5 Ways to refresh your blog’s branding

Have you felt tired of your blog’s interface? Maybe you’re using one of the free themes that every other blogger seems to have? Is it difficult for you to stand out and find sponsorships despite having stellar content? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. It might just be time to refresh your blog’s branding.

If you have been following my blog since the start, you know just how far we’ve come. For those of you who joined the GWS family fairly recently, just know that you are fortunate to have escaped the trial phase. It may not look like it now, but this lifestyle corner used to be a pile of confusion. *Cue Drake ‘Started from the bottom’*.

Though my journey was painstaking, yours doesn’t have to be if you follow some simple steps. Here are some tips I learned in my 11 month journey that will help you refresh your blog’s branding.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, but the views, tips and experiences are my own.

Refresh your blog’s branding literally

When I first decided to change my niche from parenting to lifestyle, I tried to do it as subtly as possible. It wasn’t the worst idea, but it definitely left my readers confused for months.

Based on my experience, I wouldn’t recommend following such a gradual approach. Radical steps such as changing your domain name, changing your categories, and recreating your key pages might be the better approach.

Here I am telling you to do the exact opposite of what I did… How can I qualify this view?

It’s simple. Your readers are attracted to the idea they have of you. Going through such a painstaking process of slowly switching your content can leave you with a following that doesn’t engage. However, revamping the blog’s DNA lets everyone know what is going on immediately. And then it’s up to them to decide if they will follow along your new journey.

Related: Why I Will no Longer be ‘Sharenting’

Change up your theme

Choosing a theme for your blog can become overwhelming, but it’s a process you can’t skip. There are way too many options to try out and not enough minutes in a day!

It may take time to decide just how you want your domain to look, and that is okay. You can always refresh your blog’s branding with a paid theme when you’re ready. And yes, paid is the way to go if you want it to look different.

Personally, I probably went through about 20 free themes before finally settling into one that felt right. I tested them out and played around with colours so often that I could start my own tutorials. And when that hype died down, I picked the one that least bothered me.

Three months later, it just wasn’t good enough anymore! It almost felt as though everyone and their cousin had the exact same theme. Not ideal at all. And after everything, I finally ‘put a ring’ on a paid theme. I’ll admit, paying for it wasn’t fun, but the quality of my blog has definitely changed for the better!

Related: 5 Ways My Blog Changed in the First 6 Months

Download fonts for your new theme

I know, I know, I’ve just told you to pay for a new theme on top of the yearly cost to keep your domain. But hear me out.

Changing your theme to a paid version will reduce the number of blogs that look like yours. But unless you designed the theme yourself, there will be someone out there whose blog looks quite similar. Adding creative fonts is such an easy way to personalize any theme and set it apart.

What font you choose will fall back to your personal style, but try to keep your niche in mind as well. If you’re more of a crude and energetic blogger, picking some nice tattoo style fonts online can add an extra dose of character. However, if your blog is centrered around serious content, picking out simple lettering can add sophisticated style.

If you’re ready for this step, check out Font Bundles for some cool fonts to spruce up your blog!

When using fonts, remember to use the artistic fonts for the blog name or tag line, while keeping the context simplistic and chic. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have, no one will spend hours deciphering your post!

Create Content for your new niche

Once you’ve come up with a new domain name, you also need to make sure that the content is appropriate. Many bloggers tend to start out with very specific niches and then branch out after rebranding. So choosing a domain name that allows you to write freely within your niche is essential. Can you imagine logging onto a site called “Medical Traumas” and finding out that most of their content is about coffee? The reverse applies to a broadly named domain such as “millennial musings” that only focuses on heart surgery.

If you you seriously want to refresh your blog’s branding, you need to commit. That may even mean deleting old posts or updating them to become relevant to the new niche. It may seem counterintuitive to let go of old material, but it will definitely help your blog in the long run.

Promote your blog interactively

Sometimes all of the changes just aren’t enough to get your brand out there. With over 500 million blogs on the web, you will need to find creative ways to reach page 1 on Google.

An interactive way to refresh your blog’s branding, as well as improve your DA, is to spread your domain as much as possible. It’s simple enough right?

Well, yes and no.

Your new brand needs to speak to the right audience. If you’ve adapted your content and design appropriately, the next step is exposing yourself to the right audience. Guest posting on blogs of a similar niche will automatically provide you with an established audience as well as create the backlinks required to boost your domain authority. Plus, it’s so much fun working with other bloggers!

Putting everything together, you have the perfect recipe to refresh your blog’s brand!

Related: Want to Collaborate on a Guest Post? Read This First

Do you think it’s time to refresh your blog’s branding? If yes, what are some things that worry you? I’d love to read your thoughts.