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In this video post I reflect upon the one of the downsides of changing your blog’s brand and/or design.
While updating blog design, logos and avatars in social media sites can bring a lot of life to a blog and present you with an up to date and fresh web presence – one of the negatives is that you can actually stop the momentum that you might have already created with your previous branding.
This is a lesson that applies when thinking about blog design but also even the simple avatars you choose for your Twitter and other social media profiles.
I’m interested to hear your experiences of both how changing your online ‘branding’ has led to confusion but also how you would suggest bloggers do it in a way that builds upon previous branding.
This post was brought to you by Business Week Exchange.
PS: sorry for the audio quality on this video. I recorded it in a public space and there was a little too much background noise.
I remember awhile back when I first started blogging, I had a blog that I made and built a decent foundation on. The blog looked very old and was in need of a few updates. So, I decided a new look would perhaps make my blog stand out.
The new design worked wonders and looked amazing. It even inspired me to start writing better content and to get more involved in my writing.
The problem was that this visual change also affected my personality that I had on the blog. I began writing more aggressive posts with more opinions and this style was very different as opposed to how I used to write. I think I may have gotten just a “little” bit too excited, if you know what I mean.
Eventually people just started not visiting, and any faithful readers I had before the change left me because my blog was not the same it once was.
With http://www.Ironblogger.com I am trying my very best to brand myself perfectly the same. Any changes that I make, I take nice and slowly. This way my readers get time to react to it.
Very interesting video Darren, I liked it very much.
Hi Alex,
(Is it rude to address another commenter on someone else’s blog? Forgive me if so) Could you please tell me what this means – taken from your comment? H1,h2 and H3 tags as then the reading experience compliments your blog design.
I looked at your site but couldn’t discern any clues. Mel
This really interesting post, I had no idea that it has so much weight! i just changed my blog design and was actually talking to my boss about more changes,but now I will think about it more carefully. I’ll see if we could incorporate our logo and style into our blog. Again, thanks Darren
hi,
i was seriously thinking that i should change the theme and design of my old blog so that the users will get to experience some thing new on my blog.and will make sure the momentum is not lost, will see there is a flow in the change of the design.
thanks,
Thank you for theis post. Wow, I learn everytime I log on to your site so much. Thanks!
Absolutely right. One of my blogger friends keeps trying new themes which in my point of view is not what we call consistent communication. There might be gaps. People take time to accept changes even these are minor. That’s how it is. As myself, I would never change my brand, icons, themes or logos which I have used. This is identity and people associate themselves to you blog via its consistent look and feel and colors. And if someone should change its brand look then it must be declared and readers must be aware of the change before it happens. Possibly a blogger can ask suggestions from readers about the new look before he implements that. In this way readers will be more attached with you and openly will accept the change.
It is true that, as human beings, we find comfort in regularity, and the familiar. It goes without saying that we first relate to a subject (whether animate or inanimate!) through sight. Think of a time when a family member, friend or spouse changed their appearance. There is uncertainty because, even looking for that person in a crowd proves difficult.
One interesting thing that came to mind when I watched this video, was the reaction to the London 2012 Olympic Logo.
http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/public-reaction-against-the-london-2012-olympic-logo/
It is fair to say that the Olympics have a deeply entrenched brand image, and the new logo didn’t adhere to visions and impressions the Olympics might conjure in the minds of viewers.
The same can be said for websites, or our online presence, particularly in the large crowd of the Internet. It’s strange to think that visitors to a webpage or to a SNS profile might be more likely to relate to the vision of the person they have created, but if you think about the previous examples, it isn’t such a stretch.
Really makes you wonder why corporations spend so much money changing visual details on their site rather than investing in R&D of keeping up persistent branding.
Yes, I agree, it is really crucial to be consistent when blogging. But how many people even consider an image or viewpoint at all to promote in their blog? Effective marketing and consistent informative entertaining blogging join hands to create your online success! :)
I have been reading your blog for a long time and never commented. You have a great blog with so much information. Unfortunately my blog is about issues that people do not like to think about. It is hard to build traffic when you cannot even get a guest poster becausre it scares people to be honest and open.
i see what your saying but i would not hesitate at the opportunity to make something bettar like your guest blogger was saying to change things in big ways
I have experienced changing my blog design and brand and actually losing the momentum I had built thus far. I think that firstly, people will visit your site and continue to do so for content and because they enjoy the tips or entertainment you provide them, but they also want to go to a site that is pleasing to the eye. As you build your regulars, they will keep coming back again and again and they get used to what you’re doing and where you’re doing it; if you go changing it up, it could definitely turn a lot of people off.
Couldn’t agree more. I am currently in the process of changing the design of my blog though. We are trying to make the blog look consistent with non-internet marketing therefore everything you see from our real estate team looks consistent.
Hi Darren, although your hair is baldy, but you still look great!! Yeah, I saw you at BlogWorld, but you are in an interview with Shoe, I only watched both of you from distance area..
Branding is still alive.
Once you are cast in a mold its hard to break and if you take chances sometimes it backfires. Your users and audience may not like it. Careful planning is needed when you start out. I would like to change my blogs looks, but i wonder and hesitate to bring this change.
Brilliant post Darrent!
This is something I need to work on.
Gary Vaynerchuk is someone that really keeps his brand consistent. He begins every show with the same phrase and with the same excitement.
He refers to his show as the “Thunder Show”. He refers to his viewers as vayniacs. He bonds his viewers with signature wristbands.
If you watch his videos about Web 2.0, he always delivers the same message – telling people to follow their passion, do what they love, and execute on being themselves.
I think it’s also important to note that you don’t have to get your blog design and your brand image perfect in the very beginning. Just getting started is the most important part. You can iron out the details from there.
If you do change your blog design, you should definitely get your blog readers involved. Ask them for their suggestions. Make a contest out of it. People embrace change when they are involved in the process.
I change the avatars on my main blog all the time. The designs can be annoying though.
Thank you so much for this inspirational post. I just recently joined twitter although I am not quite familiar yet with the site I have gotten some traffic and it has only been a couple of days this is great.