As a brand designer, it’s easy to forget that the word “branding” means different things to different people.
What do you think of when you hear the word branding? A cute little brand board on Pinterest? Or maybe social media templates… How about the logo on the cup of your fav coffee place? If you answered yes to any of these, you’re partly right!
Branding encompasses so many elements – both visual and non visual.
It’s a big decision to invest in branding for your business and I always want my clients to feel like they’re making an informed decision to invest in branding, whether with Lyra Studios or somewhere else.
Today, I’m breaking down 5 branding misconceptions I commonly encounter as I chat with small biz owners.
Your logo = your brand.
While your logo IS an important visual branding element, it’s only a small piece of the overall branding strategy. Trying to tell the entire story of your business and ideal client in a logo is unrealistic. Elements like colors, fonts, supporting graphics and patterns, social media graphics, print items, and more help give context to your business’s unique story and offerings.
Logos are simply for identification, which is why they’re used in places like your website header, business cards, and other materials.
Branding is purely visual.
A beautiful visual brand isn’t very helpful if it’s not designed specifically for your ideal client in mind. Strategy is an important part of the branding process that cannot be overlooked. Clients that are frustrated with their current branding aren’t always unhappy because it’s poorly designed. Sometimes it’s simply because their current brand isn’t appealing to the kinds of clients they’re hoping to work with.
Strategic branding takes into account not only your values, goals, and vision for your business, but it also speaks to who your ideal clients are, what their goals are, and what their struggles are surrounding your product or service.
We take the information we discover during the branding strategy process and create a brand that not only represents and communicates the heart behind your business, but that’s tailored to your ideal clients’ interests and goals.
Branding is a one-time effort.
Once your brand is designed, it’s important to take steps to stay visually consistent throughout your website, printed materials, social media, and more.
Each client – whether it’s a fully custom brand or a brand intensive – gets a Brand Style Guide to help give guidance on how to stay consistent with their brand because a consistent brand builds trust and people want to work with businesses they see as trustworthy.
Having a stunning portfolio can replace a professional brand.
While you DO need an amazing product/service to be successful in your business, an amazing portfolio on a beautiful, easy to navigate website will open new doors for your business.
Having a brand and web design that reflects the top notch quality of your work will help you feel confident and not only that, it will help your business grow.
You need a custom brand from the get-go.
Here’s the thing. I’m a brand designer and I truly believe in my custom branding process BUT. Custom branding MAY not be for you at the beginning of your business.
As a new business owner, you’re still trying to figure out what you want to offer, you’re trying to decide on WHAT to invest in and when. This is the heart behind the LS Design Intensive and another reason I created Showit website templates. These can be a great starting point for clean, solid design while you’re just starting out.
When you DO need a custom brand and web design is if you’re more established as a business and either feel stuck at a certain price point/level in your biz, have aspirations to be the go to in your area or want to be an industry leader.
Did any of these surprise you? If you’re ready to ditch the DIY cycle and build a brand that connects, let’s chat.
Lyra Studios creates purposeful brands for women in business so they can be recognized in luxury markets and build connection at every touchpoint. If you’re ready to ditch the DIY cycle and create a brand that will help your business grow, get in touch and let’s get started.
