PB122: Should You Blog Anonymously or Use Your Real Name?

Do you associate your name with your blog? Today, I am talking about whether you should use your real name when blogging or blog anonymously. Often times, bloggers introduce themselves to me and then say they blog anonymously. There are definite advantages of using your name and definite advantages of blogging anonymously. I am going to talk about some of the different options that are open to you that may be in between each choice. This is one of the decisions that bloggers face when starting a blog. Most at least ponder the question. Many use their real names straight away, but others really grapple with this decision. Note: this episode can be listened to in the player above or on iTunes or Stitcher In Today’s Episode: Using Your Real Name and Other Options Blog under your personal name and promote it prominently on your blog (this is what I’ve done here on ProBlogger). Perhaps the most extreme version of this is when you make your domain name your actual name. Blog under your personal name but don’t really promote yourself (this is what I’ve done on DPS – my name is on the about page and on any articles I wrote but not much more. Blog under an alias or just part of your name and promote that name. Some examples of this - early on on ProBlogger we had a writer who wrote for us called Skellie. Her blog was the same name - but it wasn’t her real name. Aussie blogger Mrs Woog is another good example. She blogged as Mrs Woog at WoogsWorld. An alternative to this might be using a maiden name rather than a married name if you have one - or visa versa - one for personal use and one for professional use. Blog without any name on your blog at all – letting the content speak for itself. This anonymous blogging has been done by many people over the years - for different reasons. So which is the best option? On ProBlogger I’ve always been blogging under my name, including it in the byline of my posts, I have a prominent about page, the blog is written in a personal tone, including personal details of my life and video and pictures of myself. On dPS however I took a different approach from day #1. While I always used my name as bylines on my articles and had it on my about and contact pages. I never really went out of my way to make the blog about me. I guess this was even reflected in the type of name I chose for the site. Digital Photography School communicates a brand that is a center for learning while ProBlogger feels more about a person (whether that is the author or the reader). I guess my point is to say that a variety of approaches can work and the decision is totally yours. There Are a Number of Factors to Consider: The topic - as I’ve already said - some topics probably lend themselves more to being transparent about who you are. The style of content - DPS was never a story telling type blog. It was about the content. The medium of content - if you’re purely producing text content you may run into less issues around your identity than if you’re posting pictures and video. Your long term plans - try to picture a few years forward about what you want to achieve with your blog. While it can be hard to do if you have clear goals this can impact your decision. do you want your blog to be a multi author blog? If so it might be advantageous to not make the blog fully about you if you ever choose to step away from your blog and sell. It can be quite helpful to have a blog that isn’t all about you personally. Monetization methods - some ways of making money blogging might be more suited to a more personal and transparent approach Banner ads, no worries about who you are Consultant, speaker or coach, people need to know who you are Influencer, you need a personal connection Ebook, course, etc. Better to be more open about who you are Anonymous bloggers still may be able to do these things, but it is more challenging