For bloggers (and those contemplating certain methods of suicide), that is the question.

“Jump” is a term that describes a continuation of an article or other text on another page, first used for newspapers. I always liked the jump in newspapers because it generally uses the first word of the article’s second headline, which could make for some funny jumps (i.e., “see INTERCOURSE, page A5″).

Since nobody reads newspapers anymore, “jump” now applies to the link one must click to read the rest of a blog post. When I posit the question “to jump or not to jump?” I mean “should I put the entire body of my blog post on the page, or should you have to click another link to read it all?”

On the one hand, my beautiful content would get cut off. After years of being forced to write in an inverted pyramid format, I’ve developed a more stream-of-consciousness style writing that presents the most important information last. Thus, my posts would not benefit from a jump like some news posts would.

On the other hand, my posts are too wordy. I can’t even get my mother to get to the end of one, much less an uninterested reader. Having a jump-off point will help cut this down to a digestible size. Plus, the fact that nobody is reading my posts at this point in time means nobody is going to notice the change.

So to jump or not to jump? In my case, it’s going to involve a major shift in writing style to switch to the jump. But starting with my next post, I’ll start implementing the jump. There may be some pictures as well; but, alas, my sizable audience of dedicated readers, do not hold high hopes for this promise.

Welcome to BrandedStatement.com. Branded Statement is a marketing firm providing branding services to small businesses and startups. Why small businesses and startups? Because we know these guys are having the hardest time shelling out thousands of dollars for a basic logo design and a simple website, and because we like to start from a clean slate when creating a brand.

To us, the brand encompasses – or should encompass – all communication with customers and potential customers. The tone and message of all this communication should be constant and persistent. The sum of these touchpoints is the brand; the brand is a product of what your consumers think and feel about your company.

So when we say branding, we mean everything. Your business name, logo, slogan, business cards, website, traditional advertising – even your product or service itself – affects the way consumers think and feel about you (i.e., your brand). If the message is not consistent, the brand is insincere; if the message doesn’t appeal to the customer, the brand is irrelevant.

We see it every day: local companies that can’t afford to update their marketing to be consistent and/or appealing. Some companies put effort into their presentation, but don’t have a website. Others have a web presence so outdated that it probably dissuades more potential customers than it manages to persuade.

My latte’s running low and it’s probably too late in the day for another, which means I’m leaving my post at the Austin coffee favorite La Tazza Fresca.

Note the lack of a website for LaTazza Fresca. I know I did.