Steps for success after investing in brand design
You just spent thousands of your hard-earned dollars on a new brand identity and now that the color-palette-matching party balloons have all been popped, you're probably thinking "okay, now what?". While having consistent branding is key for recognition and trust building with your audience, it's not going to mean a darn thing if you don't have a plan in place for how to actually incorporate it within your business once your final files are delivered. If you know me, you know I'm not one to mention a pain point without helping you solve it. So here's a look at 5 steps you can start to implement today to make sure your time, energy and money aren't going to waste after investing in your gorgeous new brand design:
*Note: when I mention 'deliverables' below, I am referring to the 'Brand Guidelines PDF' you received during the offboarding process, which includes a breakdown of your business' mission, values, ideal audience and visual branding (logos, color palette, typography, etc.). As well as the actual logo files and font files you received in your Google Drive folder.
1. The first thing you need to do is create a folder on your desktop to home all of the important deliverables you received at the end of your project (please see the note above in reference to which deliverables I am referring to). Download each file/folder directly from the Google Drive, but keep their current labels as is - they were named strategically. Place each file or folder in to the master folder that you just created on your desktop. Name the master folder whatever you'd like that will help you recognize what it is; I recommend your business' name plus branding & logo files or something similar.
*Do this now. Like right now. Minimize this post window (and the many other tabs you have open 😉). I promise it will make life easier for you during these next steps.
2. Once you've created your folder, placed all of the logo and branding files within it and have returned to this post, it's time to update alllllll the things. When I say "update alllllll the things" I mean anywhere you currently use your business' logos, color palette, fonts, etc.; for example: your website (if we didn't work together on a custom site), Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, your CRM platform (Honeybook, Dubsado, etc.), email signature, and anywhere else your business visuals are front and center.
This step is where you will have to put in the most work and is usually what takes the longest, but it will create that "on-brand" feeling when a potential or current client interacts with you. (Remember: all of your fonts, hex color codes, logos, etc. are laid out specifically on how to use them in your 'Brand Guidelines PDF' - now neatly saved and organized on your desktop. Refer to it often!)
3. Now that your visual identity has been updated everywhere, it's time to focus on living out your business' mission, core values and vision. (Again, refer to that Brand Guidelines PDF!). These three components should lay the groundwork for every step that you take in your business. If it doesn't align with your mission, values or the vision for your business, it's not the right next step. This is also true for content creation, how you organize your client experience and so many other intricate parts of your business.
One way you can implement this today, for example, is by showcasing these components on your social media. Make sure your bio is updated and pinpoints to your mission or a core value. If you're a photographer and your business' mission is to capture the beautiful chaos of family life and your core values are 'passion', 'honoring your clients visions' and 'fun', you can share a behind the scenes video of a family photo session on your Instagram stories. Be sure to mention what the clients vision was, how you were able to honor that vision through your photography, and show through visuals how much fun it was for the family and you in the process! This will not only help you capture the attention of your ideal client who is wanting that same experience, but it will solidify that 'we already feel like we know you and your process, so we trust you' mentality that is a crucial part of the client experience.
4. Speaking of client experience, this is the part of the "new branding ripple effect", as I so lovingly call it, that dives in to communication. Your brand should be immediately felt and recognized by those that interact with it, so creating communication points that showcase the tone/voice of your brand in an authentic way is super important.
Do this by creating automated email responses that sound like you and focus on getting an inquiry/client to the next step, even when you're off the clock. Or prepare client presentations that show your attention to your brands' visual details. Each of these are small simple steps that together make up your brand as a whole.
5. Last, but certainly not least (there's always something more to do, am I right?) is platform strategy. When I say "platform strategy", I mean focusing on one or two places you can share your service or offerings with the world (examples: Instagram and Pinterest) - make sure they are fitting to your ideal client and your mission/values. Once you determine what those platforms are, focus your energy on creating content for them. Creating content is a whole other post for another day, but remember, you can quickly create an authentic branded experience just by using your custom branded fonts and color palette in your content designs.
I highly recommend importing your custom fonts, the font hierarchy and color hex codes in to Canva if you have the Pro version. This a game changer when creating consistently branded content.
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Working with a brand designer is one of the best investments you can make for your business. Not only does it solidify to your clients who you are, what you do, and why they should care, but it's a necessity for you as a business owner if you want to be here for the long-game. Are you an entrepreneur with a new brand suite that found these tips helpful? If so, leave a comment below. I would love to chat!
New to business branding and have questions or just want to talk through if full-service branding is a good fit for your business at this moment? Click here to book your free/no-strings-attached discovery call today!