No doubt you’ve heard that you must distinguish your MLM blog from the masses by infusing it with your personal brand. How do you do this?
I believe with a full package approach, consisting of your blog’s design, what you say on your blog and most importantly, how you say it. In this post I want to focus on your blog’s appearance since this is what people see first. This is where they get a first impression and make a decision about whether they want to explore your online HQ further or not.
What do you want your blog say about you ?
Firstly you want your blog to express who you are. How do you want others to perceive you? When you can communicate this effectively then you will attract like minded people to your blog. Secondly this must be tied in with what your business is about. Here are some examples that combine both of these requirements:
Your design might represent a hobby or interest you have.
For a good example of this see Michael Novak’s blog. Not only is the look of his blog quite distinctive but he has carried the theme through with his blog tag line too. Notice how he has cleverly combined Internet marketing with his interest.
Your design might represent your personality in some way.
For a good example of this see Brigitte Charlon’s blog. For Brigitte, lifestyle is very important. She lives half of her time in Hawaii and the rest she spends in Tahiti. When you read her bio you and you get to know her you will understand that her blog expresses who she is perfectly.
Your design might represent a business specialization
For a good example of this see Ana Hoffman’s blog which focuses on a particular business niche. Notice how Ana has creatively combined traffic generation with the cafe idea.
You can probably find more good examples of MLM blogs that express their messages clearly. If you have any you would like to share with us please leave these details in the comments section.
The most important advice I can give you is to make your design as unique as you can. You will do this when you are sure what it is you want to communicate about yourself.
The best way to determine this is to ask yourself some questions:
- What makes you, you?
- What are your gifts and talents?
- What interests and hobbies do you have?
- What is your background?
- What makes you different?
When you have the answers to these questions then you can set about deciding how you want to portray this on your blog.
What was the process you took to design the appearance of your MLM blog? Do you have any other tips for people who are just starting out with blogging? Leave your responses in the comments section and please share this post with your followers.
Post image: Sean Ratke
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Welcome! If you are new here reading this page first will help you get the most from my blog. 
Hi Marcus,
Great advice here, thanks for sharing Marcus.
Make your design, you. In essence your blog is an extension of your personality.
I am a happy dude who is no frills. Focused, directed and driven. I feel that my blog reflects this accurately, and more importantly I feel comfortable in it. For a while I wasn’t clear on my design, now I am
Ryan Biddulph
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Hi Ryan,
Good points you make here. Your blog communicates who you are brilliantly Ryan and others would do well to take a look at how you have achieved this.
People often think they have to spend a lot of money on blog designs but this is not necessarily the case. It starts with being sure about what one wants to communicate.
Feeling comfortable in it is what tells one whether one is on the right track. Thanks for adding this important indicator.
~Marcus
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If your business demands more specialized customization, our team of experienced designers can handle virtually any project you can dream up!
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[...] This post was Twitted by prfuller [...]
Hello Marcus
For me I like simple and clean with one major focus, the opt-in
Some great examples you gave, I love the surfer girl
Peter Fuller MBA recently posted..Attention this book will make you MONEY
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Hi Peter,
Knowing what you want and what you want others to see is the key and you are very clear on that. Your blog design is exactly as you say.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
This is something I am looking into at the moment. I have ideas on how my blog should look and you have given me a few more ideas.
Tristram Lodge
Tristram Lodge recently posted..What’s Your Personality Type
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Hi Tristram,
Excellent! Taking your time is not a bad thing because unless you can do all the design work yourself it can be very costly when one keeps on changing the appearance of one’s blog. I look forward to seeing what you come up with Tristram.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
Having a brand shine through your blog that speaks to who you are, makes so much sense. It ensures there is some congruency.
BTW – You picked out some great examples of who does this really well.
Have a great day,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff recently posted..6 Prospecting Habits You Never Want to Have
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Hi Jerome,
Appreciate your comment as usual. I could have chosen a lot of blogs but I thought those three demonstrated the differences very nicely.
~Marcus
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I am very flattered, Marcus, to be included in your blog.
To me, unique = memorable.
Being visible online is all about recognition; it’s all about “I’ve see this face/name somewhere – they must be really good at what they do”.
Once again, thank you.
Best,
Ana Hoffman
PS Why aren’t you in my FB commenting group again?
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=300451417921
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe recently posted..Bloggers Get on Board – Or Else…
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Hi Ana,
You are very welcome. Your blog is awesome. I love the design and focus.
By the way I re-worked the post slightly and published at Better Networker too so why not vote and share it there too. The more exposure it gets the more people will be led to your blog too.
http://www.betternetworker.com/articles/view/marketing/blogging/what-does-your-mlm-blogs-design-say-about-you
Not sure why I’m not part of your commenting group but heading over there now.
~Marcus
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Hello Marcus,
First up, great blog you have here.
I also think it is important to add that personal touch to your blog. It is important to stand out from the crowd and distinguish yourself from everyone else.
Creating a brand for yourself is one of the best things you can do in network marketing, as it is a great step in becoming a leader in this industry.
Josh recently posted..Top Network Marketing Companies
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 8:24 am
Hi Josh,
Welcome to you and thank you for your kind comment.
People often ask me what they need to do to create a brand and I always say just be YOU since that will always be unique but there is always the illusory pull to be like someone else. It’s funny how insecure we can be sometimes.
~Marcus
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Marcus
I have to say these were 3 perfect blogs they perfectly matched the descriptions you gave them.
I had seen 2 out of the 3. I followed the link to the surfer girl blog man that is great it really reflects a fun loving personality and nice globe by the way
.
My blog is close I want it to rep social media that is why I try to include something from all the big 3.
Great Job,
Steve Shoemaker
steve shoemaker recently posted..Ten Twitter Tools I Twuly Love
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Marcus Baker Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the feedback my friend. I chose those three blogs because I thought the were very distinctive and clear in their message.
Your blog is looking great by the way and the value offer especially re social media some of the best I see so that is a great angle for you to use for branding.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
I like the soft sell approach that is why choose to use WordPress to design my MLM blog. Its a clean and simple blog
Doug
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Your blog’s appearance is important but what’s really important is what you write. Learning how to write for your blog is easy: First, be inspired. Second, be creative, and third, put it into words. It’s not as difficult as it seems.
Mary Anne Lewis recently posted..Having Trouble Writing Articles for Article Marketing
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 4th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Hi Mary Anne,
I agree with you, once someone has dug down a little deeper beyond the outer wrapping what is left? I think being inspired is definitely the best starting point. If we are doing what inspires us it will not be difficult to write posts in alignment with our truth.
I appreciate your comment.
~Marcus
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I like a clean and simple design. Appearance and personal touch is important but the most important is the content of your blog.
jerry dodson recently posted..The Quit India speech by Mahatma Gandhi August 8th 1942
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 21st, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Hi Jerry,
The design is really only the wrapping like you say. Once one looks beneath the design the content has to match the design if we are going to attract and keep readers. Excellent point.
Thank you for adding to the discussion.
~Marcus
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Recently, I’ve already read several posts from blogs but some of them are not so good to read. I like a blog that is very simple but meaningful, something to treasure about and unique. In most cases, they have the same topics and discussions but different titles. A creative and unique content is very much appreciated.
Andrew recently posted..Credit Cards Australia
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Marcus Baker Reply:
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:12 am
HI Andrew,
Welcome and thanks for leaving a comment. I agree with you, finding blog that delivers unique and creative content is refreshing as there is a lot around that is similar.
~Marcus
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Hi Joel,
Thanks for the comment. I am pleased you found the post useful.
~Marcus
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