I have put off "branding" my blog for a pretty long time. I was well aware it was something that should be done if I wanted to be a successful blogger but I was happy blogging about whatever I wanted.
The moment this changed was when I realized that by branding my blog I could still write whatever I wanted. I was afraid to be too confined to a certain niche so it scared me. Things would go through my head like--I blog about home decor but don't do enough projects. I like writing about home life but I am not a mom. I want to write about thoughts, emotions, and real life but readers who just want pretty pictures will become uninterested.
But I was wrong. I thought all these things because I had not branded myself. I was letting others determine what my blog was about and what I was about. As a result, I was afraid to write outside of pleasing others.
By figuring out myself what I wanted my brand to be and then making it evident through blog design, my about page, and what I post about, clear expectations are set to readers and to myself what to expect here at Domestic Fashionista.
Now I did not just get here overnight. This was years in the making. But it was an afternoon of writing things out and figuring out what I wanted that played a major role in making this all finally happen.
The ladies over at Squee! specialize in branding. They have a bunch of videos and posts on branding that are amazingly helpful in figuring out what your voice is. I took a few hours and sat down and watched each of their videos, jotting down notes and answering their questions.
To give you an idea of what branding is all about, here are a few topics they bring up:
What is your voice? Your brand is who you already are.
What do I promise my readers? My tag line is what I promise readers.
How do I serve my blog readers?
Branding myself promises that I will be the same wherever I am (social media--is your voice being carried over various platforms?).
My brand exists whether I brand myself or not. I can brand myself or others will.
I am the only one who can do what I do and if I don't offer it, we are all missing out.
Who are you? What are you all about?
// If you are ready to take the leap into branding, I encourage you to check out Squee! or even just answer some of these questions I mentioned for yourself. You can be your true you, you can blog about whatever you want, and you can find readership and success in being your unique self.
