Welcome to Episode 048 of the Brand It, Build It Podcast. We ended 2020 with Episode 047, which was all about preparing your small business for holiday break — and those same tips can be applied to taking vacations or simply breaks from your small business in the year ahead.
We’ve learned so many valuable lessons from 2020, and one of those is to acknowledge the value of rest — taking breaks, sticking to our business hours, and knowing more work doesn’t always mean more progress in our business. So, we hope those tips from Episode 047 guide you and encourage you, too!
This year, our hope is to share more about brand design, web design, and ways to use your brand and web design to strengthen your business from the inside out. After all, your brand and web design serve as the visual foundation of your small business — so ensuring your brand and web design are solid, intentional, and well-designed can make all the difference in how your business is perceived by your prospective clients.
Over the years, we’ve seen first-hand how professional brand and web design can help small business owners to better connect with their prospective clients, to more openly and honestly sell their products and services, and to expand their revenue and reach.
So, we’re kicking off the new year with Episode 048: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Rebranding. Whether you’re a brand new business owner and you are pursuing very first brand, or you’re an experienced business owner and you’re considering a new brand — answering these questions can help to save you time and money.
Answering these questions can help you find the best designer to align with your vision and goals, so you aren’t pursuing a new brand year after year. And your responses to these questions can help to lay the foundation for an intentional, long-lasting brand for your business.
And lastly, before we dive in: Whether you’re a new listener or a long-time listener of the Brand It, Build It Podcast, please rate and review Brand It, Build It — so our podcast can reach more small business owners. We truly, truly appreciate you tuning in!
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Rebranding
Before we dive in, what is a brand? With a quick Google search, you’ll see defining the word ‘brand’ is actually somewhat challenging — and that’s because a brand can be visual (your photography, your color palette), it can be emotional (the words you use within your copywriting, the photography and videography you use on behalf of your business), and it can be a blend of how you present your business and how your audience emotionally responds to what you’ve presented. This sounds like a lot — so at With Grace and Gold, we like to think of your brand as visual elements that lead to an emotional or physical response from your audience.
We use logo design, pattern design, colors, and font styles to represent your business in a way aligned with your unique vision and goals. And in turn, when your audience comes upon your brand — whether through social media or your website — they respond by forming an emotional connection with you and your work… and, ideally, by choosing to purchase your products or book your services.
So, put simply, we use logo design, pattern design, colors, and font styles to represent your business in an elevated way, to help you openly and honestly connect with your audience — and to guide your audience toward purchasing your products and booking your services.
One common question we’re asked is: When is the best time to pursue professional brand design? There is no one-size-fits-all approach to small business ownership, but often, we say: If you don’t yet have a professional brand, or if you’re finding your brand doesn’t truly feel right and isn’t exactly serving as a strong foundation to grow your business upon — then it’s time to pursue a new brand. This can look like: feeling as though your brand isn’t quite as polished and elevated as your work is, feeling as though your brand doesn’t communicate the value and expertise behind your business, or simply noticing you aren’t consistently booking your dream projects.
But no matter the reason, if you’ve decided now is time to pursue a new brand for your small business, here are 5 questions to ask:
- How do I hope my brand will work on behalf of my small business?
What are the deeper, more meaningful reasons for pursing a new brand? A few examples could be: I want my brand to showcase the professionalism and expertise behind my small business. I want my brand to look as elevated as the products or services I provide. I want my brand to establish my credibility and more effectively sell my products or services. Like any decision we make within our small businesses, it’s important to know what your end goal is: how do you hope your brand will work on behalf of your small business? After all, design is so much more than design — but a means of capturing a feeling, communicating on behalf of your business, and serving as a foundation from which your business can grow. - How do I hope my brand will make prospective clients feel?
We believe your brand should be more than a collection of designs, colors, patterns, and font styles — but a means of helping your prospective clients to form a connection with you, your business, your products, and your services. We like to think about what it feels like to walk into your favorite store, or what it feels like to receive a package from your favorite shop. A brand can create an experience, capture feelings, and help your prospective clients to connect with your business, remember your business, and choose to purchase your products or book your services. - What are 3 keywords to capture the essence of my brand?
How would you describe the brand you envision for your business? Is it warm, welcoming, and cozy? Is it bold, modern, and confident? Is it clean, minimal, and fresh? When pursuing a new brand, it’s important to identify at least 3 keywords to capture the essence of the brand you envision. Doing so not only helps you to find clarity and to make a firm decision on behalf of your business and brand — but it can also provide direction should you choose to hire a professional designer. - How will my brand be used by my small business?
What types of deliverables or assets will you need from your brand designer? A primary logo design, secondary logo designs, color palette, pattern designs, and font styles are some of the common deliverables provided. It’s important to know how and where your brand will be used, so you can ensure your brand will be used consistently and cohesively across every platform — from your website and social media platforms to your project management system or any printed materials you create. - Am I trusting of the purpose and expertise behind professional brand design?
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, should you choose to work with a professional designer — do you trust the purpose and expertise behind professional brand design? At With Grace and Gold, we believe your brand should be a blend of what you love and feel connected to, what your prospective clients will love and feel connected to, and what is appropriate for the field your business is in. Your brand isn’t designed for you as much as it is designed for your prospective clients. It’s designed to serve a deeper purpose, to communicate on behalf of your small business, and to help you more effectively sell your products and services. So, even if there are elements you wouldn’t have expected to be used within your brand design, it’s truly beneficial to trust in the expertise of the professional designer you’ve hired. When you do, you can better ensure every detail has been intentionally designed and curated to help you achieve your goals. It can be challenging to relinquish control over such an important and visual aspect of your small business — but trusting in your designer’s education, experience, and expertise will help to better ensure you come away with a design rooted in purpose, strategy, and your long-term success.
Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!
About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay
Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.
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