What options do I have if I want to own the rights to my blog?

Branding means trademarks. Before adopting a trademark, you should first perform a clearance search. The strongest marks are terms that do not exist in any language, such as Exxon for gas. The second strongest are words that do exist in a dictionary but do not describe or suggest characteristics of the goods or services sold with the mark. If you have an attorney help you with the selection and clearance, filing can possibly be done yourself at USPTO.gov though it is always better to have professional help. Copyright applications should also be possible for the text and graphics though you should check the terms of your agreement with the service provider. They probably reserve rights to the layout if they provide templates.