Brand or Individual Recognition

When creating a website around a niche. Let's say Internet Marketing for example. Do you build the brand or the person creating the content?

In regards to social media accounts. You could have twitter, g+, youtube, facebook all be awesomesite.com username related or you could use your actual name and people would just associate you with the brand.

I ask this because I would buy stuff from a person, not from a brand unless it has some type of authority. I would buy from Amazon or Bestbuy, but not from Joe Smith selling the same phone.

Just curious on thoughts for branding in social media in relation to driving sales. I guess SEO can get a little messy if you don't pick one or the other too. For example, if you Google "Grant Cardone" (popular sales/motivation guy) You get all of his social profiles, books, courses etc. I guess he is the brand?

Any links, courses or books on branding you could point me too would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Depends if you have the personality. Look at Josh Bachynski. He's known for having the worst Moz whiteboard in its history and being a blowhard loser with an failed Indiegogo project. I think the SEO world is still LOLing at his claim to doing 1 link audit a day.

Why not both?
A thought leader should go for personal branding. Involving himself in society by giving good advice, helping others and making recomendations is much more rewarding rather than working under a brand. Check out Matthew Woodward > he's making a lot of money from recommending certain products.
On the other hand, working under a bigger brand implies working with a team. Different challenges, different rewards.
I guess in the end it's up to you, if you're an egomaniac, you should go for personal branding, but if you enjoy being part of something bigger than self than you should start building a brand.

Go with brand names, as people come an go, but brand names tend to stay.

http://www.bestglobalbrands.com/2014/ranking/

Of course, names can become brands, too, but I think that brand names, like microsoft, google and apple, for example, are better.
Named brands are Eddie Stobart, McDonalds, Jack Daniels, etc
Also, you can likely sell a business with a brand name, instead of a personal name.

Not too many ppl will want to buy your johnsmith.com website, but they would by myawesomebrand.com, cause it's generic and brands are not tied to people.

newklear said:

Why not both?
A thought leader should go for personal branding. Involving himself in society by giving good advice, helping others and making recomendations is much more rewarding rather than working under a brand. Check out Matthew Woodward > he's making a lot of money from recommending certain products.
On the other hand, working under a bigger brand implies working with a team. Different challenges, different rewards.
I guess in the end it's up to you, if you're an egomaniac, you should go for personal branding, but if you enjoy being part of something bigger than self than you should start building a brand.

Click to expand...

Speaking of blowhard loser. Matt makes money from recommending products and that's about it. I've yet to see any post from him about actually making money with those products. He stands on the shoulders of people searching for "solutions" and they get sold. At least people like Alex Becker do more than just market products. Ugh, don't get me started on that guy. Matt's the best at what he does, and a decent person. I'll give him that.

It makes more sense to build a brand name. Just curious how people are going about it.

Thanks!