You've probably heard of branding in business, and yes, it's just as essential in the blogosphere! Think of branding as a way to showcase the heart and soul of your blog (and yourself).
Picture this: four overlapping silver rings instantly bring Audi to mind, while five colourful, intertwined rings conjure up images of the Olympics. And if someone says, “just do it,” you’re already picturing Nike's iconic Swoosh. Mention straight-talking, no-nonsense blogging advice, and you're thinking of me, right? That’s branding magic at work!
Branding isn't just about catchy phrases or memorable logos. It’s about creating a memorable identity that resonates with your audience. It's like Ronseal's “does exactly what it says on the tin” – straightforward and effective. Everyone does it, from massive corporations to the tiniest of blogs. Your blog should be no different.
Why Should You Brand Your Blog?
Branding is all about crafting a personality that sticks in your audience's mind. It builds a connection that your readers will cherish. A personal brand can make your blog more challenging to sell (imagine trying to sell your name!), but it's worth it for the rapport it builds.
How to Brand Your Blog
There’s more to branding than just a snazzy logo or a consistent colour scheme. Think of Nike: you don’t just see a brand; you think of running, achievement, and their empowering motto, “Just Do It.” It's about your values too.
Take OnlineVisibilityAcademy.com, for example. Our colours are orange, black and white. Even our fonts are part of our brand, combining readability with a touch of European flair. But remember, branding is more than colours and fonts; it's about embodying the personality of your blog. That's why you can see a lot of tigers 😉
When branding your blog, consider these three questions:
- What's My Blog's Purpose and Audience? Can readers instantly grasp what you’re about and who you’re helping? Are your values and mission clear to your community? How do you make a difference for your readers?
- What’s My Message? What’s the core theme of your blog? How do you want readers to feel after engaging with your content? Do your images and language align with this message?
- What Consistent Design Elements Do I Use? What typeface or font graces your pages? How about your graphics? Is the layout consistent across your site?
Answering these questions helps you develop a coherent brand for every blog post, guest post, and interaction with your audience. Consistency is key!
A Journey Through Brand Evolution
Branding isn’t static. My own journey, for example, has seen its twists and turns. From introducing a little red-headed character in 2013 to replacing her with styled desktops and eventually skylines, it’s been a ride. Sure, it may look like an identity crisis, but it was all part of finding the right fit for OnlineVisibilityAcademy.com.
Embrace branding your blog. It brings focus and clarity, helping you and your readers understand what you stand for. It might seem like a chore at first, but it soon becomes a delightful part of your blogging routine. Finding your voice and writing to your brand's specifications isn't as limiting as you might think. It’s a pathway to expressing your unique style and message.
So, dive into the world of blog branding! It's not something to fear but a tool to harness, guiding both your content and your connection with readers. And remember, it’s all about staying true to your blog's essence.
Sarah x
Hi Sarah,
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I went with “Unveil the Web” because it says something to business owners who want to learn how to use the online world better to grow their business but don’t have a clue.
It’s about education, information, advice and tips to unveil what they don’t know to make it known.
So, I guess it’s safe to say that while a logo is important to branding, it’s only one part of branding. I’ve always felt that branding was more about an experience and what can I remember about the experience with a company.
If we create positive experiences, then when I see the logo or someone thinks of me or my brand, they have a positive reason to engage with me and hopefully in the process I earn a client or customer.
Your title is so good, but the truth of it is as you’ve laid out is the reality is very different. You can’t do anything if you don’t brand.
Great post Sarah!!!!
~ Don Purdum
Really good advice Sarah!
BTW, I had no idea your blog’s name was the combination of you and your husband.
And for what’s it worth, both your blogs colour and the red head character all seem to fit together quite well.
And as you point out, both your blogs layout and it’s content can and will go a long way in helping determine your blogs all important brand!
This was an extremely helpful article! Thanks for sharing it!
I started my main blog sueblimely.com a long time ago and with the advent of widespread social networking used the same nickname. I’ve stuck with it and, although it doesn’t convey what I write about, I wouldn’t change that because it’s so much associated with me. I try to connect the nickname with my real name whenever I can.
I’m due for a blog theme overhaul and will consider the colors I use but will stick to a blue for the main highlight color. Thanks for the advice, Sarah.
Great points Sarah! I’m still tweaking my brand at the moment. It’s still not where I envision it to be.
When I saw your title, I thought I was going to read about your experiences of not being able to do what you wanted because you needed to be consistent with the brand.
That’s something I face from time to time and that’s where your tips above come in for me
Sarah, You have made some excellent points on the importance of branding your blog. Thanks for explaining why you use your teal color and red head image as part of your branding. For my site I use the soothing, energizing, and healing colors of orange, green and yellow and I stay consistent with my content which is healing foods recipes and holistic lifestyle tips for better health and wellness.
Sarah, You made some good points about branding. I didn’t know that putting my image in the same place in a blog post could become part of my brand.
Hi Sarah, I really enjoy your work and couldn’t agree more on the subject of Blog Branding as well as Personal Branding. After we establish our brands, we can stick to them with conviction. When our brands are undecided we may aimlessly do and write things that ultimately contradict our beliefs. Determine you blog brand and consistently put your stamp on things…as you have clearly done!
Hey Sarah,
I was taught in the very beginning to go with your name so that when people heard your name they would relate to you and what you stood for and not a “company”. Yep, back in the network marketing days I will admit but the good news is I never intend to sell my blog so I’m okay with it being my name.
You did make some good points though and I’ve tried to be consistent throughout my sharing online as well as my blog. I think people definitely relate to my color scheme, which I LOVE darn blue, and my simpleness with the white background. I’m definitely in everyone’s face with my picture but I’ve got a great smile so that definitely helps! LOL!!!
Great pointers though, I agree. Another awesome share.
Hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Branding is probably the single most important reason for blogging to begin with.
I teach folks to build their blog around a central brand. Everything revolves around that, from your social media sites to your videos and podcasts.
If you offer a service or sell products, those activities should be congruent with your brand. If your brand is copy writing, for instance, then it paves the way to offering copy writing services. You can sell affiliate copy writing trainings or software. And when you get around to creating your own product, it might be a copy writing video course.
Your brand sets the tone for everything you do in your business.
You offer good direction here, Sarah, for people to get down to the business of branding themselves with their blog.
Interesting post, Sarah, with lots of great info. I always wondered how you came up with that name! I’m working on my brand now. As a writer, I like “Words by Wrose” — Wrose being short for my name, Willena Rose — but I don’t know. Maybe it’s too cutesy… and it calls for some explanation… and my books will be written under my full name… so I don’t know. Time will tell.