How to Brand Your Blog in 4 Easy Steps

The most popular advice given to writers is to find your voice – to showcase your unique personality and view of the world through the words you choose and the sensory details you describe.

As well as having a literary voice, it is also important to have a visual voice.

The internet is a visual medium, in the same way television and magazines are. Beautiful looking blogs will attract more readers than those filled with messy layouts, unattractive photos and jarring colours. Here are a few tips to help you brand your blog with a consistent, pleasing visual style.

1. Colours

Your colour palette should be no more than three colours. If you’re not expert in colour theory (I’m not) then choose a suite of colours that occur in the world around you. Websites like Design Seeds have gorgeous examples of colours that work together.

design seeds

Flick through the images without thinking too much about it and choose the one you are most drawn too. You can use these colours in any combination – for example, your post headings and links might be one colour and your side bar titles another.

On this site I use pink and grey and at Gretel Park  (my publishing site) I use blue and green. Two colours are often enough.

→ TIP: Make your profile photo match your colour scheme by wearing similar colours. I have grey hair, a grey background and a pink hair tie in my head shot. It makes the photo look as though it belongs with everything else.

2. Shapes

To make your photos work for you on social media, they should include some text. To make this text stand out from the background you can enclose it in a shape. Use that shape (circle, square, rectangle) consistently on your blog.

quicksand T

momma T

share T

→ TIP: Make your text box semi transparent so your colours and texture bleed through.

3. Fonts

You need a pair of fonts on your blog. You can find suggestions for combining fonts here (ones you might already have). An easy rule of thumb is to have a sans-serif (no edges) and a serif font together. For inspiration, search Pinterest with the terms “font pairing”.

fonts

from Mimpy & Co

→ TIP: Combine uppercase letters with lowercase letters for a more professional look.

4. Image Style

My visual style has evolved into classic muted or black and white vintage photos. Ideally, your photos should all have the same look and feel – the colours, the focus, the mood etc.

vintage

from pexels.com

pink

from pexels.com

→ TIP: You don’t have to use photos – you can use drawings, paintings, icons, patterns, plain colours or abstracts as your signature images.

Assorted Bokeh Set

from Shadow House Creations (free)

By spending a little time now deciding your colour, shape, font and image preferences, you will be rewarded with an attractive, professional looking blog and less confusion deciding what images to add to your posts.

Knowing your blog’s visual brand will also save you time because can set up image templates to streamline your blogging process.

how to brand your blog T

Please feel free to share a link to a post which showcases your visual style.


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About KatieP

Embracing my midlife sexy while exploring modern love & relationships • Devoted to all things beautiful • Master of Arts in creative writing & non-fiction writing

54 thoughts on “How to Brand Your Blog in 4 Easy Steps

  1. Hi,
    I have been looking for an article just like this with info. on the shapes, transparency, etc. and the font combinations. I have started using shapes but never occured to me to have the same shape each time. Thank you.
    Janice

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Janice. You don’t have to be locked in to the same shape all the time if you want some variety, but it does give your images a recognisable look.

  2. This is so helpful! I’m always stymied by things like combining colors and fonts. What photo editing service do you use to make your text images?

  3. This is a great reference, Katie… especially for me, since the visual is still something I need to work on – another task competing for 1st on my big long list of to do’s…

  4. I do love your look. I’ve tried to create a brand but I know I could improve it a lot. Do you help someone who does a humor blog? My photos tend to be a bit zany at times.

    1. I’ve checked out your blog, Molly and it’s great. You already have the beginnings of a style by adding funny graphics to your photos.

      You might want to push that a little further by having a ‘hero’ image for each post that people can share – for example, a thought bubble from someone’s head with a quote or question from the post. Use a cartoon or handwritten font.

      I like the ‘Home Depot’ photo – you could do more like that.

  5. Great advice! I needed to read this. How do you add those transparent boxes to your images if you don’t know Photoshop ? My blog is totally plain Jane and I could use some help!

  6. Katie, I have seen other similar posts like this by way of Pinterest, but yours exceeds those posts by miles. Excellent tips and I am happy to know I am on the right track. Here is a link to my newest post. http://terriwebsterschrandt.com/2015/09/24/the-social-side-of-blogging/

    Also, I change up my colors a little bit with the seasons. Just small things like background color and header image. My free WP theme is limited but I can make it work. Thanks again for a fab post!!

  7. This is really interesting advice and perfect timing for me because I’ve been pondering how to spruce up my blog. Thanks Katie.
    I popped over this morning from #MidLifeLuv (hi Elena!) but I was lucky enough to find your blog before that…or maybe it was from Elena another day, either way, thanks!
    Hope this day treats you kindly!

  8. Oh this is such excellent advice, Katie. I would know your blog anywhere and associate the colors and beautiful images with you.
    I’m going to incorporate some of your ideas into my blog, although I’m not sure it will be anywhere as attractive as yours.

  9. I’m so glad we are friends and I can pick that wonderful brain of yours whenever I want to. lol This is such a terrific post, packed with valuable information. I hate when people talk about branding in such generalizations. You have managed to streamline the process for people with this post. I hope everyone takes advantage of you(in a good way). Thank you as always for supporting my linky and sharing your posts. #MidLifeLuv

  10. What great, sensible advice – you make the concept of branding so accessible. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I’ve got some work to do, especially when it comes to images…

  11. You are so smart in so many ways and this is another way, Katie. Thanks for directing me to this post. It’s one I needed to read to work on my blog brand. I will pin this as a reminder of what I need to do. I already love the FB and twitter covers you made for me. You are quite gifted, my new friend.

  12. I like the transparency photo idea and keeping the photo styles in a similar theme. Gonna try it! Thanks!

  13. I’ve been reading through all of your advice on branding and social media presence. It’s been extremely helpful.

    I’m working on fonts right now and love #1 in your example above. Can you tell me what they are and if they are available for use?

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