How to: create your own branding
Before we get started, here’s what you don’t want to hear. Yes, you read that correctly. I want you to make a well-thought-out decision so you need to have all the info before we get started. And this is what you need to know: investing in top-notch branding, even when your budget is a bit tight, is a good move, and here's why:
Good branding is not an expense:
Good branding isn't just an expense; it's an investment that pays itself back. It empowers you to go beyond competing solely on price (aka, you can ask for more money for your product). Loyal customers start to come in, resulting in higher retention rates (the percentage of customers who continue to use your service or product over a predetermined time). Your brand becomes etched in their memory, leading to even more conversions over time.
The Necessity of an Outsider's View:
When you're knee-deep in your own business, it's like trying to read a label from inside the bottle. Getting an objective perspective is challenging. This is where professional branding steps in, providing that vital outside viewpoint to see what your customers see with the professional knowledge on how to work around assumptions your customers may have.
Avoiding Future Confusion:
Delaying branding because you're waiting for more revenue can lead to more significant complications down the road. Changing your branding later can confuse your hard-earned customers, leaving them uncertain about your identity. Everything from business cards to websites may need a complete overhaul. Which is not only a pain in the ass, it’s also very pricey to redo everything.
Cultivating Trust:
As a new business, establishing trust can be hard, especially without a proven track record. This is where branding becomes a game-changer. A good brand presence creates a favorable impression, and trust naturally follows. When customers trust your brand, they're more inclined to engage with your business.
Time is money:
Every second you invest in a DIY branding could be spent on getting actual customers in or perfecting your product, which is costing you money. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way that we can’t be experts at everything. It’s when we start out-sourcing that we start to step into a growth mentality, which is the right mentality for a good business owner.
Okay, but I’ve been in your position. Sometimes you simply don’t have anything to invest. And even after reading everything I just said, you’re still convinced that you want to do this yourself. I am working on a full do-it-yourself branding manual but I haven’t finished it yet. So, here you have the next best thing.
Tips on creating your own branding from a brand strategist:
Start with the foundation of your brand
Why does it exist? What problem is it solving? Why should someone buy from you instead of your competitors?Add a dash of emotion
Branding is all about how you make your customers feel. This starts with your reason for existing. Play into that. Allow yourself to be vulnerable so your customers can get to know the real you or your real brand. They don’t want to buy a product, they want to buy a feeling. When you sell skincare, you’re selling that healthy glow which leaves people thinking ‘She must be feeling so good’.Connect the dots
Now this is where things can get tricky, when you have that solid foundation down and you know how to actually reach your customers and their desires, it’s time to actually translate that into a visual identity. This is very hard to do well but not impossible. You need to dive deep into design psychology. So for example, colors can tell a story. If I say red, you’ll likely think love, passion, or fire and anger. When I say green, you’ll likely think healthy, and organic. The same goes for shapes and fonts. Now, I will not go into depth here because that would be way too much info for one blog, but keep this in mind when making choices.Gather feedback!!
This might be the most important thing, and also the most forgotten thing. Ask for feedback. Ask people around you how they feel about the identity of your brand, about your visual choices, and if it all matches with the vision you have for it. Try to ask people who are likely to actually buy your product. Unfortunately, when you’re a techno DJ, it’s probably not very relevant how your grandma feels about your logo.Sleep on it. More than once.
It’s important to look at your branding more than once and this is why it's pretty time-consuming to create your own branding. Good branding has been optimized. You have to rethink everything you create, look at it from different angles, look at it on different days. Trust me, I have had times where I woke up and looked at something I made the day before thinking ‘What was I thinking, this doesn’t make sense AT ALL’. This is part of the process, and this is also part of what you pay for when you invest in branding.
Now, if you do these things, you should have a solid understanding of the basics of branding. As with everything, learning a new skill is trial and error. Allow yourself to take time and make mistakes.
