Hey there hair and beauty mavens. I am so excited to be able to give you guys a few gems about branding. My name is Lindsay and I am the owner of Organized Chaos Design Company. I help boss babes level up, reach their ideal client, and make more money. After all your business 90% about your client and 10% about you.
Usually, when people think about branding, they only think about the visuals. They automatically jump to creating logos, websites, and pictures. Branding does encompass all those things, but there is a lot of research and prep work that needs to be done prior to getting to that point. Just because it’s pretty doesn’t mean it will attract the right people. The entire experience from how you treat people and the experience that they are having working with you are all crucial components of your brand. Before you jump into all the pretty things about branding you have to identify a few things first.
- What problem are you solving? For example, if you sell a moisturizer what problem is solving besides helping with dryness? Is it for those with tightly coiled hair or people with a looser curl pattern? Is it a vegan moisturizer option for curly hair care? There are so many products out there, but you have to find your niche and what sets you apart.
- Who are you selling to or your ideal client? I always tell people to think about the people at Wal-Mart and then think about the people at Target. The marketing, commercials and even the store layout is completely different between the two franchises. Each has their own specific audience that they are catering to and it is visible when comparing the two brands. You must identify who you want to sell to so that you can cater your entire brand to meet their needs.
- What message do you want to send? Are you a luxury company with high-end products or a budget-friendly company for those that are economically savvy? When you move into the visual aesthetics keep those things in mind. Branding isn’t just visual, it encompasses feelings, emotions, and messaging.
- Your voice: You as an owner has to decide who you are and be consistent. If you start off as bubbly then you need to remain that way. People like to buy from people that they can relate to and that they feel like they know. Switching up your persona makes it hard for people to feel like they know you. Most businesses are operating online. Meaning you must work harder to be personable and build relationships because you probably won’t get the real face to face interaction.
Once you figure out those things (note: the ideal client may evolve over time) then you have to build your visual aesthetics with all of those things involved. It takes a lot of planning and some soul searching before starting on the visuals. Once you are to that point there are a few key things that I suggest to my DIY entrepreneurs:
Deciding on colors- Check out color psychology and how different colors can evoke different feelings. Just because red is your favorite color, doesn’t mean it supports the messaging that you are trying to portray. This is a good resource: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824
Choosing a font- Make sure that your font is legible. I love a good script font, but some are not legible. The best practice is to pair a scripted font with a serif or sans serif font. You don’t have to use a scripted font at all. Before choosing a font ask yourself “Does this align with my overall messaging and audience?”
Keep the logo simple love- I know having your face as the logo accompanied with a ton of flashy fonts and graphics is tempting, but your messaging will get lost in all flash. Always refer to your ideal client, will they want to buy the bottle with the illustrated face as the label or the label that has clear and concise messaging? You don’t want people trying to figure out whose face this belongs to and putting down the products. You want them to pick it up and purchase.
Hi resolution photos. Make sure you put photos out there that look professional. I have seen some great photos taken with a smartphone. I started with iPhone photos, but you must make sure you make them look professional as possible. Ensure that your background is free of color, try to use natural light and connect with your ideal client.
Social media and web presence. This ties in with everything above. You want to make sure the social media pages that you are operating your business from is not a mix of a million different things, not private (make it a business account) and that you engage with your audience. Be responsive and consistent. This is part of that entire experience that you are giving people.
These are just a few gems to help you out with creating your brand. Remember your brand is more than a logo, it is the entire experience. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me at info@organizedchaosdesigncompany.com or check me out on Instagram or Facebook @organizedchaos.designco