“Blogging is extremely important, but it’s very hard to be successful now because there are so many blogs,”

Uh oh.

“To stand out you have to figure out your niche by doing research online and finding somewhere in the marketplace that isn’t completely saturated.”

Movie blogs aren’t a completely saturated marketplace are they? I’ve got my work cut out for me… These quotes are from an article I read on CNN about a week ago.  It’s an article about branding yourself online.  A idea I find quite interesting.  Especially throughout the last year.  In an earlier blog post, I wrote about no money marketing. Essentially, it outlined the remarkable new tools a company has to market themselves online for next to nothing.

I was bored a few years ago and drew this. 17W's future home. Lots of studio space in there.

My company, 17 West Productions is well represented on the web. (The complete list is detailed in the post.) Now it’s just a matter of creating memorable movies and watch the traffic flock to our various sites around the net. I’ve been watching our traffic closely since 17west.ca launched last January. Movies = Traffic.  We don’t have any projects until 2010 but when we do the traffic will spike like it did when we produced Playing Through and started casting Strings.  Essentially, the site depends on our movies to thrive.  As long as we keep making movies and update regularly, the traffic will come.  (With at least 3 short films planned for 2010 I sure hope so.)

However, it’s entirely different for Jason McKinnon. (Me)

Self branding isn’t nearly as simple to gain a high search ranking or a ton of hits from around the world.  In my opinion, the first step to self branding is to create a unique website beyond twitter, facebook or other social networking sites.  I chose to create a portfolio site called jaymckinnon.com and launched it late in September. I designed it for three reasons:

1. To point people to the work I’ve done as a filmmaker and editor.
2. To further advertise 17 West and our films.
3. To create a site that advertises my personal brand. (Sounds strange but it’s important.)

All I need now is traffic… Don’t worry I have a plan.

It’s important to drive traffic to my site by offering a different take on Film and Television. So my number 1 priority is content. There are probably millions of movie blogs out there. Why is mine any different? (I’m forcing myself to sum up my brand in a sentence…) My blog is about being a fan and a professional in the industry. (Sentence over. I will now elaborate.)

I’ve been a professional editor working in sports for nearly 4 years and I love it. I work on the technical side of the industry everyday so naturally, I love technology and gadgets. I like to think I’ve found a good balance between being technical and creative. I don’t think there is a better job to have that mixes creativity and technical knowledge.  This is an aspect of this blog I feel is unique.   In addition to my career, I’ve been working as hard as possible to break into filmmaking through my company and my writing. I like to think of it as a welcomed addiction. I’ve been writing screenplays for years and consider it my number 1 passion. I suppose you could say I have a lot of love for this industry and I back it up with ambition.

I freely admit I haven’t totally broken in yet but I do know movies and I’m completely obsessed with them. Most of the blogs I’ve read offer news and reviews. I’m taking that approach a bit further. My blog is professional and personal. Visiting everyday will definitely give you an idea of my personality. My brand. A look at breaking into the industry from multiple angles and remaining faithful to the inspiration that got me this far.

So why not go back and revisit the movies that ignited my passion for the industry? Why not write about why I love films, television and technology? I’m going to write about professional sports and behind the scenes of a major network because I love it. I’m going to write about the software and hardware I use to further my ambitions. I’m going to write about web design and motion graphics and the creativity the subjects have inspired in me. I’m going to write about the movies I love and the ones I want to make because I can’t think of a better way to make a living.

So how do you go about creating your personal brand? James says the first step is to be clear about your strengths and your core values. Your brand identity needs to be a clear message of who you are and what you have to offer.

I’m a passionate guy. Some people may think that the topics on this site lack a singular focus. For example, why not write only about films? What can I say? I have a ton of hobbies and interests and I’m obsessed with each and every one of them. At the end of the day they all share one defining attribute. Me.

If all that strikes you as simply blowing your own trumpet, then you’d be right.

“In a sense, it is shameless self publicity,” James told CNN.

It does seem like I’m blowing my own trumpet I suppose. I don’t sound arrogant do I? Hope not. Not my intention. Moving on…

THE NEXT STEP: My mission of creating a brand for my company is well on it’s way. (More on that in a later post.) My personal brand is still a work in progress. Content still comes first but I think the blog’s look needs to go beyond the standard WordPress theme I’m using. Something more customized that better reflects me. I’m pretty pumped to see where this goes.

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 of my self branding feature.  I’m going to post it in 3…2…now.

Related Posts

• I Like Working
• 17 West Year In Review
• JAYMCKINNON.COM Home Page Redesign
• My Network of Movie Websites
• 17 West Productions UPDATE