Your business is new, or you know you need to update your visual brand, but based on your budget, you know you’re going to have to design it yourself.

That can be an intimidating prospect, but before you start creating something just based on what looks good to you, I have a few tips for what you should be focusing on when designing your visual brand.

Communication

What do you want your visual brand to tell your potential clients about your business?

Your visual brand is, in its most basic form, communication. Instead of communicating in words, you’re communicating through color and imagery. Those words and imagery have implied meanings based on culture and psychology. You want to utilize those implied meanings to tell your potential clients about your business.

For example, if you run a yoga studio, you probably want to focus on cool colors, because they make people feel calm and relaxed. But if you run an arcade, bright, vibrant colors that feel energetic are going to be a better choice.

As you’re making decisions for your visual brand, ask yourself, “What will this make my potential clients assume about my business?”

Professionalism

Designing your visual brand yourself to save money is great when you’re starting out or you have a tight budget, but that doesn’t mean you should accept unprofessional-looking designs.

Buying cheap templates from websites such as CreativeMarket.com is a great, budget-friendly way to ensure your visual brand looks professional.

A polished, but slightly cliche or unoriginal, visual brand will make a better impression on your potential clients than an original but sloppy one.

Of course, the ultimate goal is to have an original AND highly professional visual brand, but templates are great until you can afford to hire a designer.

Unity

As your visual brand comes together, keep looking at all of your graphics together. Do they look like they’re all related? Does your logo have nothing in common with your web banners? Do you leave out your core brand color on your business cards?

One of the jobs of your visual brand is to connect positive experiences with your business together.

For example, if you meet someone, and they seem interested in your services, and you hand them a business card, they should be able to remember that experience when they see your post on social media.

By tieing those two experiences together, with a business card and social media post that look connected,  you’re making it easier for people to remember your business. Instead of relying on one impression to convince your potential clients to work with you, you’re building a sequence of good impressions on your audience that are easily remembered because of your unified visual brand.

I hope you found these tips helpful, and you’re able to think bigger than just trying to make a visual brand that looks good, and make one that’s communicative, professional, and unified.

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Sierra Kellermeyer who helps business owners who are tired of their marketing efforts pulling “okay” results. She helps them stand out online by designing a noteworthy visual brand that attracts their ideal clients effortlessly. She says, “My favorite part of brand design is the marriage of creativity and strategy. I’m not simply creating something beautiful, I’m creating something beautiful that works and has a purpose.”

There’s a lot of misconception about visual branding, with people thinking it’s just about looking good, but it’s more than that. “Your visual brand is a communication tool, and if you’re only trying to make something that looks nice, rather than telling your audience about your business, you’re missing out.”

Sierra will be sharing her visual branding tips in February, May, August, and November. In the meantime, you can find her online at:

https://www.skellermeyerdesigns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/skellermeyerdesigns2014/