My friend, Megan, and I are talked all about graphic design (print and online), logos and everything you need to know! There are tons of helpful tips for business owners. If there’s something we didn’t answer please drop a comment below. ⬇️
💞Please comment and share as a free way to support and help others get free business tips!💞
One of Local Collab’s main goals to reach a client’s success is instant growth, consistent growth and of course loads of compliments. This is an exciting time for you! We wanted to give you a few tips to get you started before we start collaborating together.
The link to our live video is here which I really recommend watching or listening to in the background so you can get all of the good stuff. Just in case you prefer spark notes, here are some of the questions we answered:
Branding or the Logo. Which comes first?
One of the more common mistakes people make when starting their business is thinking they want a logo before any of the branding work has happened. If you start by creating a ‘mood board’ on Pinterest with colors, fonts, logos, designs or patterns, pictures, etc. that you feel you want to represent your brand. At the same time, what do you NOT like? Coming to us with this will help us start on a more direct path and hopefully less revisions later on!
Want to add that logo on a beautifully designed website? We’ve got a write-up just for you here.just for you here.
We will be able to redirect your likes and dislikes to best fit the psychology behind your brand. For instance, maybe you like red as a person but it won’t be the best fit for your feminine brand so let’s find a good in-between.
Fun Fact: Most brands like to use blue in their brand colors because it translates friendliness, trustworthiness and the most liked color for men and women. If you’d like an entire write-up on color psychology, comment below and let me know!
Next is figuring out fonts and then we begin the rough drafts, revisions and, eventually, saving the final product in the correct formats to be used online and print.
Final word here…come with your creativity and we will add the professional touch!
What’s your process like?
As far as Local Collaborative is concerned, we start our relationship with everyone with a Free Discovery Session. That will more often than not lead to a Branding + Positioning Strategy. Why? Because the strategy and branding process starts way before your logo. Every successful brand realizes the impact this has on connecting to their audience. This is one of the most fun processes you’ll experience learning about your brand. You’ll love to show off, print and find a purpose in your logo to use for content creation or messaging.
Read more about the services we offer, including the B+P Strategy, on our Services page. Scheduling a Free Discovery Session also allows us to find out what exactly will get you the best results.
I already have a logo.
Why and When would you recommend a new logo?
We’re glad the people asked! There could be a few pointers that it’s time for you to remodel or renovate. Whether you’re looking to revamp your logo or image with some more professional help or just wondering if it’s time for a change, let’s take a look…
First, are you an established business? For how long? Is your audience still resonating or resembled in your logo and brand? Here’s a great example Megan gave.
The biggest factor is your audience. Has your audience changed? If you’re a young female in your 20s you might be attracting other females in your 20s. As you grow and develop your brands over the years, maybe you will start attracting professional females in their 30s or 40s with family-focused products. Maybe you thought you started one business but it’s turned into something entirely different.
What fits your niche and audience? Do we just need to update the icon to modernize it? Do we update colors or text? It could be a simple face lift than an entire name and brand change. We can adjust and play around with what feels the best to not only you but also involving your best clientele and ideal audience to have a piece in the redesign.
TIP: While this can be a fun, great way to gain engagement keep in mind they’ll pick things based off their personal preference and not a trained eye. Ultimately consulting a pro will get you the results you want!
Consistency, Consistently
When we talk about consistency with posting, strategy/approach, etc. that includes branded content. Our idea of branded content includes the messaging, words, concepts and much more.
Did you see above about revamping or changing it up? We don’t want to revisit this update yearly or even every three years…that’s the point of a solid B+P Strategy! What will make your brand stand out more and continue that solid foundation in your business is consistency. Are you consistently posting, interacting and using your logo and content for brand recognition?
No one is going to buy from you based on the fact you have a ‘cute’ logo; they’re going to buy from the person they know. Share your story, behind the scenes photos of product creation or your desk; share all the real stuff.
How do I visually show my brand?
Branded images! For example, if you make cupcakes, take a clear, professional picture of the finished cupcake with a watermark or logo placed in the corner. Add a catchy caption with a description of any ingredients or diet info most people ask, how to order and a hashtag block. You can also place your work on a branded tray, board or plate for a creative twist.
Tips for Personal Brands: Are you a blogger or a racer like Megan? In that case you don’t need to add a logo on the image or edit them with branded materials but you can instead wear your merch or otherwise incorporate your logo on the photo.
You don’t always need a logo but making sure you keep branded colors and overall image cohesive. It’s easier to incorporate branded photos in the product-based businesses but for those in the service-based businesses that might be difficult to capture images. Using the content piece in your copy will be your saving grace here as well as incorporating your brand colors, symbols, patterns and overall ‘vibe’ of your photos to put out a cohesive personality.
Videos should have a logo in the corner (IG TV as an example) since they’re more likely to get shared and circulated online. This is a great option instead of ‘every’ photo since it’s very likely that photos could be cropped or flagged by platforms for being too text heavy. If content like info graphics, videos, or other shareable and downloadable products were shared do people know where to return to the source?
TIP: If you plan on featuring clients make sure legalities are in place. Having a contract or waiver signed, a public review left online or another form to ensure privacy but also show that you’re not making things up is vital to an audience trusting you and believing in you.
Let’s get more specific so you can get the best chance at conversion. What time is your ideal audience online and when are they likely to interact with what you’re posting? You can always look at the insights on your business page or, if the audience is similar to you, post at the times that you’re naturally interacting online. Confusing? Just ask.
If you find yourself wondering the A’s to any of these Q’s
watch the live video here.
- What’s most helpful in order to get the client’s vision to come to life? Structure or freedom? How can a non-graphic designer help speak your language?
- What are the most common mistakes (maybe top 3) you see when people make their own logo or graphics?
- Why is hiring someone to do this all for me so important?
Want to learn more? Here are a few other blog posts on logos and graphic design:
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOGOS & EMBLEMS?
Which Came First: The Content or The Branding?
Choosing The Best Profile Picture For Your Page
What Your Logo Is Worth (And The Cost Of Not Having One.)
CREATING A BRAND THAT LASTS
BONUS!
I also have some insightful and practical resource for anyone interested in web design or web development. Check it out here.
Interested in connecting?
Marin (Branding + Marketing for Small Business Owners)
🖥Claim your FREE Discovery Session here.
👍🏼Facebook Local Collaborative
📸IG @marinslocalcollab
Megan (Branding & Web Design for Creative Entrepreneurs)
🖥 Website megancreativevisionary.com
👍🏼Facebook Megan Meyer
📸IG @megan_creativevisionary
Cheers! Marin
“Marin is sweet, kind, and has a huge heart. She loves what she does. She loves helping others. Whether it’s helping for business purposes or even just a quick ear to lend to someone, she’s always there. Her blogs are incredible. She speaks the truth, and says what we all need to hear some days. … Continue reading Ashley Layton
We had Marin look at our business image. I was very impressed with her analysis. It was in depth and revealed some very important areas where we needed to improve or change. She brought up strategies I hadn’t even thought of and will implement. Donze & Associates would heartily recommend her to any other company.
I am a new small business owner and had no idea where to start when it came to social media and website design. I am an avid Facebook user but wasn’t quite sure how to direct my FB business page to a central hub/website. After compiling a killer business proposal, Marin met with me one-on-one … Continue reading Lyneda Rogers, Owner of The Egglady’s Daughter
As someone in the process of setting up small online business, Marin’s expertise was invaluable! With a consultation and a formalized presentation she helped me take things to the next level. I will definitely be back as I continue to build! Shannon Rogge Shannon Nicole Coaching
Writes inspiring blog posts and is an all around good person. Would always love working with her.
Local Collaborative has helped my business in so many ways! Marin Davis is very organized, assertive, creative, and innovative with her ideas for graphics, social media, and much, much more! If you own a business and would like to spend time doing what you LOVE to do, hiring Marin will be a great way to boost your success without spinning … Continue reading Angie Thomson, Owner/Trainer at Thomson Team Training
Local Collaborative was great to work with! I actually contacted Marin and needed things within a short time frame! She was completely willing to help me and not only finished my project early but ordered it for me and had it sent to my house! Marin is professional and talented and I would absolutely use … Continue reading Michelle Shimp, Owner of M.S.designs
Local Collaborative is so easy to work with! I was given a wealth of knowledge and so many great ideas. While I consider myself a creative person it was nice to have someone help me focus on what I want my brand to be. Amanda Kinsler Owner of Dabble Mini Farm & Floral
Marin assisted me with my website redesign and gave me some marketing tools and tips to further advance my business. Within a week of my hiring her, my website was complete! She was efficient, knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful.
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