5 TOP VISUAL BRANDING TIPS FOR NEW BUSINESSES

Hello there! I hope you’re having an amazing week, wherever you are in the world. With this blog, I want to chat to you and help you with a very specific topic. And that’s your visual branding. It’s aimed at new businesses, but just because it says that in the title, it doesn’t mean it only applies to people who are just starting their journey. Now there’s a lot of info out there, and I’ve talked about it a lot too, around the fact that your brand is everything. From your tone of voice, to the image you portray at meetings, or where you take your clients, you need to embody your branding. But for new businesses especially, getting those visual elements nailed is so important. So that’s where I hope my top 5 visual branding tips for new businesses can help you out.

One thing I want to make clear straightaway though, is that this blog isn’t about creating the perfect logo, or developing a suite of perfectly crafted visual assets. What I want to talk about here, is all the things you need to know and have locked down before you start any of that. Because branding isn’t just about making everything look pretty, it’s about creating an emotional response, a connection with your ideal client.

As some of you will probably know, and for those of you who don’t know me that well (yet!) I’ve been right where you are as a new business – twice! It’s such an exciting time when you’re getting ready to launch and share your amazing ideas and talents with the world. There’s so much to think about and deal with, but I can’t stress just how important your branding is enough. That’s how you tell your story to the world, connect with your ideal client, and ultimately make it happen. Anyway, that’s enough of an intro, let’s get into these top tips.

#1 WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ But honestly, this is a sure fire way to nail your visual branding. And trust me, when you own your own business you get to know yourself a whole lot better. Without knowing who you are, what your passions are, what your goals are and what you want to be known for, you wouldn’t be ready to launch, let alone start your branding journey.

But the moment you start to work it out is the moment your business, and therefore your branding will become unique, which is the exact reason it will stand out. Why? Because you are a limited edition, a one off, something no-one else can replicate, so the better you know yourself and your story, and the more you can weave it into your branding, the more impactful it will become.

So where do I start, I hear you ask? Well, working with a branding designer who takes the time to get to know all of these things would be my first bit of advice. But if you want to give it a go for yourself first I would suggest splitting everything up and jotting down some ideas about what you bring, what your business niche is, and what you want to be known for by your audience. It doesn’t have to be crazy or super quirky, it could be a symbol that means something to you or you could have a bigger mission – based on sustainability, or inspiring people. But whatever it is, it can trigger visual cues that make your branding personal to you. The more you can weave your story into your branding in seamless, natural way, the more chance you will have of building that famous know, like, trust factor with your ideal client.

#2 KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Now this is a real biggy. And I mean BIGGY. You will have noticed I mentioned ideal client in the previous tip and it is honestly so, so important that you get to know your audience inside and out. As soon as you’re clear on who you are and what you stand for, it’s all about working out who you’re talking to. So much depends on this when it comes to the visuals. I’m talking colours, photography, typography, textures, icons, logos – the lot.

And how do you get to know them? Well, the best exercise I ever did was to sit down and write an A4 page on my ideal client. What’s their name? How old are they? What do they do, what do they want to do? What are their goals and dreams? Where do they shop? Where do they spend their time? What’s their drink of choice?

It may seem daunting but don’t be disheartened, spend the time now and you’ll reap the rewards down the line with your branding. Because when you know your ideal client this well, you’ll be able to tailor everything to them. You’ll speak to them like you know them, show them the colours they love and that connection will already be almost instant. Your branding will feel like something they want, in fact something they need in their lives, and they’ll keep coming back for more – which is what we all want, right?

#3 IGNORE THE TRENDS

Now again, you might be thinking, ‘what is she going on about, ‘ignore the trends?!’ they’re trends for a reason, right?’ Wrong.

They’re trends because they’re what’s fashionable right now. But what’s fashionable right now, won’t be the same in 6 months’ time, maybe even 3 months depending on the industry you’re in. And no-one wants to be rebranding twice a year now do they!

What’s important is who you are, what you stand for, and who you’re talking to. That might mean that you end up using something which is currently ‘on-trend’ but most importantly it will be super relevant to you, and super-appealing to your ideal client. You should never do it the other way around, and shoe horn everything into what’s trendy for the sake of it.

By keeping your core branding, and brand elements authentic to you and your story, you’ll create something timeless and unique, which grabs your ideal client’s attention.

#4 ASK QUESTIONS

There’s a quote, which I love and it goes something like this – ‘Surround yourself with good people, and good things will happen.’ Now firstly, I love this quote because of how true it is in big business as well as for entrepreneurs like you and I. I mean look at the best film studios, who work with the best writers, who work with the best directors, who cast the best actors. Or the best music artists, who work with the best songwriters, who…you see where I’m going right?

But other reason I love this quote is because of how many amazing, inspirational female entrepreneurs I’ve met since I launched my business. There are so many great people out there making it happen, and everyone just wants to help each other push their business as far as they can to reach their goals.

So how does this help your branding? Well, what you need to do is find a branding designer you love, or if you’re going down the DIY route, surround yourself with people you trust and who’s opinions you respect. Then share your ideas, and your goals with them. It’s so important to get feedback on what’s working, and what’s not, what it makes them feel and of course whether it appeals to them. Then, you can push the colours, the fonts, or any of the visual elements in a direction that works better, as long as it stays true to who you are.

Sometimes, when you’re so close to something and have a million and one other things on your mind, you need that objective perspective – and it will make your branding so much stronger, trust me.

#5 WHAT’S THE STORY?

I’ve mentioned the know, like, trust factor a couple of times already, and this tip is a sure fire way to nailing exactly that.

As I’m sure you’re aware from your own experiences, and the brands you like, what attracts you to them is as much about the story behind, or associated with that brand as it is about the product itself. You connect with a certain vibe they have, or you like the aesthetics of their logo, or it’s about how sustainable they are – but whatever it is, it’s what they stand for, which makes them stand out to you.

So always make sure you’re sharing your story through your branding. And I’m not just talking about a ‘My story’ page on your website. It doesn’t have to be all words. The colours you choose or the typography – statement, san-serif capitals versus flowing, modern handwriting for example, or the icons you feature can all play a role in storytelling around your brand. And that’s what your audience will connect to. With so much noise, and social media wallpaper bombarding them every time they open Instagram, or whatever social channel they use, something pretty just isn’t going to cut it on its own.

So there you have it, my top 5 visual branding tips for new businesses, designed to help you create an amazing, successful platform with your branding. Before I leave you to make it happen, here’s a quick checklist for you to refer back to.

#1 WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?
#2 KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
#3 IGNORE THE TRENDS
#4 ASK QUESTIONS
#5 WHAT’S THE STORY?

Good luck on your branding journey, I can’t wait to see what you do.

Nicki x