Uh oh, What Is Don Doing Now?
Written by: Landon
Posted on March 26, 2008
Filed Under Branding
Hello there! My name is Landon Porter, also known as “The Social Agent.” I am a new writer here at… MakingSalesMakingMoney.com.
Yep, all I had to do to get this spot was to tie Don up and hang him over the third story balcony. After almost three hours, he finally gave in. I am thrilled about this and am looking forward to becoming a part of this community.
I am a little crazy and a bit funny (at times– well to my self anyways), mostly happy, and passionate about almost everything I do. Cleaning the garage after winter does not fall in to that category. I have a lot to share with you and according to Don I am not allowed to talk about how I got this position ever again… Stay tuned: next week I will show you pictures! I am here to discuss a couple of topics but we will start with Branding.
It appears that Don is interested in the subject and has mentioned to me that he will be re-creating his brand in the coming weeks. This includes a picture of him (for all the world to see)! This is fantastic news! MakingSalesMakingMoney.com has its own very unique and distinguishable brand already, so why change it? Well, let’s just jump in from the beginning and use Don and MSMM.com as our example.
Branding - the intentional use of images, words, and symbols in a repetitive fashion, to distinguish one “thing” from another “thing,” or better yet, all other “things,” while keeping it relative to the the main category of said “thing.”
Back to MSMM.com- the color scheme and the “M” are mainstays, why? They are part of what brands the site now for the people who read it regularly, and it is recognizable to those who have seen it more than once. The “M” is unique, and for the first time visitor, creates the thought of “What is this?” Which, in most cases, is a good reaction.
So, what to do and how? We must also answer the why.
With a site that’s already “out there” in public view and has a reader base of more than 5 people, your options are limited as to how you change the brand or add to it. An unstated change in your brand will confuse your readers.
In the case of Don and MSMM, I would think about it like this:
What is the main goal with the site?
What is the long term vision for the site?
What are the benefits of changing it?
The answers to the above are as follows:
We know Don is assembling a group of home-based business experts who will also contribute to the site.
We know that MSMM will continue to help people learn about online money making ventures, which is the site’s current objective.
The brand is in place and already stable and therefore NOT to be changed! Ha! Not what you expected?
Well, there are other questions that I didn’t state in the above.
1. Why, then, is Don thinking about re-branding?
Don is thinking about branding himself, not just MSMM. Because this site will have additional expert authors, he must go about branding himself and tying his new “self brand” into this site in a specific yet subtle way.
2. What is Don going to do to brand himself?
Don has been nudged by someone (whom I won’t mention here) to think about what his online presence says about him. If you have seen Don’s picture, you know what I am talking about. That’s a funny! Don doesn’t use a picture yet. (update- he does now!)
He has created an online presence for this site, but not for himself. The brand for MSMM is solid. Don, on the other hand, is in need of branding himself and although this blog is already branded, he will see a much deeper level of site awareness if he does a couple of things.
Don must set up his social community accounts with a picture of himself and the “M” already in use for this site. This can be done in several ways. The best way to do it is to brand himself with his own picture and using the “M” to represent this blog. For example, go to MyBlogLog and view your own profile page. If you have a blog or several blogs, you can upload an image or a screen shot to differentiate them. Whatever you do, do not leave the default setting!
Moving on.
He will find a picture of himself that he likes, a picture that expresses his personality in a unique way.
Don will use this picture in every social account that he has set up, and when the occasion arises, use it for every new account he sets up.
There are special occasions that you don’t do this, and that is a topic we will explore in another post.
A brand must be consistent and readily recognizable.
First, Don will add this picture to his “About” page on every site that he uses his name on, and then go show it off in his normal daily routine. That is just the beginning. I will go into branding in more detail next week.
In the mean time, MSMM has Don’s name on it, so he will find that “use for everything” picture and put it on the About Me page here at MSMM. Since the site is now a multi-author blog, he would be best suited to have an About Me page all about himself and what he wants this blog to become, and also have a link to the other authors (home-based business experts).
Once he has selected a picture to represent himself and has posted it consistently across his online presence, he is well on his way to establishing his own personal brand. This will allow Don to brand each of his individual sites, connecting them to the same foundation: him. This is the way you brand yourself. You are putting your recognizable and easily identifiable “mark” on your work. In some cases, you will not want to do this. But as I said before, we’ll go into that in another post.
I will be here almost daily, so if you have any pressing questions about branding, please leave them in the comments section below and I will answer them as soon as bloggerly possible. Thanks again Don, this will be a very fun venture for both of us.
Landon (The Social Agent)
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Tags:assembling a group of home based business experts, Brand creation, brand your self, Branding, don makingsalesmakingmoney.com, how is a brand consistent, Landon, long term vision for the site, recreate my brand, social community, the social agent, what is the main goal with the site, your brand
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Uh oh, What Is Don Doing Now?…
I am introducing another contributor site editor to the site today. Landon Porter is a bit more in your face than I am, but isn’t life all about different perspectives. The guy has been on me for weeks to put a picture of myself on the site . today I …
Thats a fine lookin pic Don! Well done.
My lady is studying to become a Neuro Scientist, or (brain doctor) and I have learned some really cool things about the brain even though I can’t understand it the way she does, I am fairly intelligent (sometimes).
The point I want to make is that the human brain “thinks” in pictures, then translates that into a feeling.
The brain doesn’t think in words or languages so when the brain doesn’t have an image to connect with a feeling it picks one at random.
Branding is HUGE, use a picture of your self on everything you do that has you name attached.
sorry I wrote another article here1 Oh well
I wonder what my “branding” would be or should be LMAO
It is so cool to actually put a face to a chat or a voice.
Vic my man you are a brand of one, there is only one real Coke and there is absolutely, positively, only one Vic.
@ Vic.
It helps to “actually put a face to a chat or a voice.”
@Don.
There could not be a better way of putting that! “Vic my man you are a brand of one, there is only one real Coke and their is absolutely, positively, only one Vic.”
Hey! I know that face. Glad to see you finally got a picture up on your site (of course, I am guilty of the same)…and you didn’t just put it in the article, it actually appears on your about page too.
I love your concept and the rebranding and refocusing you’re doing with the site. I’ve read some of Monica’s stuff and I will now go check out Landon’s site as well. Keep up the great work!
Hi Don,
I like the direction you’re heading (as long as the contributors provide content as good as yours of course).
I do like a feeling of connecting with the author of a blog. This led me to a picture of myself on my blog and to write more personally. I think it is the personal element that people connect with - depending on the topic of course. The comments which are at teh guts of blogging emphasise this.
Looking forward to Landon’s stuff. Branding (standing out from the crowd) is very relevant: most of us are in very crowded niches. Looking forward to it.
Evan , thanks for the comment, the idea behind the concept is to give different perspectives . Monika and Landon will come at us from different viewpoints but overall it will enhance the sites value
Hey Don,
Cool pic. It’s great to see the person i have been chatting with so frequently lately.
Hey Landon, welcome and congrats for an important and well written post.
BTW I think you are funny too so that makes two of us.
Thank you Monika, I appreciate the warm welcome I have received here and I am looking forward to working with you.
HA! see, I AM funny!
Don… so they made you take the plunge too. Glad to “see” you and look forward to Landon’s addition to the team. If he is anything like Monika then you are surrounding yourself with winners.
All the best with the brand!
Grizz, you will like Landon, high energy , high passion, a perfect fit to join this team, As for Monika, darn she might fit the same mold as the rest of us, we may need someone to tone us down and bring some balance.
Don