Not everyone is ready to invest the big bucks for branding their business, especially when you're just working to get a consistent income stream. And I totally get that. 

That's why I've created a little round-up of practical ways you can make smaller investments to hold you over until you can brand professionally.

Before we dive in, here's a quick definition of what branding is:

“Branding is the personality of your business in visual form. Branding is also the FEELING you give people when they interact with your business.”

While a lot of people think of logos and color palettes, branding actually goes deeper than just visuals, it's also about positioning, messaging, how you market, etc.

HAVING AN EFFECTIVE BRAND WILL DO 3 THINGS FOR YOU:

• People will recognize your visual identity

• Those people you want to work with will be ATTRACTED to your visual presence

• Your tribe will feel your desired feeling (empowered, happy, etc.) and want to be apart of what you're doing.

I go more in-depth into the different elements of branding in this post, but today, I'm going into the visual identity of branding. The visual marketing. So, let's dive in: 

1. Keep designs simple and colors limited

My first piece of advice, if you're in a DIY phase and its up to YOU to create your own logo and/or graphics, is this: less is more.

Keep your designs stripped down and simple.

Simple is way better than complicated and confusing. So if you love patterns and vibrant colors, I recommend waiting until you can hire someone with the know-how to keep your brand looking professional and also inviting.

Canva is a design tool for people who want to do it themselves but wouldn't consider themselves a designer. Canva is a great option for people who want to make some good-looking graphics by themselves.

Choosing your own color palette too? I recommend limiting your palette to 2 main colors (and fonts limited to 2 as well). This will give your visual presence some consistency and maintain your imagery across the board. This will also help your tribe recognize you and your business.

Learn more about color psychology and how it affects your audience.

2. Invest in a stock photography subscription

These second 2 suggestions have to do with photography, and not just cause I'm a photographer, I promise. Photography is SO incredibly important because it can make you look like an amateur or a professional.

Photos = the level of your expertise.

Having professional images is one of the best and quickest way to capture the attention of onlookers and invite them into what you're about. While brand photography is my jam (an A La Carte offer of mine), the next best thing is investing in a stock photo subscription.

brand photoshoots for past clients

Brand photoshoot for Meritmade

Brand photoshoot for Belleza Mia Jewelry

Some of the best bloggers, leaders and trend-setters in the creative space industry use quality stock photography subscriptions.

Why? Cause they're affordable, professional, high-quality photos and are, oh-so-easy to use. Just pay, download and post.

Here are some amazing stock photo libraries that I highly recommend:

SC Stockshop 
LaPorte Images
Wellness Stock Shop
Hautestock
MOYO Studio

And there are lots more out there! 
 

3. Get professional headshots taken

You don't need to go invest in a big brand photography shoot right off the bat but, I HIGHLY recommend investing in quality headshots with a professional photographer.

Depending on who you ask, perhaps you can do a trade for your services. However you choose to go for it, make sure it's a photographer who, you like their work, and their style will reflect the look you want for your brand.

4. If you need a website, choose Squarespace

I’m all about this platform. Not only is it simple enough that someone can set up their site but it's robust enough to, later on, work with a designer to make it more custom to you and your brand.

There are also a lot of different template options that can suit wherever you are in business: whether you're a blogger, a coach, or photographer. Choosing a fun template and adding in your own photos and personality (your copy) you can have something that's unique and memorable.

Jen Nobo website / view in portfolio

If you want a simple backend, a place where blogging is a breeze and a platform that looks beautiful no matter which template you choose, Squarespace is the answer.

There are also so many features that make this the perfect place to set-up shop including built-in analytics, e-commerce, robust SEO features... ahh.. I go into 10 reasons why Squarespace is the perfect platform for your creative biz here if you want to really deep dive into this ;)

I hope you enjoyed this post! 

I would love to hear what you think of these tips. Do you have any other DIY hangups?