Let’s not sugarcoat it. Being a blogger is not a walk in the park. Blogging challenges can be overwhelming. From crafting the perfect design or layout of your blog, learning mind-boggling codes, writing engaging content, taking the perfect shot, to sending click-worthy emails to market your brand. Seriously, the list could go on.
This is why branding and marketing your blog matters, after all, you don’t want all that effort to go to waste.
Branding & Your Makeup
Recognizing the areas that could be better, if not best, is significant when branding your blog. After all, it is a representation of you.
Are you satisfied with the content you’re sharing out there or accepting from other sources? I believe in doing what you love and not just because everyone else’s doing it. Stay authentic and true to yourself. Share not only the topics that interest you but also those that your readers can all relate to. Listen to them. Engage and stay connected. This will go a long way.
Also, think of branding your blog like your makeup. If you want it to stay all day long without melting off your face, you have to have a really good foundation. Then you can go ahead and add the colors that you like to accentuate the features you already have.
Choosing the right theme and designing your blog is similar to how you go about with your everyday makeup. Presentable. Everything needs to be in harmony for it to look aesthetically pleasing and in this context, less is definitely more.
Your layout can make or break your site. You want your readers to stay longer and come back again? Give them a reason to.
The Marketing Buzzword is Social Media
Social media, one of the most powerful marketing tools for your blog, which happens to be free. Well, for the most part. And as a blogger, you should be all over it. I am. Things can be tricky though because, with recent changes (sometimes good, and “the don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”) on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, you might want to take a moment and learn a thing or two about the algorithm and scheduling your posts for optimal results. Trust me, it matters. After all, knowledge is power, right?
Now before you get carried away and blasting everyone’s feed with your favorite quote of the day or what you wore yesterday, make sure you got the little things nailed to a tee. For example, if I am browsing your website, are your social media connections in plain sight?
And whether you are setting your profile with a photo or a logo, stay consistent. Don’t turn it into a guessing game for your readers or companies to find you. Creating a good first impression is truly up to you, so make it count.
Branding and marketing your blog is, without a doubt, not an easy feat, but the good news is, help is out there. Just like Act-On, which recently published an eBook with information on the same subject, a collaborative piece between bloggers, marketers, experts, and brands alike.
Read and never stop learning.
Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with Act-On, an account based marketing company, who recently published an eBook on Branding and Marketing Your Blog For Business here. As per FTC guidelines, I’m disclosing that I have been compensated to write about what I love, and darn, it feels good!