How to create a Brand Plan for Bloggers

Bloggers, wondering how to make your blog better?  You’re already creating & promoting great content, but still want to do more to build your blog. 

What is a Brand Plan and how do I create one? 
TIP: Go to → if you are short on time. 

This definition of Brand Strategy by CarlyStec sums it up nicely. 

“Brand strategy is a plan that encompasses specific, long-term goals that can be achieved with the evolution of a successful brand -- the combined components of your company's character that make it identifiable.”

In short, your Brand Plan is what you plan to do with your Brand to grow and/or strengthen your business, in this case your Blog.

In case you missed it:  Why you need a Brand Plan

Quick guide to creating a Brand Strategy for Bloggers

(I could write 100 blog posts on this process, but will break it down into a few steps, just to get you started.  Please come back to Small Business, Big Brand for a more in-depth treatment of multiple aspects of Brand Management in future posts.)

Step 1:  What is your Brand?

 Ask yourself these questions to find your Brand

• You:  Imagine your brand's favorite…clothes, vacations, hobbies, cars, home décor, foods, music
• Followers:  What can your followers expect your brand to be, stand for, sound like?  
• Talk show host: What five words describe your brand? What 5 words are the opposite?
• Competition:  What does your Brand do well, unique & different from other blogs? 
• Mission statement:  does it match what you have answered above?

→Create a Brand Identity Statement:

My Brand _____________ will always be seen as _________, _________ and __________.  Brand X’s followers expect Brand X to do ___________, be ___________ and never _____________.  Brand X promises its loyal followers to provide _____________ in the time frame of ________________with these qualities: ______________, ________________, and ____________.

TIP: You may not be able to or need to fill out the entire Brand Identity Statement.  Take time to revisit this every few months to make sure your Brand is communicating consistently and staying true to itself. 

Step 2: Get feedback from followers and rewrite your Brand Identity

Email, tweet or message to your followers announcing your Brand Identity. 

• What do they love about your brand? What do they expect?
• "Customer service ", retweets and comment sections are especially helpful with this. 

Step 3:  List everywhere your Brand is present

Create A Brand Location Check List

Social Media, products, other blogs, customer forums, trade shows, books, webinars, guest blogging, Public Relations, press releases, websites, flyers, online community groups etc. etc. 

TIP: Ask friends, employees, & trusted colleagues to help you create this list. 

Step 4:  Using your Brand Location List, check how each interaction matches your Brand Identity

Are there areas that your message or image is not consistent, needs updating, or rewriting?

Tip:  This is a great opportunity to create a new logo that works everywhere, identify photography, design elements or writing style that is inconsistent and clean up any communications that stray from what you are trying to achieve as a brand. 

Step 5:  Find your Target Market

Now that you know who you are as a brand, what you stand for and where you are already located, figure out who you should be talking to…

Who is your target market? 

• What is the perfect customer for your brand? 
• What problem does your product, Brand solve and who needs that solution? 
• Who is actively seeking your Brand and loves your brand? 
• Who else could become part of your target market that isn’t already?

Rewrite your Brand Identity Statement with all you learned from determining your target market.

Step 6:  Create a list of Goals your Brand wants to achieve

Add these to the Brand Plan if it makes sense.

Step 7:  Create your Brand Strategy (Brand Plan)

→Answer the following in a few words to instantly create a Brand Plan.

• What is your Brand?
• Who is your Target Market?
• What does your Target Market expect from your Brand?  What does your Brand promise?
• Where will your Brand be found?  
• How will you communicate with your target market? (social media, voice)
• What will your Brand’s communications consistently say?
• How will your Brand uphold the promises it has made to its target market?

Having a strong Brand Strategy will help you consistently surprise & delight your followers, making them not only loyal viewers, but also advocates and promoters of your Brand. 

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

The mission of Small Business, Big Brand is to give small business owners easy to use brand & marketing techniques to strengthen & grow their business.