Are you looking to start your own small business or blog and you keep coming across the word brand in your research?
Brand? What the heck is brand?
You are probably sitting behind your desk with a confused look on your face. You aren’t alone, mama.
I know I was when I first began my personal blog two years ago. I was all over the place and it often left potential readers confused, which in turn cost me a loyal subscriber.
I didn’t have a plan, or a strategy, for my color palette, my photos, etc. Nothing was cohesive and things were just way too confusing.
Research shows that you have 10 seconds to make an outstanding impression to your dream client (or reader).
That’s it!
Unfortunately, we as human beings, really enjoy visuals. If the website in question lacks structure they will come to the conclusion that it is unprofessional.
You could be the go-to guy, or guru, in your field, but if your brand isn’t thought out and cohesive – you will lose them.
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What The Heck Is Good Branding?
Branding is more than just splattering a pretty logo onto your business or blog, it is your color palette, typography, images – everything that makes you and your business unique.
Core Values
First thing you need to do when creating a brand, or re-branding, is to figure out what your business core values are.
Example of Core Values:
- Loyal
- Dependable
- Trust
- Passionate
- Innovative
- Empathy
- Creative
… and many more. Core values can also benefit a business because it sums up everything a business (or brand) stands for!
Target Market
You also need to know who you are trying to attract! This is very important. I have seen so many brands try to attract so many different people and it didn’t work.
Myself included.
Once you’ve pinpointed who you want to target what your core values are and how you can tie it into a brand message… you’re ready to dive into the visual identity.
Logo
Logos are so much more than a pretty graphic – you want your logo to scream your business and vibes when people land on your social media accounts and website!
When you choose a logo you need to ensure that it is timeless. You want your logo to be able to grow with you and your business.. adapt with your business.
You don’t want to have to frequently re-brand because your values and brand don’t jive anymore.
Keep it simple. Minimal. Timeless.
Typography
What is typography exactly? In simple terms, typography is the style or appearance of text. Or, the art of working with text.
There are numerous font types:
- Serif Fonts
- Serif fonts are identified by the “extra foot” that extends at the end of the legs of each individual font.
- Popular Serif fonts: Playfair Display (I use this as my header font), Georgia, Times New Roman, etc.
- Slab Serif Fonts
- Slab Serif fonts are similar to Serif fonts, the only difference is that the “extra foot” that extends at the end of the legs is much thicker compared to Serif fonts.
- Popular Slab Serif fonts: Archer and Roboto Slab.
- Sans Serif Fonts
- Sans Serif fonts can be identified by the lack of the “extra foot,” Sans means without in French.
- Popular Sans Serif fonts: Arial, Oswald, Tahoma, Open Sans (my sub-title font), etc.
- Display Fonts
- Display fonts are larger fonts generally used for headers, not body text.
- Popular Display fonts: Morgan Font, Sauvage, and Summer Loving Font Duo.
- Script Fonts
- Script fonts, or hand-written fonts, are pretty self-explanatory, they are best used for quotes or headings – not body text. They are personable but difficult to read, I would recommend steering clear with using script fonts in body text.
- Popular Script fonts: Hello Honey, Sophia Ronald, and Groovy Retro Font.
Mood Boards
To know why you need a Mood Board, you first need to know what they are.
Mood Boards are made up of many different photos, fonts, logos, colors, and patterns. They are filled with cohesive, or aesthetic, colors, and themes.
Mood Boards are what help you convey how you want potential clients to see you and your brand.
Mood Boards are usually the first step to creating a brand identity.
You will want to take a moment and think of your core values, who your target audience and market are, and emotions (or vibes).
I will go into more about how to start a Mood Board later on – this post is to inform you of what branding is and why it is so important for your business.
Brand Photos
Brand photos are just as important as brand colors, logos, and fonts. I know to start out it can be difficult to invest in a really good photographer – this is the first thing I struggled with myself.
However you want everything about your brand to aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.
If you are an extrovert and love bright colors, reflect that in your branding photoshoot.
If you are an introvert (like me) and love more of an earthy or pastel colors, that’s okay too – own it in your photoshoot girl!
Why Do You Need Branding?
Branding is crucial to you and your business. Your brand is what past, present, and future customers will see. Often times people will judge you based on your brand… you often hear that phrase:
“Never judge a book by its cover.”
Well, in this case, they will. You could be the most skilled Social Media Manager or Copy Writer, but if your brand is confusing and doesn’t jive well, you’ll lose that potential client’s interest.
It’s unfortunate but true. Remember, it takes 10 seconds to make a great first impression.
5 Reasons Branding Matters
1. First impressions matter. Say it with me, FIRST. IMPRESSIONS. DO. MATTER. It takes time to build a brand that reflects you and your values, don’t rush it. You only get one chance.
2. Trust is just as important as first impressions. A great brand builds trust! If a potential client stumbles upon your blog from Pinterest or Google and sees how aesthetically pleasing your brand is, how authoritative your brand is, they will want to buy from you.
3. Branding is so diverse. Not every designer will have the same calling card or style, we are all unique in our ways. Our uniqueness shows in our work and our brand!
4. Great branding is memorable! For example, Starbucks. I know they are a little pricey when it comes to their brew but their customer experience is astounding.
5. You want everything from your blog, social media accounts, and shop to be cohesive and recognizable. A great business coach once said you don’t want to confuse your client with different color palettes and graphics from one account to the other.
My Final Thoughts
See, branding doesn’t have to be all that complicated! I hope I broke it down well enough for you.
Branding overwhelmed me too in the beginning but there is nothing to be afraid of. Your business will thank you once you invest in branding.
Looking to start a business, or thinking of undergoing a re-brand? Save this post for later!
