As you learned from my Myers-Briggs self-assessment, I’m the kind of guy that rather blend in than stand out in a crowd. That means I can produce killer content, but don’t get a gold medal when it comes to self-promotion.
As I was sitting in traffic this morning thinking up ways to promote my blog offline, it occurred to me that a great opportunity could be staring me right in the face…literally.
What about a vanity license plate?
PROS
Promotion: For a $50 fee and $31.25 annually, my blog’s name will be visible to everyone who spots my car. In this day and age of “Googling” everything that strikes an interest, I’m sure the name might stick with a few people who will search it at a later date.
Forced promotion: Growing up my dad had a vanity plate at one point, it was an acronym comprised of our family member’s first initials. I can recall several times when he was questioned on the plate’s meaning. Every query is a chance to promote my blog to a stranger.
Brand awareness: It also helps raise general brand awareness. When driving 12k miles a year, someone is bound to notice the name. If they happen to see it again down the road, the seeds have already been planted.
CONS
Drivers can “find” me: Anyone who has driven a vehicle knows how a perceived action can turn a mild-mannered individual into a raging lunatic. If that guy thinks I cut him off on Broadway and is pissed off, he might end up slamming my blog – or worse yet – combing through domain records and associations to track me down.
Anonymity shattered: As much as I strive for world blog domination, I don’t want everyone to know what I do in my spare time. A license plate would make it difficult to hide the blog from work colleagues, friends, neighbors, etc. Vanity plates also are easier to remember than random plates, therefore they are more likely to get tied to the scene of an accident – even if you were not involved.
I’ve been going back and forth on the idea. I feel fortunate that my blog name is short and available in my state, but am unsure that I want to take on that level of transparency.
What do you think? Is a vanity license plate a worthwhile vehicle to promote your blog or business?
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