3 Things You Need to Know Before You DIY Your Branding
When launching your start-up, branding often ends up on the list of tasks you think you can do yourself. With powerful, amazing, magical tools like Canva (big Canva fans over here), it seems like a practical way to save your limited budget.
Spoiler alert: Branding is a lot trickier than picking nice colour palettes and pretty images. What many start-up founders don’t realize is that it could actually cost you more in the long run if it’s not done right. It’s not just about creating something that looks good, it’s about building trust and credibility with your audience.
If you’re determined to do it yourself (we love a resourceful founder), here are 3 things you need to know before you DIY your branding. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! 👀
Branding Is More Than Just a Logo
We get it. You create a great looking logo, post it all over social media, and BAM you’re in business. Right?
Not quite. Branding is so much more than just a logo. It’s your brand’s entire identity: your voice, values, positioning, and personality. Most importantly, it’s how people are going to remember you (or not).
Tip: Before designing anything (put your mouse down), take the time to identify your brand’s core values and overall mission. Every visual and message should be a reflection of that.
Inconsistent Branding Can Hurt More Than No Branding
If your branding is changing every other week across your socials and website, your audience is going to be very confused. Inconsistent branding not only looks messy, but it’ll make your audience think you don’t know what you’re doing (that’s not the vibe we’re going for). And, consistency often breeds distrust.
A strong brand has a cohesive image across all touchpoints. Only then can you start to build a connection, trust, and credibility with your audience (relationship goals 😍).
Tip: Create your own brand guideline document. This will be the home of all your colours, fonts, logos, and tone of voice so you can stay consistent when it’s time to create something new.
DIY Might Cost You More
It’s often thought that DIYing your branding is a money saving move until you fall into the Canva black hole then suddenly it’s three hours later and you’re still trying to perfectly centre one graphic (we’ve all been there 😢).
Yes, you can get the job done, but whether your branding will be effective and deliver results is another question. Weak branding can lead to low engagement, fewer conversions and eventually a professional rebrand. That’s a lot of time, money, and stress that could have been saved by investing in strategic branding from the start.
We’re not saying that you can’t DIY your branding, but just know when to call it quits.
Tip: Set a clear deadline for yourself. At a certain point, you need to step away from the computer because, let’s face it, we’re not all designers. If you find you are still tweaking things weeks later, it’s time to call in the professionals.
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