As an influencer, the word “personal brand” is tossed around often, but what does it really mean? How do you cultivate your image and make it attractive to readers as well as brands you’d like to partner with? Look no further because the Linqia Success Team is here to help!

Read on for our top tips on cultivating a brand that will turn your desired audience into loyal followers while simultaneously grabbing the attention of your favorite brands.

    1. Install a Right-Hand Sidebar – Having a sidebar on the right-hand side of the page typically increases readership by 15% to 25%. Sarah of In the Know Mom’s blog it features large images for both her posts and her Instagram gallery on the right side of her home page, which provides a beautiful structure to her blog.
    2. Showcase Your Favorite Finds – Want a space where your audience can shop your looks or styles directly? Check out The Styled Fox’s blog layout, which includes a section below every post where her readers can purchase her favorite items for themselves. Brands also love this type of structure as it makes it easier for interested consumers to make a purchase.  
    3. Feature Your Best Work – Audit your blog content and identify the posts that perform best with your audience. Tynology links to one of his most popular posts “How to Start a Blog” on his homepage so readers don’t have to sift through years of his archives to find it. This is a great way to highlight content that your readers are most interested in.
    4. Share Beautiful Images – Always add an image at the beginning of your blog posts. According to Neil Patel of Quicksprout, adding an image to his blog posts increased the number of people clicking from the homepage to his blog post by 37%. If you’re feeling really festive, try adding a dynamic component to your layout. A Simple Pantry added a slideshow of her most recent recipes to her home page so that readers can see more content in the same amount of space.
    5. Play with Positioning – Blog layouts have come a long way from single column scrolls. Take some time to test out a few designs until you find the one that works best for your type of content. Diego of Dandy in the Bronx chose a three-column layout for his blog. The staggered layout of the posts gives the page an interesting appeal without looking cluttered.