What Lifestyle Blogs Can Teach Us About Personal Branding
Throughout the 2010’s, there was a quick but steady rise of lifestyle blogging. Being one of the most competitive niches of blogging, lifestyle bloggers in particular have had to come up with unique ways to make themselves stand out. It requires so much more than just posting about their favorite things. So what’s their secret? Let’s talk through three successful blogs and uncover their secrets to building a loyal following through personal branding.
Tieghan Gerard’s Half Baked Harvest
When I think of a lifestyle blog, I tend to think of the big brands that have grown their online presence primarily through Instagram. These are the brands that have leaned into the personal side of their brand, and thus the relatability of it all. Take Half Baked Harvest, for example. Tieghan Gerard is the mastermind behind the recipes and content. But with thousands of other brands circulating the internet, why is her brand so successful? What is she doing that other recipe bloggers are not? The answer is simple. She has created an identifiable personal brand for herself, and people love it. She doesn’t just share recipes, she shares her slice of life. In her blog specifically, she shares content such as her “Nine Favorite Things” or details to the outfits she’s wearing at New York Fashion Week. Not only do people love her recipes, but they also love that her personality shines through in all of her work.
Syd and Shea’s Studio McGee
One of my personal favorite examples of successful lifestyle blogging is Studio McGee’s blog. Similar to Half Baked Harvest, Studio McGee has curated their brand around the company’s founders, Syd and Shea. They have expertly marketed themselves as a relatable family. While they are an interior design company, their blog doesn’t only consist of design related topics. They also add in slices of life with the “Sunday 7” and a general “Lifestyle” section with topics such as outfit details or recipes. Studio McGee curates a certain aesthetic in their content by using specific imagery that conveys a cool, modern feel. . This has further propelled them in their success because it has made them more recognizable among other brands. This holds true right down to the outfit details that are often posted from Shea. Instead of only focusing on design, Studio McGee has curated a personality behind the brand by honing in on the family behind the brand.
Image sourced from Studio McGee
Amber Lewis’s All Sorts Of
Amber Lewis has also crafted a successful presence within the interior design scene. Her blog, called All Sorts Of, has a wider array of topics than most lifestyle blogs. Her area of expertise is design, so she utilizes this. However, while other lifestyle blogs typically stick to one or two topics like fashion and design, All Sorts Of goes beyond to feature topics like health and wellness, travel, and entertaining. This allows her to capture a large audience and have a blog for anyone and anything. This approach is successful because she offers multiple slices of life; meaning something is bound to resonate with the audience simply because of the abundance of options.
So What Does it All Mean?
These three brands are wildly successful, yet different in how they approach their business. What’s similar about them is that they have created an online presence from blogging that captures the essence of their brand. This isn’t an easy feat, especially considering the number of lifestyle bloggers and influencers that exist in an oversaturated market today. So, it begs the question: what’s the key to a successful lifestyle blog? Ultimately, it’s about creating a defined personality for the brand and following through with that in every single aspect of the business. Not only does this make the business model overall more successful, but it allows for customers to feel more connected to bloggers on a personal level because they feel like they know their personalities.
This isn’t to say that following what these brands do is the golden ticket to success. The point is, the strategy should be unique to you. People want something that they can relate to. The audience is out there, so it’s about relating to that audience in some way. This doesn’t have to be about creating a lifestyle blog. The same advice can be applied to creating a personal brand. Lean into your charm and let people see what you have to offer. Flaunt your own style and personality, and you might be surprised with the outcomes. After all, our personality is the most unique thing about us.
About Riley
Riley Hohlbein is a junior studying Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Writing. She is currently the social media student assistant for the Frederik Meijer Honors College, where she manages and creates content for their social media. This will be her first year with GrandPR where she will serve as an Account Associate. After graduation, she hopes to begin her career in PR at a company that aligns with her personal values and interests.