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Start Small and Grow Into Something Bigger
When a beginner blogger hears the word ‘branding’, they may instantly roll an eye or two. This is because they believe that only large companies have to brand their vision and that branding yourself simply isn't a necessity for them.
It's natural for some to think this way. However, you don't have to fall victim to such a belief.
Why?
Because beginner bloggers can implement a brand strategy even if they are starting out small!
First of All, Let's Consider These Two Questions:
• What if your small blog had the potential to expand into something bigger?
• Or better yet, what if your small blog didn’t have to expand to end up being a ‘big’ gun in your market?
True fact: Small startups have the ability to outperform larger companies if they can integrate and execute strong branding strategies. It doesn’t matter if you are just beginning . Branding yourself can lead to growing a wider, more engaged audience if done tactfully.
If you want to be recognizable and memorable in the online world, you'll need to: Decide on the image you want to present, find the voice you wish your viewers to hear, figure out the correct channels of communication , and choose your brand personality.
First Impressions Are Everything: Build Up Your Brand
I am assuming that by now, you have developed a name that has memorability. If you haven’t you can learn more about creating and choosing a brand name in the First Impressions Count section of our “7 Things to Consider Before Starting a Blog” guide.
If your name sticks, your visuals should too!
The instant a viewer is on your page, they should become intrigued enough to venture forward and read the rest of your content!
……that’s the whole point, right?
Try putting yourself into your viewer’s perspective while thinking objectively. Then present these two questions:
- As a viewer, am I immediately captivated?
- And is my page aesthetically pleasing to the eye?
Factors in Successful Branding
When you start branding yourself, there are a few factors that come into play:
Brand Design
If the content of your site is most important, select a web design that allows your written work to be the central focus. This will include neutral colors and a simple navigation system to view home and landing pages. Presentation matters even down to font selection. Therefore, consider choosing aspects of your brand design that create easy readability.
Logo
This image is a direct representation of your brand. Due to this investing time and money into a graphic designer that can translate your vision is well worth the extra cash.
Think creatively, there are a multitude of brand logos on the market, think about the ones that stand out and why they stand out. Realistically, you want something that is eye catching, yet simple to understand and interpret.
Want more ideas on logo design? HubSpot’s article on the “7 Principles of Kick-Ass Logo Design” is a really good read.
Tagline
Your tagline should stimulate interest. You can formulate brand loyalty with your tagline as trust develops within your brand message.
Keep in mind: Your tagline should be a unique extension of your mission for your brand. Try to think of a simple sentence that would make your viewers want invest their time into reading your blog? Be imaginative!
Need some inspiration? Well, we have another shout out to Hubspot. What can we say?….they write good articles. This time we suggest checking out their list of “22 Companies with Really Catchy Slogans and Brand Taglines”.
Be Dependable for Your Auidence
If you're building to brand yourself, you’re building a relationship with your niche. Yet, as all relationships go, someone will eventually leave if they don’t receive the TLC and consistency they urn for.
A consistent experience through all your channels of communication is imperative to branding your identity. Essentially, you want your brand to be well recognized; this means recognition is needed across all platforms, not just one!
We can begin by simply imagining a your blog or business as a landscape.
Now ask: How best can I cover the vast entirety of it’s stretch?
Assess the multiple aspects of your blog, from there you will be able to create a consistent experience and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
Things to Consider:
• Advertising for Websites
Scale the market and target your niche with advertisements that best represent your brand
• Social Media Marketing
Increase brand awareness through creativity on social platforms
• Content Marketing
Fuel your target audience segments through the development of rich, organic content
• Customer Feedback
Connect and sustain a relationship with your consumers by replying to messages. This may be in the form of email submissions or more commonly, social media platforms as they are direct channels of communication.
If you have an eCommerce store, you most likely want to focus on these aspects as well:
• The Experience of Your Store
Create an environment that reflects how you want your customers to feel within your brand
• Print, Signage, and Packaging
What will carry the essence of your brand in an aesthetic format
• Sales
Developing your brand to increase your company's margins which will then sustain your business
Brand Yourself for Your Audience
So maybe you how you want to be seen, but will your readers see you the same way?
If you’re branding yourself, you must realize that your customer’s perception is your brand. Thus by creating a distinctive brand that hones in on your customer’s perception, you have the ability to grow exponentially. For those that wish to keep their businesses small, you can still maintain a popularity within the online market by doing this.
Analyze social conversations, look and the good and bad things people are saying about brands in your niche and then shape your brand around these idea. It will be easier for your blog to grow if you implement this strategy.
It’s important to remember: Your customer’s perception starts not only at seeing, but hearing too.
Find Your Brands Voice
Examine your mission as a company, what are your values? How can they interplay in the voice you present to your audience?
Also, who exactly is your audience and what would they like to hear?
Here are a few suggestions to review when selecting the voice that is right for your brand:
• Create a personality for your brand, then implement it into your voice
• Consider both tone and attitude to identify how to distinguish yourself. While keeping in mind how your audience will react and reciprocate your message
• Research forums that have brand interactions with consumers just like yours. How do they interact with these companies? What tone do they speak in? Listen and take notes.
• Finally, be inspirational! Motivate and encourage your audience using messages to uplift as a brand voice.
In the end, you have to consider the relatability factor. Therefore, if your brand is not so business serious, keep it light and fun to engage your audience! Remember, your audience is just like you, so your wit and playfulness will be enjoyed when branding yourself!
Make Your Brand Message Clear
Certainly as you identify your voice, you can start to easily develop your brand message. Your brand message has a keen importance on your blog.
Keep it simple, your brand message tells your audience exactly who you are.
This is typically conveyed in 1-2 brief sentences that are straight-forward and relative to your brand’s mission. It's the gateway to connect on an emotional level with your audience. Furthermore, your brand will have value that can shine within your message if you use an innovative mindset to truly set yourself apart.
Become Your Brand’s Cheerleader
Give me a Y.
Give me an E.
Give me an S.
Give me a YES! Yes to becoming an advocate for your brand! The biggest one, ever.
Whether you are solely online or both online and in-store, you can spread the message of your brand at any given opportunity.
Networking is a great chance to build your brand’s image by becoming the brand itself. When you are creating an e-mail, the voice of your e-mail should carry the voice that you have for your brand. If you are talking to person at a conference or having a casual interaction – brand yourself is still important. You need to keep that in mind when creating a brand around yourself.
Becoming your brand’s cheerleader allows for your audience to see the authenticity behind your mission as a company.
Thus by staying true to your brand, you add to the possibility of sustaining your brand as your consumers begin to know who you are and what you can do for them, at all times.
Branding Yourself is Just the Beginning
Developing your brand image is not something that happens quickly. This process relies on the fundamental factor of consistency in order to be a hit. As a result, this means creating good habits and using your time wisely!
Investing your time into branding yourself transforms your blog into a leading competitor in today’s market, whether large or small. Trust is integral for consumer loyalty just as much as it is for a successful brand message. Stay true to your vision as a brand and likewise, your consumers will stay true to you!
Now, get out there and start branding yourself.
We are always open to comments and questions about our blog. Please feel free to leave us a message below, we love hearing from our readers.
Happy Blogging Friends!
Katie Dale says
I’ve been studying branding recently, and if I may add:
1. Defining yourself or company in definitive descriptive words is key (what do you represent? loyalty, quality, courage, etc.)
2. You need to be a. genuine (others will see through a faker), b. relevant (relate to your clients), c. compelling (a call to action and cause worth fighting for)
Your article is great – bookmarking it