How Guest Blogging Behind The Mask Can Affect your Business

{ 83 Responses }

1. Dave Lucas says:
   ...which brings us to the idea of "blog branding" via the use of a logo and/or graphic... something I'm planning a blog post about (should be up later in the week)... Blog On!
2. Brock Blohm says:
   I can definitely understand why people want to keep their identity hidden. Especially if they aren't sure if they will fail or not. Sometimes people to want to receive a follow base and then decide they have to hang up their hat and all of the people will recognize them as quitter or failure. So they kept their identity hidden. Start out right - and tell people who you really are :) People want to know!
3. Acai Berry says:
   I enjoy learning about people and seeing who I am dealing with everyday. But I can also understand people keeping their true identity hidden..sort of an online persona vs. real life. I try and see the value in the content of the person and if I think something is not on the up and up, I move on. Really great post!
4. abu bakar says:
   Agreed, It’s hard at first — especially for writers because most work is edited. But practice and the realization it helps you become a better writer eases the “personalizing” of things. It’s a great business skill.This is my first time I have visited this site. I found a lot of interesting information in your blog. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one! keep up the good work.i work on this topic.
5. Suresh Khanal says:
   Might be I'm also of shy nature and afraid to face people. I used my nickname shkhanal only for some time but soon I realized that my name is brand and I must use my real name if I wish to prove credibility. I thought people like to talk to girls rather than men. Silly me, I used a girl's name on some forum for some time. As I grew and became aware of online world, this is not the case. People care not really what I am but its what I offer. I'm more educated - the time and experience taught me. Your post will help lot of new comers to avoid this mistake and make a correct start without wasting time.
6. Caleb says:
   Guest posting is the very thing a newbie needs in order to introduce themselves to the blogosphere especially if it's done on a popular blog like this one;therefore, it makes no sense to not be YOU!(I suspect ppl who do this are using a classic gimmick technique) I have a guest post in the que of this blog right now awaiting approval where I not only reveal more of myself but actually tell my history because I want ppl to know who I AM and they will either love it or hate it, but this is far better than being loved or hated for something fake. Ppl respect realness whether it's positive or negative and as the saying goes, "Real recognizes real!"
   • Hesham says:
     Caleb, These are good points, I will take a look into your post tomorrow when I have a chance to see when we can publish it! Many thanks for the comprehensive comment!
7. Steve says:
   I tend to avoid being right out there because of a full-time job and I don't want them to think there is some kind of conflict.
   • Caleb says:
     The only "conflict" is in your mind unless you have signed some legal contract stating you will not divulge certain things from the job yet you do it anyway on your blog.
     • Hesham says:
       I agree with that Caleb!
8. Alvin Lim says:
   The only people I am afraid of and hiding from them are my bosses. I am blogging as part time. I wish I could achieve the full time blogging target one day and without hiding from anyone.
   • Hesham says:
     This is the most popular reason Alvin, thank you for stopping by and I wish you good luck!
9. TJ McDowell says:
   Interesting post. I think this type of thing has been going on for much longer than blogging has been around though. Think of pen names used in the past for various reasons. Even Mark Twain was a fictitious name. Maybe there are some valid reasons not to reveal your identity. Or maybe they just don't like their name =)
   • Hesham says:
     I think they didn't like their names or the sound of their names :)
10. element321 says:
    Nice write up Hesham, When I started using the internet and using bulletin boards, message boards, IRC, ICQ, AIM, MMORPGs, and other services, I always try and use the same handle or something similar. Then I started building a social media account, I never thought about, I used my handle. Now I am trying to slowly migrate over to using my real name when I use social media and only use my handle when playing video games and on social networks related to those games. Now I believe we should be sharing our real name (at least the first) and our picture. Not a logo, random picture, or a cartoon image of ourselves. Unless you have to be nameless because of business or government reasons.
    • Hesham says:
      Great.. great.. this is a nice one James, your handle for social media gaming and your real name for business, I like that! Nice to hear your story :)
11. Carol Frome says:
    I agree with you, Hesham, about using your real identity. Yet, I do have one more reason why some writers do not use their real name: I used a pen name when I wrote for one of the big content mills. It's not unusual for their editors to introduce grammatical and factual errors to the copy, so writers there quickly learn to use a pen name. Also, the style they demand just embarrasses me. You have to use the style of a telegram, which hardly shows off a good writer's best abilities. Better to go off and do some guest blogs in your real name and let the content mill articles hide behind a pen name. Everyone wins.
    • Hesham says:
      As I said before in one of the comments below, I really don't have a problem with "Pen Names", and wow! Thank you for info, now it's more clear to me why writers use Pan Names! Oh! and welcome to our great pens world :)
12. Isabel Rodrigues - Pro Blogger Journey says:
    If your considering long term I would want to portray my true identity. This includes blog commenting, social media marketing and others. For example if I am using my photo in gravatar while blog commenting and may be similar photo on social media websites its very easy for people to recognize me. This will enable me to grow my audience and its someway builds a bit of bonding with my audience. I will not want to hide myself behind a mask.
    • Hesham says:
      Isabel, this is so true, this will help your personal branding, I myself try to use the same photo for all my social profiles and on gravatar.com Very good!
13. Robosmith says:
    Hi Hesham. I don't blog behind a mask but that means I don't blog. I am afraid of the future implications and the permanence of the web. I want you to tell me that it will all be alright but I won't necessarily believe you. Suppose I blog about my relationship with my disabled son. He'll be an adult in 10 years and can discover the discussion. Suppose I joke about a bomb #twitterjoketrial. It is too difficult and complex to assess all the possibilities before putting yourself out there. We are, after all, publishing/broadcasting, and in the olden days everything used to go through editors and be passed by 'legal'. What makes you think it is safe? How do you know you won't attract a crazy. How can I overcome this irrational fear of putting myself out there, in public view? Please support me in my recovery.
    • Hesham says:
      Hi Robosmith, I am not a wizard so I can tell the future of the internet will be safe, although all wizards tells lies (in my personal opinion!) But, come on, it's a complicated world.. offline life is same as online, you are the same person, you are reachable by some how online, there is no place to hide actually! I some how feels you, I don't think anyone should blog deep about her/his personal life, but I can not think of blogging behind a mask as I am really serious about what I am doing! Final thought, when someone is living a straight life, and they don't have anything to hide, then there is nothing to worry about!
14. Kimi says:
    I think there is no rule to show your true identity. Especially nowadays, being on the Internet can be dangerous for everyone. It would be better if we don't hide our identities, but i won't complain if someone does hide it. Eventhough i would be just curious who they truly are LOL. Thanks for sharing Hesham!
    • Hesham says:
      Kiki, you are right, there is no rules, but there are always things we agree on! I am trying here to create our own laws at FB, and this leaded me to require real identity or at least a pen name and a real blog (not a company website!) As a results of curiosity I would like to know who they are like you, but for real, this will help me a lot to introduce those bloggers to our community once they guest post for us, and I will not look like weired guy who runs a multi-authors blog that no body knows who they really are :)
      • Kimi says:
        I agree on that! There should be no identity masking in FB, because i feel like we are friends in reality here, to know another bloggers better. If they want to use company name, then it is obvious what they want, "SEO" link ;) Have a nice day, Hesham.
        • Hesham says:
          The good thing is I having some success changing people's minds from time to time ;)
          • Kimi says:
            Oh great, that's my weakness, i can't do that! LOL
15. Latief says:
    I remembered the day before I decided to blog seriously and declare my self as a blogger. For few social networking, even facebook I'm using another identity :D But after I really want to become a blogger and I want people know that I'm a blogger I always use my real Identity because blogging is not illegal activities :D I just wondering why people afraid to use their identity? One thing Hesham, I don't like if someone using cartoon or superhero stuffs in their gravatar :D its ridiculous to connect and build relationship or business with people like this :D
    • Hesham says:
      Oh! True! I used a carton thing before as my avatar, I was doing it for fun because I draw it by self following some nice tutorial haha, but I changed that when I first started FamousBloggers.net :)
16. Lertno says:
    It's nice to know who is running the blog but then again they could be lying. If the blog is that good and you enjoy it that much it shouldn't really make a difference.
    • Hesham says:
      Yes Lertno , but we are not talking about someone who read and leave, we are talking the whole thing.. building relationships! Business! Someone who is selling you a product, and trust..etc!
17. bryan says:
    Hey Hesham, I think there is nothing wrong showing your real identity and true face. No one will actually physically come after you for saying the wrong things. I'm sure with the real identity and true face, you will be more likely to post something of value and of good quality. Hiding behind an alias is something I don't quite agree with and having your real name is key to building your personal brand. They don't want to know me as The Blogging Guy instead of Bryan isn't it? There are already tons of "the blogging guy"
    • Hesham says:
      Bryan, you are right.. And I am talking here about someone who blog and do business, if you want to reach her/him you will be able to, if you want to meet the person then this is cool! It's all about being reachable by other as you run a long term successful business, and this is the point of treating your blogging as a business, it's your online office, you are real! So.. it feels good to know you agree with me ;)
18. Alex says:
    Although having a picture and sharing your identity online is something that will build trust with others you don't need to do this all the time. For example, some big companies don't have a human face attached, and millions of people are flocking to buy from them and have high authority. Maybe lots of people want to build a brand and that's why they don't want to start a business with their personal picture associated with that website. All in one I think it depends on what type of website, business you are in. Some may require to share your personal information while others only need a brand to interact too.
    • Hesham says:
      Hi Alex , Dealing with companies is very different from what we are talking about here because blogging is a very personal thing! And usually you can reach a company easily just by finding their address which should be real! I agree with your second point, I personally haven't attached my person photo to this blog for example, it's called famousbloggers.net and I am not famous bloggers haha, this is why it has it's own brand that I am promoting! but you always can know the persons behind the blog if you check the "about us" page! I got the point at the end of reading your comment, this is true Alex .. but things will not work in the long term and especially if we talk about blogging and business together! Thank you very much for your comment, I really appreciate it
19. raybak says:
    my blog doesn't need me to unveil my identity so i can use a mask. I will start more blogs if this one gets a success and if required I will use my real name & pic.
    • Hesham says:
      This is another point of view, we invent what we need, and we do what we have to do! Thank you for stopping by!
20. Chadrack says:
    Must agree with you on some points here. Some time ago I wrote a post on why bloggers should use a gravatar. Of course not many people will want to put their photos out there. But if branding is anything to go by, then getting it right from the begining is crucial.
    • Hesham says:
      Hey Chadrack , Branding is important, at least for us, me or you! but maybe it's not important at all for others! What will happen if someone upload what ever photo on the internet? simply I won't discover that haha
21. Extreme John says:
    I prefer to just blog and throw it out there. Some things I might night mention either because I don't feel it's anyone's business or because I assume that people probably couldn't care less.
    • Hesham says:
      John, I think you can't! you actually can't blog with a different name and identity .. I mean what for?! I believe you never thought about doing it haha To me.. You are a person who knows the difference between making money online and running a business!
      • Extreme John says:
        When it comes to my personal blog that's one thing, but I write posts for my business blog as well and there I am usually a hot girl.
        • Hesham says:
          This is how it should be haha
22. Andy says:
    I don't really agree with this post. I've seen dozens of Guest Posts under pseudonyms, and it doesn't matter. Besides, how do we know Hesham is your real name? As long as you have a consistent online identity, it doesn't matter how that relates to your offline personality.
    • Hesham says:
      Andy, maybe it doesn't matter for you, but for me it's very important to know the writer and the person! If you want to make sure that Hesham is my real name and I am the person who is blogging here, you can simply subscribe to the blog! you will reach me, and you will know it's me! Thank you for your opinion, I really appreciate it
23. Mayur says:
    I don't think blogging can be called as a business unless you are earning some serious deal out of it by marketing or whatsoever. If it was a business people would start blogging instead of doing a day job right at the first place. Also i like to stay alone in my room in front of the PC but that does not mean i am afraid to face people. I can understand that and this is some real nice article, Hesham. I have never done guest blogging before but i am looking forward to do it.
    • Hesham says:
      Actually I won't call blogging a business even if someone is making a living from it! In my opinion.. Blogging is not a business unless it has business requirements and setup! Thank you Mayur for the honest comment! I really appreciate it.
24. David says:
    Thanks it is not true with me.
    • Hesham says:
      Hey David! thanks for stopping by.. it would be better if you share your reasons! But ..well.. understood!
25. John Paul says:
    haha Great psot my friend. I have to agree 1000%. To be successful as a blogger you need trust. How can you get that trust from your readers if you do not trust them enough to share your real name and photo? It's a ridiculous thing to do. Sharing your name and picture doesn't hurt your privacy at all.. many people have your name, and a few pictures will not make you a target. As far as building your brand.. I think no matter what you do online.. YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. Sharing your name and a photo doesn't take away from your brand. Look at Garry V.. the man is a brand machine.. he is the wine and social media guy.. yet that dudes name and photo is everywhereeeeee haha His brand is just fine. You have to be willing to share a lil bit about you and your life, to be a successful blogger long term..PERIOD! Think about it.. all the TOP bloggers out there.. none of them stay hidden. Rowse, Shoemoney, Chow, Brogan and 100 others.. you know their names, you know their face and to a point you know their life. Privacy is important.. but your name and photo will have no effect on your privacy.
    • Hesham says:
      Hey John :) I have no doubt that we agree on many things haha One very interesting thing I've discovered by reading comments on this post, which is many don't realize the difference between "making money online" and running "online business"!!
26. Joshua Dorkin says:
    Nice writeup . . . I'm glad that you found my article about people hiding their identities on social media to be worthy of sharing.
    • Hesham says:
      Oh! Since I read your post and I am considering my post as a follow up! Keep up the good work Joshua
27. Abhimanyu Singhal says:
    Really nice article there. I think most people write guest posts behind the mask because they are afraid to face the people.
    • Hesham says:
      Thanks for your opinion Abhimanyu , I really appreciate it!
28. Ben Johnson says:
    very nice article Hesham, it made me place my own photo :)
    • Hesham says:
      WOW! This is amazing Ben, really amazing! Your photo remind me with an old friend of mine! Cool! You really have a great pen Ben, so glad you take this decision! And by the way, you was the only one I accepted his writing without arguing too much about the picture because I respect your position and I feel that I know you! P.S. you are not the first, but you was the hardiest to convert lol! Amazing.. I am still shocked haha
      • Ben Johnson says:
        Thanks Hisham, for your wonderful compliments. I respect you as well, that's why as a professional blogger, I feel this place as my second home :) Thanks for keep accepting my post, It is my pleasure to write a blog like famousbloggers.net and I love the way you write I mean your writing style , it is very simple and understandable, specially your topics. P.S. by the way your are right here, I am a bit difficult Prospect :)
29. The Bad Blogger says:
    First of all, I don't think hiding identity or behind the mask is wrong, it is up to personal to decide, for example, I use the nick "The Bad Blogger" and the reason I do not use my real name is because my real name doesn't sound so nice and is hard for people to remember. Secondly, if you are doing multiple niches, for example if you are selling in the "make money blogging niche" using the name "Hesham" and on another blog you are selling in the "health niche" using again the same name "Hesham" and when people found out that you are the same person from the "make money blogging" niche... guess what will the health niche market people think of you.... Just look at Frank Kern for example, he doesn't use Frank Kern when he is selling in the dog niches... why is it so... because he knows, if he is going to use his real name selling in Dog niche market then people in the dog niche will think he might be a scam... There is a certain point where u need to use ur real identity, but in online selling of more then 2 different niche... it is recommended to use what I call "Pen Name" which is actually not about all the points you had mention... because you need to get a name that suit not just ur market but making them remember you easier.... Anyway... as I had said, is all about personal thought and what I had just said, was just my answer for you....
    • Hesham says:
      I actually didn't mean it's wrong as a bad behavior, and of course I understand that there are a lot of motivations that makes someone blog behind a mask! My problem is I have a role for guest blogging that requires a personal photo and a real blog to try increase credibility and stop paid writers and link builders who wants to take advantage by calling themselves guest bloggers! Really nice comment, eye opening! Damn, you convinced me haha
30. Mani Viswanathan says:
    It's better to be in front & blog. When you guest post & get popularity that obviously means your content is appealing to the audience. So imagine how much popularity your business would get in case you start your own blog.
    • Hesham says:
      My problem is getting real bloggers on board of this blog, not marketer or link builders!
31. Kevin Douglas says:
    I'm one of those "anonymous" bloggers you're referring to, Hesham. My reasoning is pretty simple. I prefer to promote my brand first and not myself. If/when I begin consulting or another high profile business venture, I will definitely add a picture of myself, so everyone can see and love me more. ;) At this point and time, I haven't seriously begun monetizing my blog, other than a few affiliate links here and there. At some point, if you want to make serious income, yes, stepping from behind the curtain will be required. But for those of us who aren't full-time bloggers yet, we have the option of building our audiences anonymously while we work full-time jobs. And we sometimes like to complain about those 9 to 5 curses! I'm not cheating, a spammer, or scared to face people. I believe we buy and use products everyday from people who don't have a face. (i.e. phone company, cable company, etc.) As long as you provide good content and value, I never have to see a face. And if being anonymous is an issue, wouldn't that apply to niche bloggers and podcasters, as well? Also, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Glenn Allsop from ViperChill blogged for years without revealing himself. How did that work out for him? ;)
    • Hesham says:
      Come one Kevin, I know where you live and everything about you ;) just kidding! No.. no, seriously! You can still promote your brand but not forget about yourself as the person behind the brand, the person who makes other trust in his brand, it's blogging my friend, and behind each blog there is a person, in my opinion people care more about the person! Maybe we buy products from people we haven't meet face to face, but those people are reachable! Means, when you buy a (phone company service, cable.. etc.) you actually know the company, it has an address, and you can always can reach the person that has no face who sold this product or service to you by asking for his "Work ID number" :) Talking about Glenn, what I think is making money online doesn't necessarily means you really run an online business!
32. DiTesco says:
    This is just great Hesham and if you ask me, all are valid reasons why someone may tend to hide behind a mask. Another one that is sometimes a reason, although I think it should not, is that there are people who are afraid to show themselves simply because they think they are ugly, fat, old, whatever. I stand by what you say and if you want to guest post, you should really try to show yourself because that's the whole point in guest blogging. To gain exposure and credibility.
    • Hesham says:
      So true my friend, oh.. yes.. I haven't think of this point! I try my best to investigate our guest bloggers before introduce them to the community, I feel it's my responsibility, and of course I don't want to lose trust! We are what we are, lies have short life! Great and valuable comment like always!
33. Patricia says:
    I am surprised by what you have written! Maybe I am too trusting but I just assume if I go to a blog and it says who the person is; that's who I am talking to. I do check out the blog before I comment and I'm definitely who I say I am. Having a photo up helps too. Very enlightening post. Thanks Patricia Perth Australia
    • Hesham says:
      I am sorry if I shocked you with this Patricia, but it's so true! I just have some problems dealing with guest bloggers, a lot of them are asking not to publish their real photos and names, this is why I've being rejecting a lot of posts recently, I just want to introduce what I think they are real people, and can be reached for real!
      • Patricia says:
        I believe you Hesham. I just am shocked that people would do that to you when you are so generous with your guest posters. I just did my first guest post and to me it was an honour and privilege to be asked. I don't take that responsibility lightly and good on you for writing this post. I for one have learnt plenty from it. Thanks for sharing. Patricia Perth Australia
        • Hesham says:
          I've had the chance to read your post yesterday! Probably this is the best time to ask for a post by you on FB, it will really give me a great honor!
          • Patricia says:
            Wow and wow again. Rick suggested in a few months to ask about guest posting on your site. I didn't think any of my posts were really up to it but yes I would love to. I am going to be guest posting for a fellow local Perth guy soon so after that I will email you with whatever topic you would like me to post on. I am so thrilled that you like my blog and posts enough to ask me. Thankyou so much Hesham. You truly are such a generous person. Especially to us newbies :-) Patricia Perth Australia
            • Hesham says:
              WOW! A few months back?! I would love to read something about what you have learned so far, personal experience, goals of blogging and features plans :)
34. Lisa says:
    This is a great point to make. I know for myself personally, I enjoy learning about people and seeing who I am dealing with everyday. But I can also understand people keeping their true identity hidden..sort of an online persona vs. real life. I try and see the value in the content of the person and if I think something is not on the up and up, I move on. Really great post!
    • Hesham says:
      Lisa, thank you for stopping by and adding a comment! To me there is no difference between online and offline life, it's all mixed in one person which is "me" , and it's one life!
      • Lisa says:
        Good Point!! Maybe what I was trying to say is that a person may have a blog which is their business venture and their "true" self. They may have a secondary venture where they can be that " superhero/villain etc" type person. Does that make sense??!
        • Hesham says:
          Yes, that could be true.. And yes it makes a lot of sense :)
35. A. Tatum says:
    I can understand having a love for blogging and still wanting to keep your privacy. I also see the other side about not opening yourself up to people and how that could hurt you in the long run. I think a person has to do what's best for them.
    • Hesham says:
      Good and bad exists everywhere in this life, but hiding behind a mask is not really the best choice in my opinion! Thank you A. Tatum for stopping by!