Blog Brand Consistency

What is a brand?

When most people think of “brand,” they think about a company. For example, you may purchase a certain brand of cereal at the store. This is absolutely correct, but there is a lot involved in a company’s brand. The brand of a company consists of the combined impressions and experiences associated with that company: the logo, the tagline or catch-phrase, the tone of ads/commercials and posts, the colors, etc. Really, the brand determines the way someone feels about a company.

The same can be said for blogs. When you visit a blog, usually you are first struck by the visual aspect and then by the content itself. These are also the things you remember when you leave the blog. Think about a blog you love:

• The logo – Can you remember what the logo looks like?
• The tagline – What was the tagline? Did it make sense for the blog?
• The tone of the posts – Does the blog author have a certain way that she (or he) writes? Is it funny? Informative? Sarcastic?

If you have visited that blog on any social media sites did you instantly recognize that this was for the blog you love? Most well-known companies and blogs will make sure that their brand is consistent no matter where it is encountered.

Why does my blog need a consistent brand?

When readers become familiar with a blog because of its identifiable messaging and visuals, they create positive associations with that blog and can remember it more easily. This will keep them coming back for more and recommending your blog to others.

How do you go about creating a consistent blog brand?

Every time you introduce your blog to a new audience you should make sure that your brand is consistent. Take my blog at Newlywed Survival for example. The images below show how Newlywed Survival is viewed on various social media outlets.

Facebook

Pinterest

Google+

Twitter

You will notice that they all look relatively similar and that they all keep the same key elements.

It can be very tempting to create something new and different when branching out to new social media accounts, but make sure that you keep your brand in mind. I wouldn’t create a Twitter background that was purple and yellow for Newlywed Survival because it just doesn’t follow my color scheme.

This is not only true for the visual aspect of your brand, but also for the topic and tone of what you post on your blog and social media accounts. I would not post about kid crafts or online gaming on my blog, so I shouldn’t post about them on my social media accounts. These topics are not what my audience is expecting from Newlywed Survival.

Blog brand consistency list

To keep my brand in mind when creating new social media accounts, business cards, downloadable pdfs, e-newsletter, or posts, I created the following brand consistency list for Newlywed Survival:

• Blog name: Newlywed Survival (always capital N and S)
  
• Colors: Blue (#91A4BB), Orange (#E66F00), and White (#FFF)
• Images: kissing fish, heart bubbles, fish tail
• Fonts:
  • Logo & tagline: ITC Avant Garde Gothic BT (medium and extra light)
  • Text/content: “Droid Sans”, “Lucida Grande”, Tahoma, sans-serif
• Tagline: how to stay dry after taking the plunge
• Blog description variations: 
  • Staying dry after taking the plunge.
  • One woman hoping to help others survive the first few years of marriage.
  • A newlywed survival guide.
• Topics: Relationship, recipes, creating a home, fitness, saving money, budgeting
• Tone: Informative and sometimes humorous

What are some ways that you can change your blog or social media accounts to have a more consistent brand? Create your own brand consistency list above and tackle each social media account one at a time. Or, you can contact me and I will help you create a consistent brand on all of your social media accounts!

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