My Brand Story: How I Found My Blogging Identity Online

How do I look like I have my shit together? How do I make my blog and social media look like ME, professional and like a “real” brand? What’s my niche and how do I showcase it? These are all questions we ask ourselves as we begin taking our blogs more seriously and want others to, too. After experimenting with different styles, I’ve finally found my blogging identity online and where I feel like I belong in this industry and it feels GOOD — but believe me when I say it takes time. Keep reading for my brand story + how you can find your own identity in the community!

This post is aimed to help you guys as much as I can because I guinely love sharing tips along the way. I think it’s so important to take advice from others and if I ever feel like I have some to give, even if it only helps one person, it’s worth it to me.

MY BRAND STORY

I’ve been blogging for nearly three years, and my website and social media have definitely evolved tremendously during that time. I’ve always had a strong interest in writing, design, photography and editing, but the way I approach those things has changed as I’ve changed over the years. It’s so funny to look back at where I started, and I’m proud of myself for how I’ve evolved and figured my brand out. There wasn’t one specific moment that changed everything for me — it truly was, and still is, an evolution. I’m growing and evolving, learning new things and fine tuning my craft every single day.

For me, defining my brand means determining how I want myself and my content to be perceived online, what people take away from consuming my content and the overall vibe I put out there. My goal is that when people see certain things, they think of me — to create association. And when people see things I’ve posted, they know it’s me before ever seeing my name or face. To me, that’s what makes a brand well defined and successful.

Now that you know my history, for my own blog, here’s what I aim for and why:

• An editorial magazine vibe with scrapbook-like layouts
  • As a lifelong fashion lover who used to design my own magazines as a kid and was always making collages (seriously, my bedroom door and inside of my closet were wallpapered with them), this was a no brainer for me. It’s what I gravitate toward most!
  • I feel like a blog is an organized hodge-podge of everything you love, which resembles a scrapbook/magazine in my eyes. I expand on this concept using layered images, fonts, doodles + more for a unique look.
• Warm tones
  • It took me years to find my photo editing style and how I wanted my images to look on my blog and social media. My images were definitely never cool-toned, but I did a general neutral tone forever because I just didn’t know what I wanted and hadn’t improved my editing skills enough yet. Over time, I came to realize what warm photos are what I’m drawn to most and I incorporated those editing techniques into my own content.
• A focus on white space
  • A big component of what makes a great design great is an excellent use of white space. I learned this in all of my design courses in college and it’s really helped give my blog a professional look. You don’t have to fill every single space to make something look complete — sometimes less is more.
• Blush pink accent color
  • This is my favorite color and it compliments warms tones so nicely, so this was an easy choice for me. I’ve used a pink accent color pretty much since the very start of my blog three years ago, but I’ve now pinpointed the exact shade down to the color number and use it pretty much everywhere to help things flow.
• A set group of 2-3 fonts
  • This is another rule of thumb that I learned in my design courses. Too many fonts make things look messy and chaotic, so sticking to 2-3 (usually with one being sans as your main body copy) makes everything uniform and creates fluidity. I stick with a script font, a sans and a sans serif.
• Decorative branding elements
  • Stars — I’ve gravitated to these so much this year and I thought they’d be a really nice touch on my site.
  • Polaroid frames — Again with the magazine/scrapbook-inspired look, these fit that perfectly and create the fun, lifestyle feel I like.

HOW TO DEFINE YOUR BRAND:

Once you’ve gotten your feet wet in the industry and are being consistent with it, you’ll start to find yourself gravitating toward specific content, styles and vibes. Be aware of what those could be and start documenting them. Recreate it visually in the form of something like a Pinterest board so you can really map it all out for yourself and have a loose guideline to follow when creating content.

I think the best way to approach branding is to try to make all of your work, especially images, to look like a collection. Everything should look like it was executed by the same person.

Fluid branding focus areas are:

• Graphics: your logo + any other graphics throughout your site
• Images: use the same editing techniques for every image and analyze them as a set before posting
• Fonts: choose yours and stick to them

The biggest advice I have is to COMMIT and RUN WITH IT. I know that seems intimidating, but no one knows you better than you, so pick what best represents you and stick with it. Over time, consistency will build the quality of your brand and it will keep getting better and better. Loving your own website and being proud of what others see when they go to your blog is incredibly empowering, so strive for that!

MY NICHE

Over time, you’ll start to realize what you’re most passionate writing about and posting about. Since the beginning, I’ve always written whatever I wanted to talk about, regardless of whether I thought other people would be interested in it or not. I think it’s so important to always carry a piece of that carelessness with you to keep your passion alive so YOU love what you’re posting, but also post things that others want to see too — but only if you like it as well.

I promote my blog as mostly sharing style, lifestyle and inspiration since that tends to encompass everything I share. To be more specific, here’s what I’ve chosen to cover:

• Affordable fashion
  • You all know I don’t shop at high-end stores, own tons of designer bags and have some sort of crazy expendable income. I’m a young newlywed with college debt to pay off and saving for a house, so wearing brand new clothes every single day isn’t logical for me. I share my sale-focused shopping experiences with my readers/followers and encourage others to save money with their purchases.
• Blogging, branding + design
  • Since this is my passion, I LOVE helping others as much as I can. I think such an important part of “the climb,” no matter what industry you’re in, is sharing your story and lessons.
• Lifestyle
  • I know this seems all encompassing, but for me, this is all about sharing every aspect of my life that I choose to. This includes my “Let’s Talk” series on hard-hitting or current topics I’m interested in, DIYs, recipes, marriage, etc.
• Travel
  • Though I’ve blogged about traveling here and there in the past, this is a new focus area for me that I’m incorporating little by little. Travel hasn’t been something I’ve ever prioritized, but with booking recent collaborations, this has become more realistic for me.

HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE:

What are you passionate about? What makes you jump out of bed in the morning? What do you talk about most with your friends and family? All of these questions will help you figure out what to share on your platform. I think it’s so important to note that you don’t have to put yourself in a box, and you shouldn’t. My favorite blogs are the ones that provide a bit of variety in some capacity, not just posts sharing an outfit. I say strive to be a resource that people can come to for a handful of things, and make those things you LOVE.

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I really hope this post is helpful to you guys! I’d be more than happy to further discuss anything you have questions about because branding is MY JAM & I love it so much.

As a friendly reminder, I do offer consulting (my freelance shop: Bone & Bloom) and would be happy to sit down with you, either in person or on the phone, to help with your blog and social media. And if you need design help, I’m offering a $200 deal where you can receive a logo design as well as 3-5 additional graphics for your website.

Thanks for reading & be sure to come back for a new post on Friday! In the meantime, head over to Instagram to enter my $100 Ulta gift card + Morphe 350 Nature Glow palette GIVEAWAY that ends in a couple days!