2. Amuse Bouche (the introduction)
What is this talk about?
● Why and how it will benefit YOU!
● Who I am & what I do.
● What is Branding?
● What does branding your food blog look like?
● Branderiffic! The 10 steps you can do to
uniquely brand your food blog and get noticed!
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3. What up! (a bit about me)
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I love food. Obviously.
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Alberta to BC to Ont.
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Education.
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Food philosophy.
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In my spare time:
–
I dig food. Literally!
–
I write freelance.
–
I like long hikes in the
back country, camping,
reading good novels,
bourbon, and pigs.
4. Who the heck is this chick? (me)
●
Conception 2009.
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Manifested 2010.
●
●
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Building & evolving
for past three 1/2 yrs.
Why I love it.
How this has lead to
getting paid to “blog”.
5. Who the heck is this chick? (me cont..)
●
From blogging to...
blogging.
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ohksocialmedia.
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Winter of 2013.
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Evolution of business.
●
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Other business
opportunities.
Importance of social
media.
6. What is Branding? (the low down)
●
Constructing your vision into a cohesive and
consistent image so that it becomes
recognizable to a larger audience.
–
–
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Open to evolving.
Can always be re-evaluated.
Includes:
–
–
Sound of your voice.
–
How you engage with others.
–
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Look of your blog and social media accounts.
Smallest details to the grandest ideas.
What does branding look like..... (10 steps).
11. Step 1
Planning The Menu: What Will It Be?
Before you can cook, you need to know what
you're making.
● Questions to ask:
● Why are you blogging?
● What impression do you want to create?
● 3 points of view
●
●
(audience; internal; industry).
What do you want to see come out of
your blog?
● What resources are available to you?
● Your blog is you... Digitized
●
12. Step 2
Choosing Your Ingredients:
Your Brand's Elements
●
Selecting the name, tagline, fonts, colours,
images, layout, etc...
●
●
Mood Boards
Descriptors as Guidelines
Consistency!
● Look at Competition (aka allies)
●
●
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Standards v. Originality
Get off the computer
13. Step 3
Setting Up Your Station:
Naming & Claiming Your Space
●
Platforms
●
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(Blogger V. Wordpress V. Tumblr)
Domain names
●
(.com v .net v .org v. .ca)
14. Step 4
Doing the Prep: The Design
Integrating your “ingredients” into a
cohesive image
●
Design important – fancy-pants not.
●
Be authentic & true to your image & content.
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Looks PLUS content!
●
Photos
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White space
15. The Design Continued...
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The nitty gritty
●
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“About Us” - make it count!
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Layout options.
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Cloud tags & Category lists.
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Social Media Accounts.
●
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Navigation Menu – simple and intuitive.
Testimonials, Reviews, Appearances, etc...
Hiring an expert – get what you pay for.
16.
17.
18. Step 5
Get Cookin! - The Execution Strategy
●
Consistency in brand and interactions
●
Create A Schedule!
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Developing Posts (Blogging.)
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Promotion:
–
–
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Social Media.
Comment, Comment, Comment, Comment Comment.
Other Blog Work:
–
–
–
–
*** Reaching out to others ***
Finding time to plan.
Finding time for you.
Keeping it fun.
19.
20.
21. Step 6
Authentic Cuisine: Finding Your Voice
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Develop a sound.
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Tell stories.
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Images & Photos:
●
●
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Great pictures..
Be unique.
Dare to be:
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Honest.
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Controversial.
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Authority.
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Emotional.
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Different.
25. Step 7
Plating: Preparing for Your Guests
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Confidence.
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Be AND Do.
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Share your truth:
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Positivity v Negativity.
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Honesty.
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Creativity.
26. Step 8
Serve It Up – Get Your Brand Seen
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Reach out to others
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Comment
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Networking via social
media
●
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●
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●
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Start small & build up
Don't just start the
conversation, be a part of it
Speak WITH your audience,
not AT them
Beware the dreaded RT
Be in people's feeds
(consciousness) but don't
be annoying
Calls to action
27. Get Your Brand Seen Continued...
●
Others via social media, giveaways, etc..
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Also to yourself:
●
Guest Posting
●
Make food from other bloggers (allies not enemies)
●
Article Writing
28. Step 9
Chow Down: Buying Into Your Brand
●
Advertising
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Third party sidebar ads
–
–
Ads & prime real-estate
Is it worth it?
●
Link advertising
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Sponsors
●
Promotions, testing & samples
●
Making money blogging
●
Branding as a launch pad for other opportunities
●
Establishing yourself as an authority
●
Build opportunities
29. Step 10
Cleaning Up the Kitchen: Evaluating &
Re-Evaluating
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Periodic check-ins.
●
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Self
Audience – don't be afraid to speak with them! Best way
to give them what they want.
●
Throw out the old to keep it fresh
●
Keep it fun
