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Hey guys! Today's podcast is fun it's going to be about the moment that brand design changed my business forever. Mainly being a logo designer in the beginning stages of my business I didn't really know much about brand design but when I finally came across it little did I know that it was exactly what my business needed. Here's my story.
I remember the day I came across an eye-catching video ad on Instagram. It was advertising for a 3 month in depth online brand design course. The ad was definitely well designed and had a great editorial feel. You could tell that lime green and black colors were re-occurring colors in the theme and it gave the ad a nice high-quality aesthetic. Her outfit matched the color theme, the fonts matched the overall editorial aesthetic and personality was just oozing out of the video. I remember thinking wow this is exactly how I want people to view my business when they come across it. Alot of personality, feeling intrigued and an aesthetic that just screams Rizza.
It was from that point when I realized that my business was missing something deeper and if this brand design course could get my business looking like this ad then maybe it's something I should be investing in.
My mouse hovered over the buy button and I wondered is this $3000 brand course really worth it? I've heard the word 'branding' being thrown around before but will it help my business? At this point in my business I was really focused on logo design but I didn't know anything about branding so it was definitely something that I was curious about.
At the time it was incredibly hard and time consuming for me to create my own graphics. There was always too many options and I could never decide on a certain style. I had no idea how to create something that really showed my personality and felt good to me.
When you looked at my website it was extremely plain. I had a white background with not a lot on each page. There was some copy, some images, but there was definitely something lacking I just wasn't really sure what it needed. Then there's was my inner battle with social media. I would look at Instagram profiles that I liked and I couldn't figure out how to get mine to have that same feeling. The feeling of having everything put together, and have a certain aesthetic.
What I wanted was for people to come across my website or Instagram and say, 'Wow that's undeniably Rizza'. Little did I know that brand design was the missing piece that was missing from my business.
Still staring at the sales page, I could feel my heart racing and excitement starting to take over my fears. It was one of those moments where you say, 'Screw it why not'? So I clicked buy and that was the moment my business changed for the better.
From that brand design course I learned that the reason I couldn’t nail down my graphics was because I had no creative direction. But after finding my brand vibe, figuring out my ideal client and creating a moodboard. I was able to narrow in on my signature style through building a strategic creative direction. This creative direction is the foundation for my brand. It's how I was able to intentionally choose specific fonts, colors, and a style for my brand. I was no longer confused about the aesthetic of my business and I was finally able to narrow down my design choices. Such a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
It was through brand design that I realized that the piece that was missing in my Instagram and my website was me. It was my personality. Branding is the personality of your business. Through brand design I am able to create a welcoming website that catches your eye through the graphics and copy that makes you feel understood.
I share this story because maybe you can relate to the feelings I felt before I branded my business.
Do you find yourself looking at other peoples websites or social media and think wow I want my customers to feel this way when they come across my website or social media page.
Does it take you hours to create a single Instagram graphic or other marketing materials?
Does your website feel bland?
Are you embarrassed by your graphics? Website? Social media profile?
Or maybe you're just ready for that next step in your business and you want to level up. Well brand design is your answer.
My website went from plain to oozing with personality. Instead of using the amateur photos that I took on my phone I invested in a brand photo shoot with professional photography which gives off vibes that say, 'Hey this is me. I want you to know that I am professional but also fun and that that you can trust me as your designer'. Instead of playing it safe I added branded fonts, my signature blue color, marble and other branded elements to showoff my signature style and create consistency through my website.
My Instagram went from a jumble of colors and fonts to a consistent style that is recognizable when you are scrolling on your Instagram feed. My images went from noticeably amateur to professional and eye-catching. And guess what? What used to take me hours to create one social media post now takes me 30 minutes because I know exactly what fonts to use, whats colors, and how to style my posts so I never start from a blank canvas.
Isn't it crazy how branding and all of these design details can elevate your business significantly? Can you see how the perceived value of your business is higher because of brand design?
Branding is how we bring personality into our business. It’s how we stick out from everyone else. If you’ve been inspired by my story and are serious about brand design there are 3 ways I can help you.
1. Done for you brand design Contact me at www.zsquaredstudio.com or visit my site to see more details. Don't worry you can find all the links I mention in the show in the show notes.
2. Do it Yourself brand design
If custom branding isn’t in your budget just yet or you love being creative and want to be a part of the design process then you can do it yourself with my DIY Brand in 5 Days Mini Course. You can learn more about it at www.zsquaredstudio.com/diybrand. It's the exact same process that I use with my clients when I brand their businesses so it's a great way to learn more about the design process and elevate your business at the same time.
3. Learn how to brand your business yourself
If you want to learn about how to brand yourself for free then definitely stay tuned. In future episodes I'll be talking about how you can find your signature style, how to choose your fonts and colors and other fun brand design topics. But so you can make the most of my tips grab my free Brand Style Guide Canva template. It's the exact same brand style guide that I use in my mini course so you have a place to put your logos, fonts, color palette, moodboard and brand vibe. you can find it at www.zsquaredstudio.com/styleguide If you don't know what a brand style guide is, it's a document that explains how your brand should be portrayed visually. It let's you know what fonts to use, what colors, what logo variations there are, and it's just a great resource to keep your brand organized and consistent.
And that's all I have for you today. Now that you know my story about how brand design came into my life I hope you found this inspiring as well as useful. Brand design is a great way to add that extra oomph in your business when you're ready for the next step. Whether you choose the done for you or do it yourself route even a little branding goes a long way. I hope to see you in the next episode where I will talking about how to find your artistic style, or signature style as I like to call it.
Have a great day and happy designing!