MelvinBlog

A blog that chronicles my journey on online marketing, blogging, social media, technology and life.

Personal Branding with Your Name and Photo

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In this post,  Antti Kokkonen talks about the benefits of using your personal name and photo in boosting your own personal brand)

Personal branding is about building up trust and establishing yourself as an authority, a source of valuable information. By being honest, being yourself and branding yourself as an expert in your niche, you’ll have something that cannot be taken away from you, a personal brand you can be proud of.

And the first step is to put your name out, so make sure your name is visible on your blog, your social media profiles, etc. I know, it might be scary to use your real name online, but think of it this way — would you trust and buy something from someone whose name you don’t know? I certainly wouldn’t.

The next step is to get an image that your name can be connected to. Logos are important for branding. Having a logo means you can utilize that logo everywhere. So if you like, you can get a logo designed (or design it yourself) for your blog.

But more importantly, for yourself, you really don’t have to design a logo, as there’s a good chance you already have one. Your photo! Choose one great photo of yourself and use the same photo as your avatar and profile picture in all the social network sites, like Twitter and Facebook, and also your blog! Not having your own photo in your blog is something that’s ridiculous. Of course it’s debatable since guys like Maki of DoshDosh.com don’t use one yet is considered an authority.

When you use your real name and photo on your blog and social media, you’ll start building an audience and a following for yourself, not just your blog, business or service. Your personal brand stays with you, even if you sell your business, your blog or start providing a new kind of service.

Using Real Name and Photo Builds Trust

When I see a blog or website with someones face on it, it’s immediately more interesting than a blog without one. I’m much more likely to subscribe to a blog which has a “face on it”. I don’t know, maybe it makes it all feel more honest. If I can’t find who is keeping the blog, I immediately become suspicious. And even more so, if I’m in the process of buying something from that person, or something he/she recommends.

I don’t know about you, but I think seven times before I buy anything from someone who I haven’t met or seen. That’s seven opportunities to convince myself not to buy from this stranger. And that’s seven opportunities for you to lose that sale. If you’re planning on selling anything online, keep that in mind.

Also, if I find a blog filled with great posts, I want to know more about the author, I want to know who he or she is. If I can’t find anything about the blogger, I’m gone. And I’m not alone on this, as your readers want to know you and get connected. Don’t disappoint them and make sure the links to your primary social media profiles are clearly visible.

By seeing your name and photo, people on your blog or social networks will know who they’re interacting with. They will know that this certain guy right here is not just a “fly- by night person”.  Of course, there’s more to personal branding than just putting your name out there and using a real photo, but this is the first step you have to take.

Now it’s your turn! Are you in the process of building a personal brand? Do you use your real name and photo in your blog and in the social networks?

Antti Kokkonen has been hiding under an Internet alias “Zemalf” for many years, and you can find his not-always-so-focused blog about blogging, social media and Internet business at http://zemalf.com. To stay connected, go ahead follow Antti on Twitter.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. i didn’t put any photo in my blog, but of course i using my real name. After reading this i maybe put some photos, i thought photo is not necessary, i guess i wrong about that.

    great post.. 😀

  13. Very true. If you’re active blog commenter, the other bloggers and blog readers will soon become familiar with your Gravatar and thus, get to know you as someone who leaves great comments (you do, right?). The effect will not be the same without Gravatar, even if your name/nick is consistent everywhere. Picture is worth a thousand words and all that 🙂

  14. Linking to a Facebook or Twitter profile from your blog can have the same effect too, but if the about page is about you, why wouldn’t you add a photo there? Not to sell me anything, but to let your readers know who you are and what you look like — that’s the primary reason people visit about-page anyway, right?

  15. Consistent imagery like that can work wonders too. Some might prefer real photos, but some might actually be more interested in a cartoonish avatar…

    And using the same photo/image (whether it’s real or drawn, or some kind of logo) in all your online profiles, blog, and even your business card, ensures you’ll be recognized “as you” wherever you are online.

  22. This is a really interesting post. I do think there’s a benefit to being completely open, using your full name etc. But at the same time I don’t like to do it. I guess I am paranoid about the internet, that people can find things out about you by Googling you and your name is everywhere. I am always honest, I just think especially when you’re not sure what area of business to focus on it can also be detrimental to have your name over all different kinds of niche websites, for example.
    .-= Ruth – Web Career Girl´s last blog ..Why Positive Thinking and Writing is Essential to Your Success =-.

  24. This is a great post. Haven’t read a good text about branding in quite a while. Although, in my opinion it’s much better to brand your blog with a kind of a vector character or something catchy that people will laugh when they see.
    For example a drawing of a Watermelon and making your site “Blogging Watermelon”. I would personally much rather use that technique than brand the blog to my name. That of course does not mean I wouldn’t put my photo on the blog and something about myself.
    My current blog is branded as an extension of my main website which is named Knowledge Reactor. I decided to brand the website with a vector brain icon to symbolize the place where knowledge is generated thus it being a Knowledge Reactor 😉

    Nice post! 🙂
    .-= Gordon Cindric´s last blog ..How to Spice Up Your Product Presentation =-.

  26. It’s what you call Personal BRAND! Your blog becomes your intellectual property just like with companies.

    Eventually, you would build trust and if you’re really expert on it, then it may open up consulting offers in the future.
    .-= Millionaire Acts´s last blog ..How to Overcome Laziness =-.

  28. Hi Melvin,
    Personal branding is really required in blogging field.It gives more exposure on the Social network.Secondly images speaks thousand words and it is the best proof of your social presence.
    I really like your article about personal branding.
    .-= Surender sharma´s last blog ..Treat Your Blog as a Business =-.

  32. Personal branding, using photo and such doesn’t necessarily mean that one should brand the blog as well, with cool logo and such. But when it comes to Twitter or Facebook, photo is the way to go… But speaking of watermelons, I do have kinda big head. Darn, I knew I should’ve thought harder about my blog URL 🙂
    .-= Antti Kokkonen´s last blog ..Help Me Help You (with Your Questions) =-.

  33. I think DoshDosh is more of blog brand than a personal brand. But you are correct, real name and photo is not needed to build a trust brand. It’ll most likely help, but not a requirement, as there are plenty of success stories that have been built around pen name, instead of real name. Trust brand – yes. Personal brand – almost.
    .-= Antti Kokkonen´s last blog ..Help Me Help You (with Your Questions) =-.

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