A lot of people get started with a blog as a creative outlet and somewhere they can write down what they are doing, how they are feeling, or their hints and tips for things. But if you are serious about blogging and want to take it to the next level and you want to earn money from it, then eventually, you have to treat it like a proper business; you will need to turn your blog into a brand. Even if there is just you behind it all, you can still create a brand around it, so that you can earn more, and get it to where you want to be. If you wanted to write a book or release a line of food products or clothing, for example, having a known brand behind it all is going to be what will help.
To start off with, you need to see your blog as a tool for getting from one thing to another. If you see it as something that is just a blog and can’t take you further, then it won’t. You need to see it as something that will help you to achieve your end goals and take you from being a blogger to being the owner of a business. Here are some tips to help.
Define your Brand
If you have already been blogging then you might have inadvertently created a brand around it. But if you are fairly new to it all, then you can start afresh. Either way, you can make changes along the way. But first, you need to have an idea of what you are aiming for. This can be done through thinking about the goals and aims that you have, as well as who your ideal audience is. If you are looking to eventually become a sponsored athlete on Instagram, for example, then you shouldn’t really be sharing content around fast foods or sharing unhealthy recipes. Your readers won’t want that if they are coming for fitness, for example. So think about what you want to do and how you want your brand to look.
Identify Your Ideal Audience
In the early days of blogging it can feel like you will have anyone as your audience as long as your site is getting hits. But really, from the start you need to be thinking about who your ideal reader is. What kind of content are they looking for? What age will they be? Whether you have a new blog or not, honing in on your ideal reader is important, so that you can create the content for those people with the hopes of them coming back again and again.
Create a Following or Community
Once you know who your ideal audience is, you need to start thinking about the community around the audience. How can you take them from a passive reader to ones that will get involved, follow on social media, download your printables or join your Facebook group? You need to make sure that you aren’t just churning out content. Creating a community is all about giving and taking. So joining in with conversation, replying on social media, answering questions, as well as asking them. If you have a local following, then even creating a meetup can be a good way to create a real community around what you do and get your loyal fans that will want to be part of your brand.
Think About Monetizing
You are not going to have a brand or a business if there is nothing but a website for people to interact with. If you want to take it to the next level, then you need to start thinking about what you can do to monetize what you do, over and above the sponsored content. Back to the fitness idea again, could you create an ebook of recipes that people can purchase? Or how about making a custom line or gym tanks and tees? Think about your ideal audience again and what they keep coming to you for. If it is fitness related content, then you can create something around that and make money from it.
Visual Brand
As well as a name and an image, you need to have a visual brand that will be recognisable. Your blog and social channels should be cohesive to show who you are and what you do, perhaps through a color scheme or a logo. Think about images that you use and the kind of content you share and keep it consistent so that people know what to expect when it comes to you and your content.
