Do you know how many blogs there are on the internet?
While the exact number is hard to determine, most stats point to about 500 million. That’s an insane number of blogging sites!
With that number firmly lodged in your mind, you need to ask yourself, “How can I succeed when it’s such a crowded space?”
The answer to that, my friend, lies in the power of branding.
Branding has a few different meanings depending on who you ask and in what context. In the world of blogging, think of branding as giving your blog its own personality.
Doing so helps differentiate your blog from the other half a billion other blogs out there.
You’ll also help to increase your online recognition and authority – vital to your continued blogging success.
If you want to level up your blog and stand out from the crowd, check out these five actionable tips below.
#1 Create a logo
Think of your logo as your blog’s face. It’s unique to you, and just like meeting new people, you want to look your best when meeting face to face.
Usually, it sits at the top of the page. But don’t forget, it’s also used elsewhere as well to help people identify your site.
When people visit your blog for the first time, you want to make a great impression on them. A poorly designed or ugly logo will reflect badly on your blog. If you want to appear professional and trustworthy, you need a great-looking logo.
Can you design the logo yourself? Unless you have years of experience as a graphic designer, it’s best to leave it to the professionals or use a dedicated service, and there are lots of options you can choose from:
Hire a logo designer – you can hire a designer on freelance platforms like fiverr.com or look for an agency to help you create a logo
Start a logo competition – logo design competitions let you submit your design brief to multiple designers simultaneously. At the end of the competition, you can view all their submissions and choose your favorite
Design with a logo maker – logo makers are online logo design platforms many use AI to create logos based on your input. Of all logo design options logo makers are the cheapest option.
#2 Develop your brand image
Ever heard pop stars talk about their brand image?
The music industry is super crowded. Bands and singers who want to get noticed and set themselves apart create a unique look that makes them stand out.
But they also tailor that look so that it appeals to their target audience. Compare Taylor Swift to Metallica. They’re both hugely successful artists. But their branding is at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.
You can apply the same branding principles to your blog through:
- The tone of voice – you may not realize it, but your blog has its own tone of voice. It’s just a reflection of how you write naturally, but it’s unique to you. Pay attention to the kind of tone your blog has. Is it professional, or is it laid back? Use a tone of voice that your audience responds to, and make sure you stick to it.
- Color palette – Don’t use too many colors on our blog site. Instead, create your own brand color palette using 2-3 colors. Make sure it matches your tone of voice and is liked by your audience.
- Font–style – People are reading your blog posts. Have you ever thought about the typography you’re using? Pick a font that matches your voice. Professional news websites use serif fonts like Times New Roman, whereas more casual blogs use sans-serif fonts like Calibri.
- Imagery – If you’re not using images, you will not get the most out of your blog. Images help draw people in and keep them engaged. To help solidify your visual identity, stick to one type of image, whether it’s for your blog posts, your home page, even social media posts.
#3 Be consistent with relevant content
People are creatures of habit. Please don’t make them guess when your latest post will be.
If they like to visit your blog post on Wednesday morning because they’re expecting a new post, don’t let them down! Create a blogging schedule and stick to it.
You also need to create relevant content. In other words, content that your audience wants to read and find interesting. If you already know who your audience is, this isn’t a problem.
But if you’re still trying to uncover who exactly is reading your blog, try using some of these methods:
- Google Analytics – By connecting your website to Google Analytics, you can find out demographic information about your audience. Where they’re from, their age group, gender, and more. You can also see how people are arriving at your posts. Are they coming from social media? Search engines? Other blogs that are linking to you?
- Use Comments – Allow readers to leave comments with their thoughts and own opinions. It’s a great way to find out more about your readers and increase your engagement levels.
- Content Discovery Platforms – Content research platforms like Answer The Public you input topics, such as ‘woodworking’ to discover subtopics you can talk about in your blog posts
#4 Build your social presence
Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly users. So does YouTube. Instagram has over 1 billion, and TikTok is catching up with close to 700 million monthly users.
The point I’m trying to make is that you can gain lots of new audience members by growing your social media presence.
Growing your own community takes time, and it can be pretty tiring. Many social media users expect high levels of engagement. Like constant new posts and increased engagement with the community.
Using social media tools to set up automatic posting and alerts can do wonders for your efforts.
Just don’t fall into the trap of trying to use every social media platform there is. Stick to the ones your audience is using. LinkedIn, for example, is excellent for B2B businesses, whereas Facebook is much more social orientated.
#5 Leverage email marketing
Another channel you can use to level up your branding is email marketing. This doesn’t mean you need to bombard people with sales emails trying to sell them stuff. In fact, that type of email marketing is a sure way to get people to unsubscribe and blacklist you.
Instead, leverage your email marketing to help build your brand by engaging with people. Use it to keep them up to date with your blogging activities, ask for feedback, and send email-only tips and advice not available on your blog site.
Just like your actual blogs, make sure your emails are relevant and sent consistently.
If you have your logo and color pallet set up, incorporate them into your email design to help your branding even more.
Summary
Turning your average blog into a brand loved by its audience won’t happen overnight. But with the actionable items on this page, you can start the transformation today. Keep working hard, posting consistent and relevant content, learning everything you can about your audience, and developing your blog into a killer brand that stands out from the 500 million over blogging sites!