As we’ve discussed here many times, continuous marketing and branding is essential to the growth of any successful blogger, online marketer, or social media guru. How will people identify with you if you don’t have a unique way of standing out?
There are always t-shirts as a way to brand onself, but certainly other creative ideas as well – a “shtick” folks come to know and expect. We here at IZEA use PostiePacks, which typically contain t-shirts, buttons, stickers, thumb drives, etc. All are ways to extend the brand offline.
Here are a few examples of great online branding from members within the IZEA Community, that lead to offline recognition:
Ted Murphy
Of course we know Ted’s great at this. It’s one of the reasons IZEA’s grown as quickly as it has over the past two-and-a-half years, and that he’s managed to garner nearly 7,000 Twitter followers. Here are a couple of Ted’s brand extensions:
Insider BenSpark
Drew is certainly a great example of someone who’s created a brand. His online persona alone is worth calling out – you might recognize him as “BenSpark,” (some even think his name is Ben) or have seen someone wearing the “I’m Not A Famous Blogger” t-shirt (and soon hats!).
The name “BenSpark,” in fact, has a cool story behind it, which has helped with Drew’s brand development. Go ahead and ask…I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.
Another extension of Drew’s brand is his photo-a-day calendar. Using daily photos from his site BenSpark.com, Drew produces an annual calendar that he offers for sale, for which a portion of the funds go to charity. What a clever idea!
Insider Laurie
Laurie recently had a t-shirt made with her Twitter handle printed on it (I bet she got inspiration from Ted), and plans on wearing it at the upcoming SXSW event in Austin. This is a great way to not only engage other attendees and spark conversation, but it provides a way for Laurie’s readers to recognize her when they see her “out.”
Of course, involving yourself with local events (e.g., Tweetups, Meetups, etc.) or even starting your own group can lead to the growth of your own personal brand. Sure, it’s a little extra work–and sometimes money–but I guarantee the payoff will be well worth the effort.
Here are some additional ideas you might want to consider to brand yourself offline:
- Backpack or laptop bag
- Pens
- Business cards
- Luggage tags
- Flash drive
Do YOU have creative or innovative ways that you’ve branded yourself? Or know of someone who does an exceptional job? If so we’d love for you to share them with us.
