Since I started blogging a 10 years ago, the style of the blog post images I use has changed a lot. I went from having a minimalist style, to very colorful and now more feminine. I’ll admit it, it took me some time to finally find that style that truly reflects both my personality and what I want to show as a designer. I started getting the importance of branding your blog images.
No matter if you’ve been blogging for months or years, your style will change with time, and allowing your blog to do the same with it is key to make it grow. But, why bother going to the trouble of figuring out a style guide and branding your blog images? The answer is simple: Because that’s the way you get recognized.
Think about all the bloggers and business owners you admire here on the web. All of them have unique images that you can instantly identify on Pinterest or other social media platform. That’s what your ultimate goal should be.
Not only that, but by branding your blog images you are going to be able to create new ones faster and trust me, the inspiration to add more content will follow right behind. Plus, it’s fun to do it! Your blog is the place where you can unleash your creativity.
No matter the content – fashion, lifestyle, decor, healthy food – this is where you get to explore what you are capable of and share it with the world. Imagine someone out there looking at some of your images and thinking: “This lady knows what she’s doing”. It will get them click on every single post you write.
Are you convinced yet? Then let’s go through some elements that can help you start branding your blog images and be on your way to take your blog to the next level.
Colors
It all starts with your color palette. You want to make sure you use those colors that attract your ideal audience and include them not only in your blog design but also in your images. By using the same ones on each blog post, everything will look cohesive in your site. You can even use them to divide your categories visually.
Stick to 5 colors at the most, using 3 as primary colors and 2 as accents. That’s my favorite formula.
Stock Images
Not all of us are great photographers, or even if you are, it takes time to nail those beautiful photos you see on some blogs. But don’t worry, that’s what stock images are all about.
There are a lot of places out there to search for free and paid options. Define which types of images you want to include – the vibe, the colors, the light and the composition. All of these elements can make your posts look even better.
Text
Adding your blog post title and description to your images can make the difference between clicking on it or moving on. This is your opportunity to catch the attention of your readers.
Take some time to define 2 or 3 fonts that you like, include them on your images and stick to them no matter what. Choose one for titles and the other one for your paragraphs.
Details
Don’t be afraid to play around with your images until you find your favorite style. Include some opacity, shapes, create magazine-style layouts, divide them into categories.
Just have fun with it and once you find the right style, create templates that you can edit when you want to create a new blog post. You can even use them for your social media content. This is a great way as well to revive old blog posts. You can always go back and add your branded images each time your want.
