The Story Behind Whim's Re-Brand

Earlier in December, I made an announcement on Facebook and Instagram that Whim would be undergoing a makeover, re-brand and re-launch so that it would be sparkling new by early January.

It certainly wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision and it was something I'd been weighing up for quite some months due to a number of reasons.

I'd also been reading some articles from other bloggers about how their platform has evolved through changing directions and found these journeys to be fascinating and completely relevant to how I was feeling at the time. I thought I'd share a more in-depth look at why Whim will be changing in 2016, particularly as it might help any other creatives who have been weighing up similar issues :)

A dreaded case of 'blogger burnout':

I'd seen a lot of articles about 'blogger burnout' on Pinterest but hadn't actually given the topic much thought at the time. By mid-2015 however, and not surprisingly, I began to feel some of those pesky side effects. I was publishing content on the Whim blog up to twice daily, 6 days a week, as well as working on a digital magazine issue (on my lonesome), and trying to be a part-time freelance writer for other platforms.

Whim was also receiving a tonne of submissions via email each and every day (a blessing really), and with such high-quality work coming my way, I couldn't help but say 'yes' to an incredible amount of these. Suddenly, I had an editorial schedule I couldn't keep up with (but gave it a red, hot go - often working until 1 A.M. in the morning), and the stress began to mount. With stress comes a decline in passion, so I began to find myself cringing about the daily (and once loved) workload. The knock-on effect continued - I was tired and lethargic all of the time, plus tension headaches had become an everyday occurrence...not fun!

Fast-forward to around October and my posts on Whim had significantly dwindled to just 2-3 submissions a week. Creatives were (understandably) restless about when their work would finally be published and I began to feel bad. I was worried I'd suddenly become one of those 'flaky' people who constantly apologises for never having anything done on time. And frankly, I was scared to see that bright spark of motivation I once had every day simply cease.

Declining page views and a need for new content:

I've always been really proud and stoked at the number of visitors tuning in to Whim each month, but during the months I lost my passion in running the site, these figures began to gradually decline. 2015 in particular had seen a resurgence in the helpful 'how to' or advice article, with this content trending the most on platforms such as Pinterest. While Whim has a handful of these posts from over the last (almost) 3 years, it wasn't really something I had the time to concentrate on - submissions had always come first, along with my freelance writing jobs.

Over time though I began to question, while people enjoy seeing an inspirational photographer's / artist's / designer's work, is it really something they would tune-in twice daily for? Wouldn't these types of posts be effective as a showcase one special day each week where readers can actually get excited about it?

During 2015, my own online reading habits also changed and I found myself drawn to vibrant, fun, and beautifully designed blogs which taught me something new every time I tuned in - whether it was how to create amazing craft projects, must-read books for entrepreneurs, or how to start an incredible travel journal. It isn't hard to see why these blogs are doing so well - they provide their readers with VALUE which goes well beyond the screen of their computers and can be utilised in their everyday life.

Moving forward, I would love to be able to say the same about Whim by focusing on content that helps readers to live a more beautiful and creative life.

My own work:

Despite feeling burnt out last year, my love of writing never declined - in fact, I decided that I would like to do a lot more of it on the Whim website through longer, more helpful articles. I loved showcasing the wonderful work of others (and will still continue doing so every Friday!), but doing this on a daily basis left little to no room for my own creativity to shine through. Whilst studying creative writing and journalism at university, I learnt tonnes, so I'd love to further utilise these skills on Whim in 2016.

A new (and improved) content schedule:

Moving forward, I've also refined Whim's content schedule to prevent feeling that dreaded 'blogger burnout' ever again! During December to early January I've had a much-needed 3 week holiday and look forward to pursuing the following in 2016:

Monday + Wednesday: Each of these days will feature a helpful guide related to helping readers live a more beautiful and creative life. This content will also come with 'content upgrades' sometimes, such as a free worksheet, workbook, check-list, eBook etc.

Friday: 'Feature Fridays' will showcase 2 amazing submissions from fellow creatives - one in the morning and one in the evening.

Sunday: This day will feature a fun round-up to bring a little extra creativity to your weekend, whether it be DIY projects or irresistibly pretty items.

Perhaps you too have re-branded your business or felt that dreaded burnout? Or maybe you have some questions? I'm all ears in the comments section below!

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