I loved reading all of your feedback on my first Influencer Tips post on How to Build an Organic Following.  This month I thought I’d discuss the importance of branding in the influencer world. To be totally honest, I resisted this topic for the longest time and felt that I didn’t need to invest in branding.

The truth is, it’s really hard for me and Cameron to get an outside perspective on anything related to my blog. We’re too close to it. I manage my campaigns, social media and website and Cameron helps me with everything photo, video and design-related. We were used to doing the same things for so long and we needed an outside perspective. So if you’re like I was a few months ago and you don’t feel like you’re ready to invest in your branding, I’m here to give you some honest guidance and advice.

Your brand is your most important asset when it comes to your business. As my friends at Honor told me, it represents the values, passion, services, intention and personality of your company. Branding is hugely important no matter what field your business may be in. If you happen to be in the blogger/ influencer world, branding is crucial to setting yourself apart.

I had the best experience working with Honor Creative. They took the time to really get to know me and were available for help at every step. I’ll explain a bit about what this process looked like. First, you do a deep dive into your current brand and figure out the message you want to portray with your business. This phase of discovery is super important and really helps you narrow down what you love and don’t love about your current brand. Then you get together with the team to review your brand discovery and start conceptualizing. From there, they create brand boards for you to choose from and you give detailed feedback. Once the visual brand has been finalized, you are given a brand style guide that becomes your guidelines for your brand and all of the design decisions you make.

Below you’ll see my finalized brand board. I can’t explain how much of a relief it is to finally look at my branding and feel confident about it. The ladies at Honor just got me and were able to take my ideas and create a cohesive look. PLUS they were nice enough to offer a 10% discount off an Honor package to all of you. Just mention “hunterten” and they will take care of you. 🙂 Below are a few tips I learned while rebranding my own business.

Tips for Branding your Blog

• FIND THE RIGHT DESIGNER. I can’t stress this enough!!! Do your research and find someone whose work truly speaks to you.

• CREATE A MOODBOARD. Moodboards aren’t just for colors. You can find inspiration for your brand in texture, pattern, fonts, etc. Create an expansive moodboard of everything that speaks to you and then narrow down from there.

• DRAW INSPIRATION FROM YOUR CURRENT BRAND. What about your current brand feels like “you?” For me, I love my edit on my photos and drew inspiration from the warmth and vibrance of my own photos. I also loved the handwritten, approachable feel of my last logo. These elements were driving forces of my new branding.

• DIVE DEEP INTO YOUR BRAND. Take the time to analyze your brand from an outside perspective. What message are you currently sending to your audience? What do you want your message to be? It’s important not to rush through this process.

• WELCOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. This can be tough, but constructive criticism is huge for the growth of your brand. Ask you audience, ask your friends and family, ask your designer what you could be doing better. It’s important to not get stuck in your ways or too attached in this ever-evolving industry.

• DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS. I was queen of saying “that color is close enough” or “that font looks pretty close.” If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the importance of using exact fonts, colors etc. This is crucial for creating a strong and cohesive brand.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read and support my blog. Leave any suggestions for my next Influencer Tips post in the comments below.

xx Hunter