“I’ve noticed in other writers’ blogs there’s a tendency to…” 

began an Email from a client and fellow writer requesting my services to set up her new site.

It’s a common mistake I witness many writers making in their approach to blogging–trying to emulate what they view as the “standard” and hoping to “be like mike.”

Perhaps you’re one of them.

If so, today we’ll dispell common myths, and you’ll discover a better way to blog and brand your business, for optimal success.

There’s no doubt about it: bloggers blog for an array of reasons, whether professional or recreational. Some do, to vent frustrations of corporate life, while others indulge as a creative outlet for a hobby. Then there are those who use this popular medium to build a platform to attract an agent or publisher for future book projects.

The reasons are as diverse as Lady GAGA’s wardrobe!

But, whatever the reason, few would disagree, that if given the opportunity, they would certainly like to earn money for their efforts, and have something to show for their sweat equity. And here’s the good news: it can be done, through effective branding.

Think of it this way. Branding is to blogging what TV commercials are to marketing “household products” that we enjoy every day.

You know: the products with the catchy jingles that rewind in our mind even when we’re away from the boob tube. Or the 60-second spots that manage to convince us that if we purchase what they’re “selling” we’ll have whiter teeth, bouncin’ and behaving’ hair, or a more youthful appearance.

Blogging is not much different. With a little creativity, strategy, and proper execution, branding your blog can help you:

• Attract paying advertisers eager to sell their products or services to your readers and followers
• Establish you as an “expert” that clients hire to help increase their visibility and bottom line
• Place your work before agents and traditional publishers looking to provide contracts to those with talent, a built-in “following,“ and the “it” factor

But, in the words of Dr. Phil, “You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge first.”

With this in mind, here are 5 of the most common blunders bloggers make in branding their blogs, and as a result, lose out on potential income.

1. Not branding their blogs.  

Here’s a simple test to break through your blog fog and determine if you‘re on the “write“ path in establishing your virtual home.

• Does your blog have a logo or tag line?
• Do you have an “About Me” page that identifies who you are and the purpose of your site?
• How about a head shot in a prominent place that reflects who you are?
• Can visitors easily determine your blog’s theme and intended readership? Or do you have topics from art to zoology addressed in your posts?

These are all important aspects of branding your blog successfully and distinguishing yourself from thousands of other “vanilla” writers.

2. Trying to please everybody all the time.

In an effort to increase their popularity, and avoid alienating a segment of their readership, some bloggers try to be “all things to all people.” How can you know this?

These bloggers never address anything controversial.

Or they’ll make broad claims, that give more hype than help. Or their blog posts are all over the place: Monday’s post will be on make-up and cosmetics, Wednesday’s post will talk about pet care, and Thursday’s post might be on landscaping your lawn.  Consequently, readers never know what to expect when they arrive.

3. They’re inconsistent with their posting schedule.

I have a client that has huge talent and promising potential as a soon-to-be-famous novelist. She started a blog upon my recommendation a few years ago, and it has enabled her to hone her voice and stretch her creative muscles. Still, with all this to her credit, her growth has been stagnant, and traffic to her site minimal, simply because she blogs when the mood hits her–which sometimes translates into once a month, once a quarter, or once every full moon!

It’s important to recognize that repetition reinforces. Not only can frequent posting improve your Google Ranking, it also increases the likelihood that readers will remember  your site, and read your work well into the future.

4. Their site appears to be more recreational than professional.

Part of branding is determining how you want to be publicly perceived. Frequent “rants,” busy design themes, unusual fonts, and posts riddled with errors, “say” much more than the actual words in your posts every week.  If you’d like businesses, clients and advertisers to take you seriously and spend their time and money with you, you’ll need to spend some quality time in polishing your online image. There’s no way around it.

5. They think that branding efforts have to be big to be bodacious! 

Not true.

Blogging is simply a way to distinguish you and your business from competitors, and to position you in a unique, appealing, lasting manner.

Here’s a perfect example. Recently, I tuned into a talk radio show that a friend of mine recommended that I check out; the forum’s topic was on ways writers could  increase their earning potential. Much to my surprise, before the program was presented, the host asked listeners to pause for the cause, and join her in a few minutes of prayer to thank God for the opportunities and information that would be presented. Wow, that was different, (I thought to myself.)

This was not a “religious station,” so her actions definitely stood out and stuck in my mind.

Which further serves to illustrate my point that branding doesn’t have to be expensive or extensive, to be effective!

So writers, if you want to make an indelible impression on the mind of today’s busy  readers, keep these five timely tips in your mind, for optimal success.