In a recent interview with Dan Schawbel at the Personal Branding Blog, Darren Rowse, the original Pro Blogger and co-author with Chris Garrett of the new book ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to A Six-Figure Income, talks about how he uses blogs and social media to connect with his audience and build a globally-recognized brand:

“I see my blogging as one important component in my overall personal brand. For me blogging is definitely a foundational part of my brand but also important are other elements such as social media presence (using tools like Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, etc.), the book (which opens up new opportunities offline), speaking at conferences, etc.

Blogging is a fantastic tool in this mix because it enables you to build trust and develop an ongoing relationship with those who read it. I liken it to real life relationships - when you meet up with someone every day for a few years and they catch glimpses of different sides of you over that time a deep relationship can open up—this is the opportunity that blogging affords people.”

Darren says that direct revenue from your blog is just one small part of the benefits of writing online. A more indirect but profitable benefit of branding yourself with a blog is establishing yourself as an expert, which opens the potential for speaking, landing a book deal, and selling related services or products. Read the rest of Dan Schawbel’s interview with Darren Rowse here: Darren Rowse Interview: Brand Yourself Like a ProBlogger

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