Branding etc.

The reading this week talked a lot about branding, especially in regards to blogs.  Chapter 10 in Newsonomics says, "It is no longer enough just to create good or great work... It's all about getting your brand, your story, and yourself out there and having others multiply your impact."  I found this to be a really important and critical point.  With so many blogs out there, it is really important to make yours stand out by having a "brand", or something that sets you apart from everybody else and makes you unique.  I have set up a couple blogs in the past, just to talk about my study abroad experiences etc. and this is something I struggled with.  Do I want to be the quirky/geeky writer? Do I want to be the knowledgeable traveler? Or do I want to be the writer just bumbling through life with a few helpful hints along the way? I still don't really know.  Then, once you decide on an image, how do you go about marketing yourself and your image to the right people so you succeed in you ventures?  This is something I'd really like to explore a little bit more throughout the rest of the semester.  I recently started a blog about my experience applying for a semester in France and I plan to continue this blog all though my semester abroad in the Spring.  I think knowing how to brand myself will help me and my blog succeed in the coming year.