Branding Your Creative Biz 101
Branding is essential to a successful brand and many times, is the client's/shopper's first impression of your creative, small business!
Determining if you want to hire a creative firm to develop your branding with you or do it on your own is your first step. It can be a big, but very much worthwhile, investment to hire a creative marketing firm or individual to create your brand with you. But you can also do it on your own.
The first step is to determine:
WHAT DO I DO?
WHY DO I DO IT?
WHAT MAKES ME UNIQUE?
Once you have answered those questions, you can dive into the fun stuff, like making a mood board!
WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?
Who is your dream customer? Imagine them and what they enjoy. This is your target audience. You need to know who they are so they will connect to your brand. Once you have determined who your dream customer is, you can get started on your Mission Statement.
MISSION STATEMENT
Why do you do what you do? Your Mission Statement is the entire reason your small, creative business exists! Big Commerce has a step-by-step guide to writing a mission statement, including:
The Key Elements of a Mission Statement
Focus your statement on these four elements.
- Value – What is the value of the business to both customers and employees?
- Inspiration – Why should people want to work for the company?
- Plausibility – Make it sound reasonable
- Specificity – Tie it back to the businessExample:
CREATING A VISUAL IDENTITY
MOOD BOARD
Create a mood board! A mood board is a collection of images, text and other objects that inspires you and can guide your brand. You can use Canva to make a free mood board and Pinterest is an incredible tool for mood boards, as well. You can read a great article about mood boards and why they are important here.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Color can play a huge role in your branding. Did you know each color represents a different emotion or feeling? Colors can affect mood, perception and even purchasing behavior.
White: Cleanliness, Purity, Simplicity
Yellow: Happiness, Warmth, Caution
Orange: Affordable, Creative, Fun
Red: Action, Passion, Danger
Pink: Gentle, Romantic, Grateful
Purple: Expensive, Mysterious, Spiritual
Blue: Authoritative, Serene, Dignified
Green: Renewal, Healing, Money
Brown: Calm, Natural, Serious
Grey: Corporate, Practical, Somber
Black: Classic, Formal, Bold
This is where developing your logo comes in! You can take a stab at it yourself or if you have hired a firm like Ashley McCaskill Creative, you can start working on this integral part of your branding: your logo! We found this post from Looka.com a great aid in developing your own logo.
CONSISTENCY
Make sure you stick to a consistent message and voice across your brand. You can change your products, but make sure your audience will have a consistent experience across all your platforms so you are seen as reliable to your customers.
For more tips & tricks for your creative, small business, check out our blog posts about Taking Great Product Pics with Your Smart Phone or How to Make Sales on Instagram.
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Because, #makersgonnamakemoney
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