In this blog post, we’ll discuss why consistent branding is essential with web designer Susannah Brinkley.
As a graphic designer, I get asked all kinds of questions. I donāt mind one bit ā questions from non-designers always fascinate me. Thatās what makes me better at my job. I get a lot of queries about logos, but a logo isnāt always enough to take your blog or business to the next level. A great brand is a lot more than a logo, a business card or a website design. Itās everything you put forth into the world. Branding is a way of establishing your blog or business and setting it apart from the rest.
Today Iām teaming up with another graphic designer and blogger ā Madison of A Joyfully Mad Kitchen ā to talk about consistent branding and why it matters for blogs. Over on her blog, Madison is sharing tips for consistent blog branding, so be sure to check out her list!
There are three main points I want to drive home about what branding is and why you should pay attention:
Why Consistent Branding is Important
1. Your brand will be easily recognizable and distinguishable.
Back in the day, farmers branded their cattle so people would know whose cow was whose. While Iād like to think that design is a bit more humane these days, the idea of differentiating whatās yours is nothing new. Like those cows, you want your brand to be yours, not easily confused with someone elseās. You want potential readers and customers to recognize and remember your brand. And you donāt want them to confuse you with a competitor, either? Well, youāve got to train them.
Take the ultimate trainer, Target, for example. There are many things inside and out that bear Targetās brand. Thereās, of course, the big red Target logo on the front of the store. Big red doors. Big red shopping carts. Employeesā bright red shirts. Red and white shopping bags. The ads on TV. The mobile app. The website. All these elements work together as a system.
Target has trained us to recognize its brand through the colors red and white and its clean, modern aesthetic. Everything at Target has a similar look and feel. When we see a brightly colored ad on TV, we immediately recognize it as an ad for Target ā not Walmart or TJ Maxx ā even if we donāt see the Target logo until the very end. We do it without even thinking about it. This is true for lots of big brands, like Apple or Coca-Cola. Even though weāre talking about branding on a much smaller scale, these principles still apply.
2. Your brand will look professional and polished.
If you take your blog/business seriously, you should invest in tools for a consistent brand. Your consistent, professional graphics should show your potential customers why they should use your business or read your blog.
Hereās where that recognizable, distinguishable brand comes in: You want potential customers seeing your site for the first time to bookmark your site and follow you on social media right away. Later, when they see an image you pinned or stumble across your site a second time, you want them to think, āHey, Iāve seen one this before,ā and keep reading. The goal, of course, is to get them to keep coming back again and again until they remember your brand and spread the word about you.
Setting guidelines for how you create your visuals is of the utmost importance, and I hope youāll check out Madisonās post (linked at the bottom) for some actionable tips for creating consistency in your brand.
3. Your brand will showcase your personality and style.
Since your logo, graphics, and design are the first things people will notice about your brand, you can subtly and visually let people know what to expect from you by incorporating a little personality into your brand. That might be a favorite color, a hand-drawn icon or a classy font.
Your brand should reflect the tone and theme of your business as well as set the pace for your future content. For instance, if your blog is all about law (AKA serious business), you likely want a no-nonsense brand. If your business is about inspiring women to create their own company, you can take a softer, more feminine approach. If you blog about living minimally, your design should reflect that trope.
At the end of the day, your identity is what you have to let your target customers know what to expect from you. Above all, design consistency will build authenticity and trust for your brand communications.
Enjoyed this post On Branding and want more?
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received in design is this: āDonāt do anything without a reason.ā And no, ābecause itās prettyā is not a reason to choose a design. Check out Madisonās post, “5 ways achieve consistent blog branding.” // Susannah
[…] Branding is an essential part of a successful business. Every blog, where itās making money or not, is like a business and should also have beautiful and consistent branding. Today Iām teaming up with Susannah of Feast + West, a fellow blogger and graphic designer to share why branding is important and some easy ways to achieve it! Be sure to stop by her half of the post to learnĀ why branding is essential! […]