Do you feel overwhelmed by creating visuals for your business? You want to craft beautiful, recognizable branding that communicates your mission, but where do you start?
In today’s episode, visual designer Sandra Chau joins us to lay out a step-by-step process for crafting your brand’s visuals. Listen as Sandra shares easy ways to create more consistency in both your branding and your online presence.
Listen Below
Crafting Guidelines for Your Brand’s Visuals
Sandra asks her clients to answer these questions before they start designing visuals, and you can use them to craft your branding on your own:
- What are three adjectives that you would like to describe your brand?
- How do you want people to feel when they come across your brand?
Your answers will guide your branding choices. For example, two brands could offer the same services, but one brand is quiet, minimal, and high-end, while the other one is fun, vibrant, and relatable. Those distinctions would create two very different branding strategies even though the companies offer similar services.
To determine your brand’s three adjectives, create a Pinterest board and fill it with photos that you like that create a mood. The photos do not have to be connected to your industry, but they should speak to you.
Once you nail down your three adjectives, you can use them to guide how you show up on your website and social media. Your adjectives will determine both the design of your brand and the type of language you use in your marketing.
Use your three adjectives as a guide to help you stay consistent with your branding as you create new posts and media. Before you post, ask yourself if what you’re about to share falls into your three adjectives.
You can also use your three adjectives to help you decide who to collaborate with on your brand’s visuals. If you want to work with a photographer, look at their portfolio and see if their style matches the tone of your brand.
What You Put Out Dictates What You Get Back
The reason that branding and visuals are so important is that they are tools that attract your ideal client. If you want your brand to be fun, vibrant, and relatable, you will attract clients drawn to that style.
Your branding is also directly tied to your price point. High-end branding will attract high-end clients who are ready to spend top dollar for your services.
Lastly, the concept of “you get out of it what you put in” applies to consistency. The more consistent you are with your branding, the more your ideal client will recognize your business. An inconsistent brand is confusing and creates roadblocks for potential clients.
It’s not enough to simply decide on branding guidelines. You also need to stay consistent with them, choosing words and visuals that match your brand every time you create something new.
How to be More Consistent Online
Another big part of branding and consistency is showing up online on a regular basis. In today’s social media landscape, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the pressure to post “consistently.” The thing to keep in mind is that consistency can look like whatever you need it to look like.
You don’t have to post on social media every single day to be consistent. Make your content schedule work for your life so that your posts are high-quality and aligned with your brand rather than rushed and careless.
One easy way to be more consistent and increase how much you post is to take more “behind the scenes” photos and videos. Not everything you post has to be professional quality. Social media is a great place to connect with your audience, and they love seeing behind-the-scenes moments that tell them more about your personality.
Key Moments From the Conversation:
(1:19) Sandra’s Story
(3:02) Crafting Guidelines for Your Brand’s Visuals
(9:52) How to Determine Your Brand’s “Three Adjectives”
(17:24) What You Put Out Dictates What You Get Back
(21:10) How to be More Consistent Online
