My Branding Journey + Four Questions To Ask Yourself While Rebranding // ft. A Free Downloadable Checklist

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✨CLICK HERE TO SEE A COMPLETE LIST OF THE BLOGIFUL DESIGN POSTS.✨

→ Introducing The Blogiful Blog Design Event

→ 5 Steps That Will Help You Choose An Awesome Blog Name (ft. A Free Worksheet!)

→ How to Choose the Right Font for Your Blog

→ How in the World I Make My Graphics: A Step-By-Step Tutorial

→ My Branding Journey + Four Questions To Ask Yourself While Rebranding (ft. A Free Downloadable Checklist)

→ 4 Ways To Make Your Free WordPress.com Theme Look Different From Everybody Else’s

→ An Interview with Web Designer, Hazel From Stay Bookish

→ Q & A Session + A Secret Reveal

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Do you remember that scene from the first Harry Potter book where Hermione had to solve a very complicated riddle and choose the correct potion for Harry to drink? (It wasn’t in the movies, so if you haven’t read the books, then go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 dollars…but really, it’s cool. Just skip ahead). If she chose wrong, then Harry would have drank poison, died, and thus allowed Voldemort to lay siege on the Sorcerer’s Stone. This one wrong choice would’ve spelled (haha get it? Cause like…magic and stuff?) doom on the entire Wizarding World. Or worse, it would have gotten them expelled.

When it comes to the penultimate choice of my brand, that’s kind of how I feel. Yes, sometimes I feel a life-or-death amount of pressure regarding my blog (thanks, anxiety. Really appreciate that). Although not everyone probably experiences that same level of stress, I think we can all agree on one thing: we want our blogs to look their best. And sometimes, that “best” version doesn’t come as a result of our first attempt. Or even our second. Sometimes it takes multiple tries, multiple rebranding sessions, each one taking us higher, further, faster than before.

This was the case with me. When I first decided that I wanted to start a book blog, I waffled (haha, get it?) over my so-called brand for quite some time before finally settling on one I liked. In fact, I was so indecisive and anxious about getting it just right (say hello to the perfectionist in the room) that I slogged through three whole rebranding sessions before settling the heck down.

In a stunning turn of events, I’ve dug up these dusty (and extremely embarrassing) relics from my top-secret vault and have kindly chosen to share them with you. So, pull out your popcorn, sit back, and cringe with me:

My first attempt at a blog design was, “The Book & The Blogger.” Gyah, just hearing that unoriginal name makes me wince (I should have used my own advice). Not because it was terrible, but because it was so terribly forgettable. The blog itself had no personality and it didn’t feel like a representation of who I am as a person  – and a brand should do that. It should reflect your personality in some way, or else you are going to fall out of love with it very quickly, just like I did.

Thus, it was with a heavy  an overly eager heart that I underwent my first rebranding. The second name I chose was, “Tomes in Tokyo.” This felt closer to home – literally. I live near Tokyo, so that automatically made me feel more of an emotional connection to this blog identity than the first. “Tomes in Tokyo” had flair and it had style. It was also instantly more memorable than “The Book & The Blogger” ever was. I even had a sort of sushi / cherry blossom theme going on, and I gotta say, it was pretty 素敵 (the Japanese word for, “stylish”).

Although it checked a lot of the right boxes, I realized something that put a slight damper on things: I don’t plan on living in Japan forever. and this blog name would become meaningless if I lived in Seattle. In other words, it lacked durability. With this in mind, I decided to try out something more flexible and long lasting.

Ahhhh, so now we’ve reached the infamous “Novels & Waffles” era. Some of you early subscribers might be familiar with this look. It was my logo back when I was still becoming familiar with all of the design tools available to me. Although this old version of my brand still holds a soft little corner of my waffley heart, I eventually decided to change it because I felt like I could do better. My blog graphics weren’t very unified and there were too many colors in my palette to create a wholly cohesive look. As I got more comfortable with making my own graphics and with my brand, I knew a makeover was in order.

TA-DA! Now we’re caught up to real time, and I’ve got to say, although I’m constantly plauged with self-doubt (“Should I change this? Should I try that? Does this look stupid?”), I’m generally feeling very positive about my blog. It feels personal, memorable, and unique (at least to me), which are all qualities that I knew I wanted my blog to have.

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Four Questions To Ask Yourself While Rebranding

After going through a solid number of rebrandings, what did I take away from the experience? Well, I learned to ask myself the following four questions:

1. Does it have personality?

Make sure that your brand reflects you as a person. If you simply choose a name or a certain look because you think it will be popular, you will ultimately fall out of love with it.

2. Is it memorable?

Things can be memorable for different reasons. Whether it be because of a clever blog name (It’s YA Girl), an eye-catching logo (Read at Midnight), a certain writing style (Emma Reads), or a unique idea (The Quiet Pond), try and find a way to make your blog stick out. This will become a large “selling point” of your blog’s brand.

3. Is it durable/flexible?

If you’re expecting to be in this for the long haul, then try not to pick a brand that has an expiration date. For example, if you chose to name your blog, “The Pregnant Lady Reads,”  it might not apply in the same way once nine months pass.

4. Is it visual?

This question doesn’t just have to do with your graphics, color palette, or the overall cohesiveness of your blog, though those are important factors to consider here too. No, I think the best piece of branding advice that I ever received was from this article by Ashley @ Nose Graze. She said, “Make [your brand] visual. If people associate your name with something visual, that will make it more memorable.”

Visualization is key when it comes to memory – that’s why names are hard to remember, but images are easy. Apply this principle to your brand!

Somebody once told me that they saw heart-shaped waffles at IKEA and thought of my blog. Even just the other day, one of my Instagram followers explained how they identified a picture as mine, even before checking the username. Why? Because I included a waffle in the post. Because I’ve tied the image of waffles to my brand, it is easier to remember and to recognize.

Other blogs that do this well:

• The Orang-utan Librarian (Orangutans and bananas)
• Shut Up, Shealea (Sunflowers)
• Drizzle and Hurricane Books (Hurricanes/Storms)
• Royal Polar Bear Reads (Polar bears and crowns)
• Book Cheshire Cat (The Cheshire Cat)
• Book Princess Reviews (Disney Princesses)

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✨Don’t forget to check out my lovely Co-Host’s corresponding Blogiful post for today, where she discusses the importance of blog navigation ✨

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Have you ever rebranded your blog? What was it like?

What tips or articles helped you the most while creating your brand?

What do you think of my old attempts at branding?