming from the angle of, “if you don’t yet have a strong idea for a blog name or theme (like I didn’t) your name is a great choice”. I admire people who know what they’re about soon enough to brand themselves as such.

  12. I wish I had known this when I was buying my domain. I thought about it and then thought…no that’s what authors do-I’m not an author. AHH! What is your suggestion for those of us who have purchased a domain name and thought we were “snagging  deal” by getting it for 3 years having no idea we would want to change it 2 months later? 🙂 Right now, everything is New Life Steward. But I do sign all my comments, etc. as Mary Beth. 

    Oh and my name is really long…Mary Beth Ketchum. I actually go by the double name. Takes up so many characters on Twitter-but I do have that handle, just don’t use it anymore.

  13. I agonized over what to call my blog when I first started years ago. I finally had a flash of inspiration and chose “Red and Honey”. I am a redhead, and I call my husband “Honey”… hence I’m Red, he’s Honey. It’s not my real name, but it’s sorta in that line of thinking, because it’s nicknames of sorts. I really love it, and can’t see myself ever wanting to change it. I’ve always been curious of what other people’s impressions are of it, though!

    • For what it’s worth, I think Red and Honey is adorable! ; ) Kinda jealous I didn’t think of it l.

  14. On blogger I have only ever been ~Jess; elswhere…WhiteysWifey, JWhite05, Osica721, JesBeck…just a few.

    Now I just go by Jess. I would have loved to just do JessicaWhite.com, but it’s already taken (surprise, surprise), so is JessWhite.com. For now it will just have to remain LifeintheWhiteHouse.com…which works. I’ve just been using Jess_LITWH for most of my blog-related usernames..since it does include both names, if only in acronym. I haven’t decided if I really like it or not, but my name is incredibly popular.

    Such a helpful post with insightful comments!

  15. I just love this article. Very very good, I must say Trina. And just as you say the name you choose is important, and of course what you write.

  17. My question, then, would be regarding the FB fan page and the blog. I’m starting an entirely new website for my SEO/Social Media biz. I was going to name that with my own name rather than my homeschool blog and homeschool fan page. That would make more sense, right?

  18. Gretchen just boosted this post again, so I thought I’d jump in. 🙂 My very first blog was called Mom’s The Word, with the online name ‘perkidawn’ and my Twitter handle, @MommaKnows a little after that (back in 2006!) I was stalked by my ex’s new wife and ended up having to delete my blog and my online persona, except for my Twitter, which I hardly used and no one really knew what Twitter was then anyway. I started a new blog, 5 Kids and a Dog, and had that for almost 5 years before outgrowing the name! I had a minor identity crisis, but claimed themommaknows.com and kept my Twitter handle, of course, because now at least they were finally related!

    Then I rebranded again late last winter, changing my Twitter handle (that everyone knew me by) to my name @DawnMPerkins. Wouldn’t you know, within a few days someone else had nabbed my MommaKnows handle!? But she’s not me. 🙂 So now I’m me, and I recently bought my name domain too, for my next identity crisis. lol For now it’s just a personal landing page (dawnmarieperkins.com). My past online identities include “ScrappinHSMom”, “perkidawn”, and “ImTheMomThatsWhy”. I’m not sure what the next chapter of my life will be, but I’ll be myself when it comes.

    Thanks for the KnewEm link! I checked out my options and unfortunately I can’t get them all to match. 🙁 I can sort of come close so that is probably the best scenario. You’ve given me much to think about!

  19. I’m in the process of rebranding and reworking my blog. New blog design, I’ll be using my real name, JUST my first name, though, and posting my photo. I don’t know if it’ll gain me readers or lose them, since many of my target audience is adamant on the need for secrecy. It’s scary, though. However, I’ll still use my domain name, and I still expect some people will refer to me as CD.

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