I’ve been writing quite a lot of articles in these blogtips about how to grow your blog in the first year and how to enhance the initial blogging experience. I’ve noticed these last weeks that there are also some advanced bloggers in my readership so I thought it would be nice to write more articles about what to do when you want to take your blog to that famous “next level”. And although i personally think I’m not part of the higher echelon in the blogosphere I still believe I can shine a light on how to grow your blog. I am still learning a lot everyday so i will just share my experiences and what I’ve learned from them. After doing quite a lot of collaborations this year I sometimes felt like I was in a situation where I almost was drifting apart from my initial excitement on why I started blogging. Sure, as blogging becomes your full time job it won’t be all butterflies and fairy tales, (they don’t call it a job for nothing) but you always have to keep in check if you’re walking the right path. After these experiences I found out how important it is to absolutely brand your blog in a good and strong way. I found that especially when your personality and style is your identity and brand it is particularly hard to sell it. Here are my tips on how to do this:
1. Stay true to yourself: As you are the editor of your blog and probably the face of the blog as well you always have to stay true to yourself. Sounds like a cliche, I know but it’s so important to always remember this. You can’t create a strong brand if it’s too far away from your personality and from everything you stand for. It will be a lot easier to sell your ‘brand’ if it’s close to your heart, it motivates more and comes across strongly.
2. Find and write down your niche: As you can get carried away in the heat of the day, especially since the blogging world never stops it’s good to actually write down what you think your niche is. Once you have this written down you can always remember yourself of it. It’s very important so have this clear to yourself so you know from which angle you can work. It’s also important to think what makes you unique and special and to use this as your niche. For me personally it’s traveling and showing my personal style from all over the world whilst giving travel tips.
3. Write down a list of everything that matches your niche: Once you decided what your niche will be and you have this narrow focus it’s good to associate it with business opportunities. To make your brand stronger it’s very important to associate your brand with the right brands. Write down a list of everything that you feel fits your blog and what you’re doing and how you can use this to make your brand stronger.
4. Communicate your brand: This one is actually one of the most important points of the list. It is SO SO important to keep repeating and explaining to your readers and companies what your brand is and what it stands for. You can communicate this is so many ways, by always posting the same type of content, by always writing in the same style, by featuring brands that fit you very well, basically just going with a clear and focused strategy.
5. Learn when to say no: Once you start working on your branding you will have to say no to a lot of things. It might be hard in the beginning to do this (I still struggle with this from time to time) but in the end of the day it will make you a lot stronger and remember, one bad collaboration can really damage your brand or ruin your credibility. Be very clever about when to say yes and no.
I hope this helped you guys! Some of you might already dealt with this and some maybe not, but to me this subject is so important and I think all of us bloggers should think about this. If you guys have any additions to this post, please let me know!
Disclaimer: Header image found on Weheartit
Mel
Great tips! Can’t wait to implement them!
http://girlandthepolkadot.blogspot.com/
María Alejandra
Great tips. Thanks for sharing!
xx
http://www.alemint.net
alemint.blogspot.com
http://meganlike.blogspot.com
very good tips, i still learn too and is nice to read your tips, and implement them in blog, i love traveling too, and collaborating would be someting nice to do
http://meganlike.blogspot.com
Prudence Yeo
Great tips and the first point is so critical! I think it is so important to express what you really love so that it is genuine and will leave a deep impression! Thanks for sharing!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.wordpress.com
Gap
I love to read your lines about blogging!
XOX, Gap.
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
Teodora
Great tips as usual! Congratulation for the good work!
Kisses,
Teodora
http://www.e-befashion.com
Esmeralda
Good article, especially the “stay true to yourself”. I’m following a lot of bloggers and some of them changed (not in a good way). I am trying to stay true to myself by remembering where i stand for :).
Thanks for sharing! x
becausewelovefashion
Wat een handige tips!
http://becausewelovefashion.nl
LindaLibraLoca
As I am new to blogging, I read those posts with great interest. And relief, because I love my full-time job and never thought of making blogging my source of income.
There is so much involved even when hobby-blogging, it would totally kill the fun if I had to make sensible choices all the time (just speaking about myself).
I have great respect for all the full-time bloggers out there!
LindaLibraLoca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
Peppermint Dolly
Another great tips post – keep them coming and thanks a mill!
Rxx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Kim
i love your blogging tips posts! These are great tips – as a growing blogger I know I really appreciate the help 🙂
Kim
http://trendkeeper.me
I’m doing a giveaway! ^^
Fi and Ollie
Very useful thanks 🙂
check out our new blog : http://theblondeedit.wordpress.com/
xx
Kristjaana
I always love to read your blogtips! Branding is super important and sometimes I also second question myself whether to accept a collaboration offer or not 😛
xx, Kristjaana
http://www.kristjaana.com
The Fashion Panda
Thanks for the tips !
Alexa Hampton
Love these blog tips! Thanks for publishing them every week! : )
Savannah
Such helpful tips, thanks so much! x http://www.justsavxnnah.com
Kirsten Wick
I LOVE your tips, thanks so much dear! I’ve posted something about fashion blogging as an older blogger today. I might be 43 but there no such thing a 40s style and so on, I need to work on that because so many bloggers my age keep saying that but I hate it. I’m just me and do what I love. Kirsten xx
http://www.thelifbissue.com
Michaela
Your posts are so helpful! I love to read your tips every single time. However I really struggle with creating a stronger brand for my blog…. I think I’m somehow not the person to get it to ‘the next level’… But I think it’s great for those who have the talent to do so 🙂
xx Michaela
Tasha
I like these tips—I definitely agree about learning to sat no! Not every opportunity is for everyone, and taking on things that are completely outside of your brand or niche just make you seem unfocused, and ultimately, they can distract you from what you should be doing with your time.
xx
Tasha
http://www.theglossier.com
Dominique
and again, thank you for this!
xxxx
http://www.dominiquecandido.com
Margery Ho
Very helpful! Thanks! x
Blog | Marjorie
Annabel
Can always rely on your posts to be so informative. Think branding is such a hard to get right, but staying yourself is so important!
Annabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
Chels
I promise, your blog tip posts are always spot on! It’s like you’re inside my head or something! Thanks for all the help each week, I love your blog and your style. Gorg!
xo Chels
http://mommieandwee.org
Fabulicious Home Life
Great tips, thanks so much!
kiki
Thank you so much for these great tips!!! It’s so important to find your niche!!
Jeany
really love your blogging tips, they’re so helpful! So thanks a lot! <3
http://www.vogueetvoyage.com
Daphne Blunt
Thank you so much for all of the blogging tips!!
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/whistles-coat-kumiko-short-faux-fur?ID=1139858&pla_country=US&cm_mmc=Google-PLA-ADC-_-GS-Sutton-_-Whistles-_-5053867039671USA&CAWELAID=120156070000437222&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120156070000390120&cadevice=c
Daphne Blunt
http://tostylewithlove.com/
Daphne
*sorry for the wrong link (christmas shopping haha)
alexa
wat een goeie tips!
yasmin
Thanks for this…
http://simpleplaintruth.blogspot.co.uk
Bethany Davies
Thank you so much for the great advice!xo
http://bethinvogue.blogspot.co.uk
Jeanette Foss
Hi!
Great blog you have. Also want to tell you that I’m about to set up a Squarespace website instead of WordPress that I use now. So I will soon move my blog, but I keep my domain name:)
Nice with all these blogging contents, I like to read blogging tips.
http://interiorsweet.com
Miss Pippi
Really interesting post!
http://misspippisstyle.blogspot.hu/
nihancik
Communicating your brand is soo important! Both on the blog and Instagram. Do you have any rules for your Instagram like posting one photo of yourself and one photo of something else or one lighter background photo and one darker background one? Thanks!
StylewithNihan.com – http://www.stylewithnihan.com/
Channing Callahan @ Echanning
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