There is one question that every blogger should ask themselves. I asked myself this question several times, and my answer was complete confirmation that I am meant to be a blogger. Let me explain….

I’ve been blogging for about eight years now, and I’ve learned a LOT about the in’s and out’s of being a writer and having a digital journal online. My first blog was on the Blogger platform, and then I moved on to WordPress. Blogger is best for beginners, and WordPress is for more experienced bloggers who want complete control over your website. With WordPress, you can customize also your layout and design to your preference.

In this post I want to share with you what I think is the most important tip for every blogger – whether you blog about fashion, lifestyle, food, travel or any other topic in between.

Ask yourself WHY you started a blog and why you’re a blogger.

If you are blogging because –

– you want to be Insta-famous

-you want thousands of followers

-you can get ‘free stuff’

meh….then you probably shouldn’t consider starting a blog. Yes, you can have all these things, but they shouldn’t be the reason you want to start, and most importantly, they don’t happen overnight.

But, if you want to be a blogger because –

-you want to share your authentic self and story to others

-you want to have a positive influence on your audience

-you feel like you have a gift that you want to share

-you have a passion for writing and digital story-telling

If this is you, then all of the YES. This is the right path for you. The followers, the invites, and the free goodies eventually come along with the job. Asking yourself why helps you put your goals into perspective. The key word is passion. If you aren’t passionate about your blog, then it will definitely show. You won’t grow an audience, and you won’t come across as being authentic. Make sure that you are committed. Having a blog is almost like being in a relationship. You have to work hard at it, and keep you and your partner (audience) happy.

There are some bloggers who just want to write. They just want to share their thoughts with others, and that’s totally OK. If you are one of them, all of the yes to you! Do not think that you have to go beyond your comfort zones when it comes to your blog. If you want to setup your blog on Blogger, buy a domain, and just have your own online space, then go ahead and do that. Blogger will be your best option if you are just starting out.

If you’re a blogger like me, then you want more than just a space to write, and have long-term goals for your blog – brand collabs, sponsorships, and to increase blog growth and my audience.

Every blogger has different goals – you have got to find out yours.

Be you no matter what, and let things happen organically. Building a blog, and a brand, takes TIME. Don’t buy followers, don’t copy what others are doing, and work on finding your own voice. You want others to see who you are, and that doesn’t always mean you have to share your entire life. But, give your followers and readers bits of pieces of who you are, let your guard down once in awhile, and really listen to your audience. Give back whatever they give. Respond to their comments and engage in their blogs too. Tag the brands that you are wearing, and self-promote your blog as much as you can. Be shameless! This will make you a more successful blogger, and give you more confidence in your brand.

If you are on the right path to becoming a blogger, then there’s a few tips I would recommend you follow as you begin to develop yourself:

In all honesty though, branding is much more than your logo or website. It’s your entire brand identity. You want to create a connection between you and your audience. Everything from your brand colors, the fonts that you use, and the content that you create, is all part of your brand.

Here are the components that you need to think about when brand building:

Brand style – color palette, illustrations, patterns, logo, typefaces, photography, icons

Visual  – Your website layout – WordPress, Social Media Platforms

Social Media concepts and strategies – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Periscope

Email list building and Email Marketing – creating automation and Subscription service, creating monthly newsletters

Photography – Having professional images or stock photos

Video for your business – YouTube, Facebook LIVE, creating video about your content

Take a notebook and write down the ideas you have for each one of these concepts. Next to each category, write down what you see for brand. For example, under brand style, write down the colors you want to use. Sketch or write down your logo, think about the fonts you want on your website. These may seem like little things but they are SO important to your branding. You want to always have a clean, professional and consistent look. Your branding will take off once you develop your strategy and focus on your creative energy.

Ask yourself, “When someone comes to my blog, what’s the first thing I want them to see?” “What call to action do I want them to do first?” “What colors should pop out when someone lands on my Instagram page?” 

Also, one of the MOST important things you can do for your branding is to add video content. This one is a MUST! You want to create a form of visual imagery so that your audience can connect a face to your brand. But what’s even more important to think about, is that, some of our social platforms may not be around forever. Always utilize different platforms in order to reach a wider audience. For example, not everyone uses Instagram. There are some people who prefer Facebook or YouTube. Create content that is widespread. Its better to reach your followers across the boards than only focus on one platform. Be as active as you can (daily) on all your accounts, especially if you have a blog or business.

Keep in mind too – its OK if you tweak your brand over time. I definitely have. You might change your colors, or switch up your website design. All of that is totally ok as you build and grow. Just focus on what makes you happy and stick to it!

If you need help coming up with a POA (Plan of Action) for your branding, e-mail me and we can discuss the right steps to get there. Together we can come up with a strategy that works for you and your brand. There are some bloggers who have the creativity and not the strategy, and it can be very hard to have both. Your creativity alone can’t build your brand, you must have a strategy behind it.

Remember, get involved in blogging for the right reasons. If you ask yourself why, then everything will happen the way it should.

Thanks for reading luv, and I’ll see ya in the next one.