Q1 Offers

Secrets from a Branding Expert

brand + design

When most people think about branding they think of perfectly chosen colors and logos that are as recognizable as the greats — Nike + Coca-Cola, we’re looking at you! But really, babe, it’s so much more. So how is a business owner supposed to know what’s important when creating a brand that shines and what’s not? 

Today, I sat down and created a list of the 5 top tips I wanted to shout from the rooftops (or really, my porch in Colorado ;) - there’s even cows ).

 

 

Here they are: 

1. Think About The Customer Experience

When you consider how your customer will be interacting with your brand, you can better decide how to make your website the most functional. What social media platforms are best to focus on, the kind of content medium they prefer — emails or blogs? Tweets or Lives? Blogs vs videos? — and the list goes on.

Next time you go to update your website or social pages I recommend looking at it from a customer’s point of view and ask yourself these questions:

  • “Do I have a clear call-to-action on my homepage?”
  • “Are my pop-ups leading to more site jumps?” 
  • “Is all of that magenta taking away from the social media icons?”  
  • “What’s the first thing I see above-the-fold?” | Note: “Above the Fold” simply means, “What are they able to see without scrolling up or down?”  
  • “Am I making it easy to find my shop or offerings? Find out more about who I am?”
  • “Is my messaging consistent or does it feel like I could be the ‘expert’ on a zillion different topics?”

 

2. Nail Down Your Ideal Customer

Speaking of customer experience, make sure you nail down your ideal customer, love!

Really getting crystal clear on who your dream customer or client is will make branding your biz, creating content + putting together offerings so much easier.

I like to encourage my VIP ladies to dive deep + think about:

  • If you’ve been in business before, who have been your favorite clients or customers to work with? Get specific on what qualities they had. If you haven’t, that’s okay too! Ask yourself what kind of relationship you’d envision you + your peeps having.
  • What age are they?
  • Where do they already shop? What kinds of music would they listen to? What do they do for fun? A quick scroll through Insta lane will show you what they like + who they follow. 
  • On average, what is their budget like + where do they invest their money? If you’re not sure, get on a quick coffee chat and ask them. We’re all craving community and someone to talk biz (and life!) with.
  • Where do they hang out offline? We all love connecting + this will help you better speak to your peeps!
  • What would you dread dealing with in a potential client? For those of you that already own businesses, what has been less than ideal? Guess what, babe? You don’t have to be available for clients who don’t spark joy!
  • Think of a few people you know who may be your ideal client — what do they already “like” on Facebook or who do they follow on social media? What do they all seem to have in common? 

After answering those questions, write a paragraph or two about your dream client’s day. From when they wake up and have their morning cuppa (or TeaForte tea) ‘till they hit the hay. Make this detailed + have fun!

Answering these questions will help your brand come together much smoother.

 

3. Have a Clear Message

Knowing exactly why you’re in your industry is so important, friend. It will help you do many essential things for your brand like: 

  • Develop copy that your audience loves and wants to share like crazy.
  • Create visuals that attract your dream clients at first glance.
  • And concoct logos + slogans that align with your business goals.

Having a clear brand message will help you succeed in setting yourself apart in all of these areas and make it (mostly) easy breezy when coming up with content ideas.

 

4. Moodboard: The One + Only

Oh, how I adore a good moodboard. Not only are they fun to create and browse through on  Pinterest, they’re also an incredible tool for when it comes time to brand your biz.

My steps for creating a brand mood board are:

  1. Make a private board on Pinterest.
  2. Pin color schemes that correlate with your brand messaging (you can find so many of these by searching “palette”.
  3. Find images that bring the “feel” you’d like to convey in your brand.
  4. Look for quotes/words/sayings that give off the vibe your ideal tribe would love.
  5. Search for typography and think about what you think your people would most be attracted to — and poll people you think would be super great to work with!

Refer back to this when creating social media copy, images for your site, your logo, blog posts, email campaigns, etc. I like to print mine out and stick it on my vision board.

 

5. Make It Cohesive

Lastly, make it easy for people to recognize you no matter where you are! Bring your branding to your website, all of your social media platforms, marketing materials, business cards and anything else that’s associated with your business.

For example, I advise using the same profile photo on all social channels, the same tone in my email copy as on my blog and the list goes on. It makes it easy for people to remember you, and repetition is your friend.

 

Do you have questions about creating a brand and biz you love? Pop ‘em in the comments and sign-up to be the first to know when the Canva Template Lab goes live so you can dive even deeper into your branding journey!

 

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