How To DIY Your Standout Brand With Little Overwhelm and Limited Time
The “How To” of Branding Your Business
Until you are ready to hire a professional brand designer or strategist, here are some tips and sites to help get you started. Branding has turned out to be a large part of marketing in the digital era, even for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Color palettes, typography, logos, sub marks, photos/images and copy all work together to create your brand. Your brand will be used for your website, and social media, print, or any other advertising you may do. That list can be overwhelming when it is new. So, let’s make it fun!
How To Choose Your Brand Colors
My top two resources for color palettes and inspiration are Canva and Pinterest. Find and collect color palettes that you find inspiring. There is psychology behind choosing colors, but the first step is to see what inspires you. What companies do you buy from because you like the packaging? Start paying attention to ads and begin to think about how you want your customers to feel about you and how they will feel after landing on your page. Search for mood boards on Pinterest or color palettes and save those you like. Follow me on Pinterest at NBDESIGNCO. I have several boards saved if you need a place to start.
Should I DIY My Business Logo?
A logo is usually part of a branding service. However, if you are not ready for that investment yet, Fivver is a great option. Look for a designer that matches your style. You can get a cheap logo to use until you are ready to invest in full branding. The other option is to use your name. A lot of coaches and service providers are using their name as their domain name, and if you choose that route, you can select a unique font and use that to start. Which brings us to fonts.
How To Choose Fonts
The easiest and most effective way is to head to Google Fonts. There are pairings already selected. On Squarespace, you get to choose two, so this eliminates a lot of overwhelm. If you decide to purchase a font, you will need to add custom code to Squarespace, so choosing those that you like on the provided list will make it easier for you. However, you can find an unusual type for your logo, to make it stand out. There are a lot to choose from, and my favorite site is The Hungry JPEG. They have several free options, some for as low as $1, and also sell bundles which include graphics.
My Top 3 Free Stock Photo Sites
The other area of branding is images in your color palette. If you do not have professional branding photos already, or a budget for that service yet, there are plenty of free options. Pay attention to licensing. You do not want to use any that are not free, and you want to make sure that credit is not necessary, or if it is, that you give it. You can start collecting images in the colors that match your palette, and with images that match your business. Sometimes the same photographer has a selection, and you can download all the images for a cohesive look. Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay have a wide selection and are easy to navigate. Another site for free stock photos with a feminine touch is Styled Stock. My favorite paid subscription photo service is Haute Stock. Check them out here: Haute Stock.I am not an affiliate, I just like their photos. I started out with their free sample photos and they have selections based on color palettes.
So, to break this down into action steps. First, find color palettes you like, and narrow it down to 3 or so, to play around with. Next, find fonts you like on google fonts, and I didn’t mention this before, but be wary of script fonts. They are hard to read, and will turn away some potential clients. Save them for a name only, or for some other creative purpose. And begin searching for photos. Keep them in a folder in your computer, so they will be easy to access in the future. Collect as many as you can. You never know when it will come in handy for a blog post or social media, or another project.
I hope you found this helpful. If you get stuck or frustrated, let me know.
