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I finally created my branding guidelines for my blog. Actually getting to branding the blog will be another story, but I’m almost there. I did it all myself. Now, I do have experience in graphic design and a background in web design, but I was never a branding person. I designed and created marketing materials, email campaigns and more, based off of an already-established brand most of the time. In order to brand my own blog, I needed to do some research on the most up-to-date guidelines and advice. Then, I realized that if I needed brand guidelines for my blog, and I could do it myself, I could help other bloggers as well! So, stay tuned for a freebie coming to the blog soon. Think straight forward branding template and branding guide that explains what things like “sub marks” are, while also helping you understand what the purpose of different fonts are. So, check out this list of branding resources that will help you and are FREE! Let’s face it, us newbie bloggers don’t have a marketing budget yet, but we need to look like we do!

Let’s Start Your Blog and Make Money Now By Doing What I Should’ve Done

How I Got My First Viral Pin

How I Went From 0-60 Email Subscribers In Two Days

The Best Free Branding Resources for Bloggers:

Let’s start with a VISION:

Brand Vision: What is it and Why You Need One by Devan Danielle

6 Common Mistakes DIY Designers Make With Their Branding + Simple Solutions by Gillean Tracey

Next, choosing FONTS:

Beginner’s Guide to Fonts For Your Blog: How to Choose Font Combinations by Design Your Own Blog
I didn’t know Wordmark even existed and I love it!!

How to Choose the Best Font Pairing For Your Brand by Mariah Halthoff

COLORS!:

Branding colors: everything you need to choose your brand’s color palette by 99 Designs

 

How to Choose the Perfect Color Scheme For Your Brand by Night Owl Studio

THE 60-30-10 RULE

This is the design secret that nobody is telling you but I’ll share it with you because you’re awesome! The 60-30-10 Rule is a design tool to help keep colors balanced. The idea is to use your primary color 60%, use your secondary color 30% and use your accent color 10%. This rule is a great guide to make sure you aren’t overusing a color and overwhelming your audience. Take a look at how I use the 60-30-10 rule and remember to play around with your accent color. Your accent color can be something more playful like a texture or pattern because it is used minimally and strategically.

How to Choose a Colour Scheme When You’re Not A Designer by White Corner Creative

Creating a LOGO and VARIATIONS:

Everything You Need To Know About Logo Files, Variations & Their Uses + Free Cheat Sheet by Tarragon Studios

A minimalist easy to use logo maker that is free is:  MojoMox

Choosing PATTERNS and STYLE:

How to Use A Brand Style Guide by Hoot Design Company

How Pinterest Can Help You Build an Irresistible Brand by Dish It Out Social

Those are the best free resources that I found while branding my blog. It took some time and work. It is really difficult to brand something for yourself because you have so many emotions and feelings connected to your blog. It really does pay off to have a professional do your branding at some point, when your readership is larger and your income permits it. In the short term, you can do it yourself. Re-branding down the road with a larger company is also a great way to gain traffic. You build up a countdown to your re-launch, make it a live event and use it as a means to gain momentum and signify your growth. For now, if you are just starting, you want to look professional to pull people in.

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4 Comments

  1. Jennifer Vara Reply

    These are great resources. Thanks for sharing! I definitely can use some of these as I try to brand my blog.

  2. This is an incredible post – packed with so much necessary information.

    I didn’t even know about a 1/10th of these things.

    So thank you, thank you!

    • Katie Pickett Reply

      So glad it helped you too! I really needed all that information too, and I still haven’t finished branding my blog. I’ve been too focused on writing, but I figure I’ll get there at some point right?!

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