Branding is something I learned about while in my business program at FIDM. We had to do these exercises and projects that really didn’t resonate with me at all, but today I feel like I have a much better grasp on the subject. Reason being, I’ve had to actually BRAND myself. I guess that makes me a hands-on learner; new concepts just don’t stick unless it’s something I can actually do. No wonder I’m bad at math…
Anyway, since we are going deep into the blogging tips these days I wanted to share some of my branding insight, as it is an integral part of my business. Let me first break it down in what I like to call “English,” because sometimes reading a definition or Googling just complicates things further.
To me, branding is the identity of your company. It’s how people recognize you. You know you’ve done a good job branding when someone can see an image / graphic / ad / email and know who it’s from without seeing a logo or name on it. When it comes to branding a person, specifically bloggers, there are so many elements that play a part in your overall branding / image.
Here are some examples:
-Email newsletters: Email headers should be a version of your website’s header. Your subject line needs to be in your voice (but also catchy). Are your fonts on brand? Are the images in the email cohesive and consistent with your other images?
-Instagram: Assuming you’ve found your “thing” in terms of images (selfies, scenery, fashion, food, travel, flat-lays, etc.), now comes the hard part, your captions. Are you funny? Editorial? Informative? More of an Emoji caption kind of person? Consistency is important.
–Blog posts: This is where I put the most emphasis on my branding since everything else mirrors my blog. My voice / tone, which I’m sure you’ve come to realize is exactly how I talk in real life, is always the same. My imagery has a consistent vibe, I use the same fonts for everything, and I stick with specific topics. Really try to hone in on the topics that resonate with your readers but are still genuine to you. More on this here.
-Snapchat / IG Story: Something as little as the colors you use on your Snap / IG stories, to the thickness of the lines you draw, to uppercase / lowercase only, are all part of your branding. Even filter choices can be part of it if you make it. Especially now with the continuous stream of videos we watch on Instagram, it’s important to brand yourself.
Collaborations: Working with brands comes with the territory, so it’s crucial to be selective about who you work with. Anytime a brand approaches me, I do some serious homework on them. #1 on the list: check their branding. Do I like their logo / website / images, products, layout, social accounts? Even if I LOVE a product, it’s not a done deal if I don’t LOVE the branding.
Presentation means a lot to me and if a brand isn’t up to par (IMO), I will pass.
These are just some of the obvious branding elements, but I wanted to share examples that you could relate to. Building a brand is a huge job, and while sometimes I’ve discovered my branding choices through trial and error, every little part of your public image is important and should be a thought-out decision.
Outfit: Top, pants, and sunglasses from Vici