Branding Your Business / Must-Haves for Every Wedding & Creative Business
Regardless of whether you are working to launch a business or are 10 years into chasing your dreams, building a strong, recognizable, and consistently executed brand is an important task on your to-do list. That’s because, in the age of the internet, a large part of your online reputation (and ability to draw people into your digital storefront) is dependent on having a brand that not just stands out but has a point of view. But, with everything else you are responsible for as a wedding or creative business owner, it’s not uncommon to feel lost when it comes to taking the first steps or be so busy that things slip through the cracks. So today, whether it’s to get you making forward progress or getting organized, we wanted to talk about the most important aspects to branding your business. Read on to learn what the 5 factors are to get you building that beautiful brand of yours!
It starts with a mission statement and core values
The first step you need to take when branding your business is to sit down in a quiet space and put your “why” down on paper. We’re not talking about the, “I want to make money or control my own schedule” why—we’re talking about the service or impact-centered purpose behind your business. This is what helps you establish a unique point of view AND start to carve out a niche based on your “why”. From writing a mission statement and writing down your company’s core values, these details will become the North Star for everything from your brand and customer service policies to your product development and marketing efforts.
Create a customer map
After you’ve put these proclamations of purpose on paper (and somewhere sharable with anyone who is helping you brand your business), your next task is to create a customer map. A custom map is simply a document that describes who your ideal and potential customers are. You will use this customer map to make sure everything you publish or produce is speaking directly to them. Put another way—your customer map defines who you are building everything for and it helps you start to carve out your niche based on your customer’s problems, personality, and needs.
Build visual brand assets
Okay, here is the section you probably expected to see in a piece about branding your business! And, there is a reason we didn’t start with this section because, the fact of the matter is, your visual brand should be an extension of your why and your customers—so, it is imperative you tackle the first two tasks first. Once you get to this phase and start to design the look and feel of your brand, remember that you’ll need to use these assets on more than just your profile photos—your visual brand assets are used on your website, help you create a curated look on social media, and allow you to build brand recognition in your marketing assets. Here’s where you need to start:
Primary and secondary versions of your logo (and a favicon for browser tabs)
A color palette (typically 4-6 colors)
Fonts (typically 2-3; having Google fonts in the mix allows you to use them on your website)
Brand and/or product images (this includes headshots, photos of your studio, etc.)
Brand video (usually something about your why or showcasing your product/service)
Define your brand voice
If we had to pick the part of the branding process most people struggle with, it would most definitely be this. Because people hate talking about themselves. Because people struggle with writing. Because it is hard to not try too hard to sound professional and personable at the same time. But, having a strong brand voice is important because it’s really the core of your brand’s personality and, if you are on the struggle bus here, it’s time to call in an expert!
Be consistent across channels
The last (and very important) part of branding your business is making sure it is consistently executed across all your channels. What do we mean by this? You should have consistent messages about what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for, as well as consistent usage of your logos, colors, and fonts. Doing so helps you build recognition and trust—and a loyal customer base!
If you need help building your brand from the ground up or find a gap in your brand toolbox, styled stock photos, stock art, and stock video clips are a great way to get what you need—quickly and inexpensively! Visit The Shop to get what you need or explore our subscriptions to make sure you always have extra creative hands on deck.
