In a post at Copyblogger, Sonia Simone put an interesting twist on the perennial question "Ginger or Mary Ann?" by asking whether your blog is the sexy-starlet or the wholesome girl-next-door type.

Ginger, for example, wasn't going to let something like a shipwreck interfere with her glamorous persona. "It takes some creativity and chutzpah to retain your movie star essence in the face of spending the rest of your life talking to the same six mildly retarded stereotypes," notes Simone. In the same way, your blog might have its own alluring niche, impervious to shifting trends or anything as practical as DIY advice.

Mary Ann, by contrast, was pragmatic and approachable. "[She] looked around and saw what needed to get done," Simone continues. "She figured out the needs of her community, pitched in, and helped create what was most relevant to that situation and that audience." It could be that your readers appreciate your blog for its cheerful practicality.

• "Ginger is killer headlines," notes Simone. "Ginger is linkbait. Everyone talks about her, everyone wants to know what she's up to. Ginger can hit the front page of Digg with a long, smoky look and a shift of her hips."
• "Mary Ann," however, "is passionate about her content community. Mary Ann follows 15,839 users on Twitter. Everyone loves her, everyone links to her. Mary Ann has the face that launched a thousand blogrolls."

The Po!nt: When you think of your blog as Ginger or Mary Ann—and both play an important role—it's easier to stay true to your mission.

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