Okay, so prepare for a super helpful blog post!
So, I am going to say the word 'blog' a lot in this, when I am talking about branding. However, all the top tips that you read, can be applied to anything. If you want to make money or promote yourself on your Social Media, these things will work. If you are thinking of starting a small business, here are a good few ways to start. Please don't be
Do Your Research
When I first started blogging, one of my main problems was choosing how to brand myself. I started, where many people do, by looking at other blogger's blogs. I have read a Book recently (I promise this is related), called Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon and it said, 'what a good artist understands, is that nothing comes from nothing'. By this, Kleon is saying that nothing, and I mean nothing, is original. So, I guess my first piece of advice is to do your research. Look at other peoples blogs, explore their layout, their logo and what type of pictures they take. Find what blogs you like to read and create something similar.
Find Your Niche
On a similar note, find your Niche. When exploring other blogs, look at what genre they put themselves in. Your blog (...or business) is your own and are allowed to write about whatever you want. However, when it comes to gaining an audience, finding one niche that you really enjoy, could drive more traffic to your blog and result in more people reading your writing. For example, in the blogging world, there is a large beauty community. People will come across from other beauty blogs and find yours if you are writing something similar. Finding a niche is also important for branding. Once you figure out what genre your blog is, you can start making logos and deciding on what you want your website to look like.
Taking Photos
How you edit and take your photos is part of your overall brand. They make you stand apart from other blogs and become part of your niche. One of the first things you have to figure out is what type of images you want on your page. If you think graphics would work better for you, use graphics! If you want to take your own photos, do that! But make it your own.
Side note: Don't use other's photos without permission - it's illegal.
Logos & URL
One of the key steps of creating a successful business is to have a unique username and eye-catching logo. Personally, on my blog, I don't have a logo. My blog is recognisable by the style of flat-lays that I take. However, on my social media, I do have logos, which take pieces of my blogs decor (I'll explain more in my next tip). Your username should also be different. A lot of bloggers go for their name, which is a good idea as it personalises their website to them. However, when I first started my blog, I wanted it to consist of 'bookworm content' like book reviews and Weekly Book Hauls. Whilst I still love posting about these things, my content started to get stale. So I decided to open my blog up to be a 'Lifestyle' blog. I decided to keep the URL 'Come and Read With Me' because people knew my blog by this name and I still occasionally post book content. However, I changed the header at the top of my page to say 'Asher- Lee Tulip Downer'. In short, pick a URL which you like and don't change it. People will get to know your blog by its name, so make it good!
Logo for my Lifestyle posts:
Social Media
Social media is a massive part of most peoples lives and when it comes to making and maintaining a blog, usually sites like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are vital. For my Instagram, which is my primary platform for promoting my work, I use a self-made logo.
The logo above is my icon which features my name and blog's name. As well as this, the colour yellow and the leaves are present because they are regularly featured on my blog.
Below, are my highlight logos for my Instagram. Again, they all follow the same layout but each one shows a different icon, signalling a different subject.
Logo for my podcast:
Logo for my writing:
Logo for my Lifestyle posts:
