July 5, 2022
If you’re in the first few years of owning your small business, it can be tough to know when to invest money in professional services and when to DIY. An essential aspect of any company is its brand identity. However, going all-out and hiring a professional designer to craft your brand isn’t cheap. So, you might consider waiting until your business grows and generates more income before establishing your brand. But, ironically, the lack of a brand identity keeps many small businesses from attracting their target audience and growing. So what do you do? Follow my brand identity guidelines to learn how to DIY your brand to connect with your audience and grow your business.
What is a Brand Identity?
Understanding the elements of a brand identity is essential to DIYing your brand. So, what is a brand identity? It’s the personality of your small business, conveyed through elements like color, fonts, and tone of voice. It’s what sets your business apart from your competitors and makes it recognizable to your audience. A strong brand identity can help you attract customers, build loyalty, and drive sales.
4 Brand Identity Guidelines to DIY Your Brand Identity
Are you ready to reach and engage your target audience to grow your small business? Follow these tips for choosing your elements of a brand identity!
01. Define Your Audience
Your target audience is your ideal customer or client. And, sorry, but “everyone” isn’t a good answer. You need to get specific about who you want to reach. Here are some ways to clarify your brand’s target audience:
- Age
- Gender
- Income
- Education
- Location
- Interests
- Hobbies
- Likes/Dislikes
There are so many website platforms and When you know who your target audience is, you can develop a brand identity that resonates with them!
03. Find Your Adjectives
What words describe your brand? Fun or serious? Friendly or professional? High energy or careful thinking? Modern or classic? Write down three to five words that describe your brand personality. Then, use these words to inform all the content you produce on your social channels, website, YouTube videos–you name it. Don’t confuse your audience by acting super fun and chill on Instagram but super serious and professional on your website.
03. Pick Your Colors
I recommend choosing one to two primary colors, three to four secondary colors, and your brand’s variation of white and black. Pro tip: Designers don’t use true white and true black but choose variations and tones of those two colors. What’s most important, however, is that you stick to the colors you choose!
04. Pick Two to Three Fonts
For your brand identity to be complete, you need one primary font you’ll use most of the time. And you need one accent font that brings out your brand’s personality, which you’ll use less often. You can choose a third font for even more versatility, but it’s not required.
Congrats! Now You Know How to DIY Your Brand Identity
You’ll reference your brand identity for everything from social to website to print media. Occasionally updating your identity is healthy but completely redoing it regularly will confuse your audience. So, stick with the elements of a brand identity you choose, at least for a while. Then, once your budget allows, don’t hesitate to hire a brand identity designer! A good brand designer can elevate your identity to the next level, providing exponential growth for your small business and further attracting new and potential customers. Interested in learning more about hiring a professional designer for your brand? Let’s chat!
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