Bloggers Debate Anonymity vs Branding

January 12, 2009

The Black entertainment blogging game may seem like low-hanging fruit for people new to the game, but as any successful blogger will tell you, it was no cake walk to get where they are today. Most entertainment bloggers do so anonymously through a catchy pseudonym and a faceless presence, but with these blogs getting more prominence through the media and getting shouts from Black celebrities, some eventually show a face and supply a name to solidify their brand.

Case in point: the popular entertainment blogger Necole Bitchie. The Atlanta-based blogger recently revealed a new professional image at the head of her blog courtesy of photographer Derek Blanks for the site’s one year anniversary after Christmas 2008. Other popular entertainment sites have also added a similar layer of transparency, such as Sandra Rose or Natasha Eubanks at YBF.

Stepping out of the entertainment game, many political and social justice bloggers stepped out of the shadow of anonymity thanks in large part to the recent Presidential campaign. Cheryl Contee, L.N. Rock, and Baratunde Thurston are just a few who became known fixtures once their respective blogs garnered an audience and suitable mainstream recognition.

I think for a lot of bloggers, starting off anonymously is a safe bet. If you don’t gather a following or you just tired of the routine of updating, you can get rid of it with no trace. But when you get the hang of updates and start to realize the social, professional, and possible monetary benefits of blogging, most anonymous bloggers start to shed their anonymous image (or at least craft their image to have two separate personas), And there’s the tipping point from anonymity to “branding”. Branding comes into place more when there’s an audience or either money or mainstream recognition to benefit from your blog. Anything else is pretty much anonymity. It really depends on the individual.

What do you think? Anonymity or branding — what side of the fence are you on?

Category: Blogging, Digital Media, web 2.0 | Tags: anonymity, Blogging

Warren

It depends on the genre of blog. It's one thing to have a photo of yourself in the blog's sidebar or staff page, but I take exception to creating this entire culture of one's self, especially if you are a gossip blogger profitting from the exploits of public figures. So many Black bloggers are using the Perez Hilton model in order to get paid, rather than doing something fresh and unique that would warrant such branding.

Nokware Knight

I think both, but the brand has to always be bigger than any individual blogger. Otherwise, the blog has no real longevity. If something ever happens to the blogger the the whole business goes kaput.

It's the same problem I have with moguls like Diddy. While he is a great self promoter and knows how to run a business, what happens when he can't work anymore or if he passes away tomorrow? The Bad Boy empire might as well die with him, because he has might it little more than an extension of himself.

m.dot

Funny, I am in the middle of moving from being anonymous to
writing under my legal name.

There are three reasons for this. A, I think I may self publish a book about the Crack Epidemic and distribute it via the blog, so branding helps.
B, in December, it was annoying explaining to people at blog related events that "I am M.dot" as opposed to just being able to be myself.

I also realize that in being visible, I am showing others how to do so as well.

Anonymity provided space for me to cultivate my voice. Now the voice is clear, and I can make myself known.

Nukirk Digi.tal

Anonymity is good for starting out, but then when it does get popular, you might as well try to show the people behind it... that's if they have not already look you up!

Teech

I think "coming out" is a credibility booster as long as your professional credibility matches up. I contemplated the subject myself for a while.

Shannon

Good article. Hopefully it starts a trend and more bloggers start to do the same. In this day and age too many people get away with murder by casting stones behind their computer screens. Bloggers should start standing up and holding responsibility for their actions and words or they will just be looked at as cowards.

Teech

Just curious: What if your blogger persona/content (or personal life) don't mesh well with your professional life? For example: a corporate exec who blogs about her religion. Its her personal life and has no bearing on how she performs as an employee, but the popular opinion of her religion could effect work relationshipsprevent her from getting hired. If she a coward for protecting her professional best interests? What about gay bloggers?

Lamar

This is something we've been slowly doing on our personal blog (me and my wife). I figure you'll never make it to Oprah's couch with a pen name.

The anonymous thing was cool at first but now as we start to get more media attention it's time to step out.

DJ Diva

When I started my new job in NYC after living in the South for two years...and someone said "Hey You're DJ Diva" and I had only been working here 2 days in a managerial capacity...I knew it was time to out myself. I had to shut down my personal blog and come clean to my bosses. They took it well and even paid for me to DJ the dept xmas party...They like to brag about having a DJ in the office...

Muhammad

The choice is on the blogger. However, without personal branding there's no Oprah, Tyra, Martha nor Ellen. If your are in it be in it to win it.