The basics of branding and what to consider when branding your blog
If you’re thinking of building a brand for your blog, then there are a few things to consider before jumping in. Creating a brand for your blog can be fairly easy. It’s the questions you will have to ask yourself beforehand, which can be difficult as these will determine your blogging identity for the rest of your blogging life.
What is branding?
Branding is essentially a design that gives your business a unique identity and can be in the form of a name design or symbol design. But branding isn’t just about the logo! Branding is the whole package your business offers from identity and quality to customer service and experience and is what your visitors will know you for.
Getting your branding right from the start is the best approach; however, over time, your blog might face certain changes, so a rebrand is always a valid option.
Many people rebrand if they make the jump from blogging as a hobby to becoming an established full-time professional blogger and feel their initial branding isn’t solid enough for the transition.
The basics of branding
Let’s look at the basic elements of branding for your blog and what you will need to think about if you want to create a strong and stable brand.
Name (and URL)
This might sound simple, and maybe you already have a few name ideas floating about, but when deciding on your blog name, you should put ample thought into it and choose it with care.
Your blog name should reflect the identity you want to create as part of your brand and should also give a hint at what you’re all about.
Many bloggers have different ideas for what they want their name to portray, whether it’s a personal name such as ‘Ellie Watson’ (common amongst solopreneurs) or a name that reflects on your blog services such as ‘Meant to be Made.’
Whatever route you choose to follow, remember your name is with you from the start and will be what your visitors know you by, so if you change your mind in the future, you may run into problems.
Along with your name, you will need to create a URL for your blog.
Ideally, this should be a reflection of your blog name – ‘elliewatson.com’ or ‘meanttobemade.com.’
This is simple, relatable to your blog name, reaffirms your branding identity, and won’t be too complicated to remember.
Tagline
If you choose to incorporate a tagline into your branding, then consider using something that gives insight into your blog content, message, and personality. Many taglines are short and to the point and give your visitors a clear insight into what your blog purpose is.
Colour palette
Colors are important. They send a visual message and can cause a powerful response, so you must think about the statement you want your colors to make. When thinking about colors, you should acknowledge a few things:
- Do you want bold, strong colors, or would a delicate palette be better suited?
- Is your blog aimed towards a certain demographic? What colors would resonate better with them?
- Stick to two or three colors that work well together
- Make sure text colors still allow your content to be legible.
If you’re still unsure about what color palette would best suit your branding, you can always seek the opinion of someone who has experience in building brands such as a designer. Be sure not to pass this task over to them but to work with them to reach your desired outcome.
Logo
This part is all about how you would like to represent your blog through graphics. A logo can be anything from a symbol with text, an image, or simply just text, but it should represent your blog name and brand.
Many people who don’t have the software or don’t feel confident enough in their design skills will hire a professional at this point and might keep them to do other visual graphics for their blog.
Prices for logo design can depend on the level of experience of a designer, whether you go through a company or hire a freelance designer. Prices can also vary depending on the location of the designer. Local designers will probably be more expensive than designers based remotely. If you’re interested in working with a designer then consider using Fiverr. You will find affordable and professional solutions from the sellers on Fiverr.
Alternatively, you can use Canva. Canva is an incredible online tool many bloggers use as it offers easy design templates for everything – logo, infographics, images. You name it. They’ve got it. Use our guide ‘How to Design a Logo with Canva in Minutes with No Experience’ for help and advice.
Typefaces
When it comes to typefaces, make sure you use only a limited amount (just like your color palette), so things don’t get too confusing and messy. If you’re using a typeface for your logo, make sure it can be easily read, has a touch of personality, and is clear enough to be read on a smaller scale.
As your blog is made mostly of words, make sure you stick to a simple, legible typeface for your body text. It’s best to stick to some of the more usual suspects for this, such as Arial, Helvetica, Gill sans (sans-serif fonts), or Caslon, Baskerville, Garamond, Times (serif fonts).
The general opinion is that serif fonts (the fonts with the flicks) are the better choice for body text.
Titles and headers have a bit more leeway with the type of typeface you can use, but don’t go over the top. Remember to keep your titles legible, attractive, and make sure they complement your body text and branding.
Images and graphics
Every image and graphic you create should be to the standard of your brand and blog. If you’re striving to create a professional, well-established blog, be sure to use high quality, professional photos, and graphics.
If any photos require graphic overlays or typography, make sure these match the rules you set in your branding (same typefaces, same color palette).
Again, you can use Canva to help create your graphics, and there are many websites out there that offer professional stock images such as Pexels and professional graphics such as Freepik.
Conclusion
Before you get started on your branding journey, try to brainstorm and determine your ideas, values, and goals, and don’t rush it! Remember, you can change your branding later on but it is much better if you get it right from the start.
