Figuring out and reinforcing your blog’s brand is one of the most effective things you can do as a new blogger. The easiest way to do this is by reinforcing your blog’s brand personality…
Why? Most new bloggers…in fact…. Almost zero bloggers are doing this.
Defining and staying consistent with your brand is how you can stand out from the competition, yet, it’s the step most bloggers skip.
So, why aren’t most new bloggers doing this?
Because most bloggers don’t have a background in marketing.
New bloggers get excited about the idea of blogging about their passion, or making money online, and immediately dig into setting up their blog and writing blog posts.
This is a huge opportunity loss!
I’ve been working in the corporate world as a digital marketer for a decade now and I can tell you, companies with the best brands are almost always the most successful.
And, guess what? The most successful professional bloggers also have the best, well-defined branding.
What do I mean by this?
Is a great brand about having a well-designed website?
- How about a great logo?
- A beautiful color scheme?
- A catchy tagline?
- About page?
Actually, it’s none of these things.
The truth is, there are some great blog brands out there with pretty terrible logos and very basic website designs.
What makes a great, well-defined brand is one that is memorable and consistent.
If your blog blends in with the competition, then you probably have some branding work to do…
How do you get started with building your brand?
I recommend first deciding what you want your blog’s brand personality to be.
Why?
You don’t want to come off as a cardboard, boring, forgettable brand. Attaching yourself to a brand personality will help you avoid this.
A brand personality also helps keep your brand consistent.
It’s a great entry point for beginners to get started with branding because it lays the foundation for everything you do with your brand.
This means, your logo should match your brand personality and the way you speak to your audience (your blog’s voice).
Everything down to the images you use in your blog posts should match your brand personality. It is the heart of your brand.
But, what exactly is a brand personality? And how do you get one?
Brand personality is a marketing term coined by Jennifer Aaker in her research article Dimensions of Brand Personality.
Brand personality is defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a brand.
Aaker found that people tend to attach human personalities to brands.
Basically, it’s the personality a brand would have as a person.
And, there are five unique personalities for brands to fit into…
The Five Core Brand Archetypes
Aaker’s research found that there are five distinct brand personality archetypes that consumers associate with brands.
They are:
- Sincerity – reminds you of home
- Excitement – gets your blood pumping
- Competence – a brand you trust
- Sophistication – high-end and luxurious
- Ruggedness – Outdoorsy
Here is a quick breakdown of the characteristics that make up these personalities:
Ok, so now that you see these brand personalities and their descriptions, how do you know which one to choose?
You may be thinking “I fit three of these categories, can I choose all three for my brand?”
I would not recommend this. Honestly, most bloggers are going to have time tying themselves to just one of these personalities in their audiences’ minds.
As a beginning blogger and marketer, it’s going to be easiest if you focus on fitting into just one of these categories.
You’ve heard it before, “You can’t be all things to all people all of the time…”
So, pick the one brand dimensions you most identify with and stick to it.
Here is a quick breakdown of whether or not a certain brand dimension is right for you…
Sincere Brands are Great for Bloggers that:
- Like to speak honestly and transparently to their audience
- Are in a niche that speaks to mid-westerners
- Write about a topic related to home & food (i.e. food bloggers, DIY)
- Are in a niche that consumers typically mistrust (i.e.used car salesmen, money)
- Rely on lots of personal stories in their posts
Examples of popular sincere brands include:
- Fixer Upper (Chip & Joanna Gaines)
- Tom’s Shoes
- Target
Exciting Brands are Great for Bloggers that:
- Like to joke around with their audience
- Write about a topic that attracts a youthful crowd
- Are always up-to-date on the latest trends in their niche
- Are in a niche associated with fun (i.e. music, entertainment, food & drink)
- Compete with mostly bland or boring brands
- Use lots of images and videos in their posts
Examples of popular exciting brands include:
- American Ninja Warrior
- Nike
- Red Bull
Competent Brands are Great for Bloggers that:
- Like to instruct and teach their audience
- Are in a niche that attracts a serious crowd
- Write about complex topics (i.e. technology, finance)
- Are in a niche where the competition is amateurish
- Like to write detailed reviews and/or how-to guides
Examples of popular competent brands include:
- 60 Minutes
- Dr. Scholl’s
- Microsoft
Sophisticated Brands are Great for Bloggers that:
- Speak very confidently to their audience and who are naturally charismatic
- Write about a topic that attracts either an upper-class or feminine crowd
- Are in a niche associated with fun (i.e. music, entertainment, food & drink)
- Compete with utility or cheap brands
- Use lots of images and videos in their posts
Examples of popular sophisticated brands include:
- Mad Men
- Gucci
- Dos Equis
Rugged Brands are Great for Bloggers that:
- Like to speak boldly
- Are in a niche that attracts a rural or ‘country’ crowd
- Write about topics associated with the outdoors (i.e. sports, hiking, farming, adventure travel)
- Are in a niche where the competition is almost always bland
- Like to use lots of images and videos in their posts
Examples of popular rugged brands include:
- Man vs. Wild
- Carhartt
- Clif Bar
Still not sure which brand personality to choose?
After reading through these descriptions, if you’re still trying to decide between personalities, here are a few suggestions to make your final decision…
Consider your Target Audience
First, always have your target audience in mind. Who are you trying to appeal to?
For example, if your target audience is stay-at-home moms, then ruggedness probably won’t be a great brand personality to target.
Similarly, if you’re trying to appeal to accountants, then excitement probably isn’t the right choice.
Consider your Competition
Second, think about your competition…
Do you want to stand out from your competition, or do you want to blend in with them?
This isn’t a rhetorical question.
What I mean is, if you’re new to a niche and the competition isn’t huge, you may want to have a similar brand personality to you competition. This can help establish you as a thought leader more quickly.
You can still set yourself apart with elements of your brand (i.e. your color scheme or brand voice), but by striking a similar tone as your competition, you can fit into your niche more easily in your audience’s mind.
However, if you’re in a crowded market where most of your competition tends to play it safe, stepping outside of the box with a unique brand personality can really help you stand out.
Ok, now before I wrap up, one last reminder…
Why should you try to associate your brand with a brand personality?
- It helps you establish a connection with your desired audience faster. If you can form an emotional connection with your blog visitors you’re destined for success.
- By choosing and sticking to a personality dimension, you’ll be able to better maintain brand consistency. This will help your audience to know, like, and trust you.
- It will be the foundation of your brand
Once you decide on your blog’s brand personality, the next step is to reinforce it everywhere.
And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere…
From your logo, to your blog post copy, to your logo, to the images you use on your blog’s website and social media accounts.
Whenever you create something for your blog, make sure it matches your blog’s personality.
If you’re not sure which brand personality is right for you, I put together a fun brand personality quiz to help you decide!
Let me know which brand personality you think is right for you in the comments below!