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| Image by Dean Meyers via Flickr/Creative Commons |
Today’s task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is for those of you who think you might need a change. Maybe you’re considering changing your blog platform or maybe you've been thinking about changing your blog’s title or URL. If you've decided a change is what you need, go for it!
But after you make this switch branding is going to become
even more important for you as you try to market your new name. Lucky for you,
on Saturday I participated in the monthly Twitter chat Blog Brunch and this
month’s topic was Branding 101. Here are a few tips on how to build your brand.
Write a mission statement. I know you’re tired of me telling
you this, but I’m not the only one who believes this is a good idea. So does
Sarah Tolzmann (@notetosarah) of the blog Note to Self. During Blog Brunch she tweeted “Your blog
should have a mission statement, even if you keep it to yourself. It will help
you decide if content is relevant.” Remember,
you can’t send a clear brand message to readers if you’re sure what your
message is.
Be consistent. Having a mission statement will help ensure
your message is clear, but you need a consistent writing style as well. You
also need to make sure you’re consistent throughout your social media channels.
The author of the blog Sarah Hearts
(@sarahkhandijan) tweeted “All social media pages should look like you! Your
readers should instantly know by the look & content that it’s yours.” I, for example, use the Twitter handle
@writeousbabe and usually tweet about the same topics you’ll find on my blog –
writing, blogging, feminism, fitness, and faith.
While consistency is key, don’t be afraid of change. “I think your brand should maintain a common visual aspect – but it shouldn't hold you back from trying something new,” tweeted Katie (@mspinkandblue), co-founder of Blog Brunch. Kait Kucy (@yuppielove) advised not changing your branding more than once a year. And most bloggers agreed that when you are making a change be sure it’s for a good reason and not simply just to follow a trend.
Network. Now that you've put all that work into crafting
your message and polishing your blog’s look, you need to spread the word about
who you are and what you’re all about. You need to network. Several bloggers
from Saturday’s Blog Brunch agree that some of the best ways to market your
blog and your brand include: commenting on other blogs, writing guest posts for
blogs with a mission similar to yours, hosting events, attending conferences and, of
course, using social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and
Twitter.
I’ve been thinking about branding a lot myself, lately. I've
been considering changing the name of my blog, worried that “Writeous Babe” is
too silly. What do you think? I’d love to get some feedback in the comments
section.
Happy brand building!
