“Almost everyone will make a good first impression, but only a few will make a good lasting impression.” -Sonya Paker

Branding, the visual part of a business that can either draw people in or cause them to pass over without a second thought. But you know what? Brand identity isn’t JUST about the visuals, good branding evokes emotion, tells a story, has a voice, AND inspires. So how do you achieve all that? Below I share a few of my favorite tricks and tips on how to make your brand as a whole stand out to your customers.

1. Defining & connecting with your audience

If you haven’t already defined your target audience, do so now! Sit down and write out exactly who you are selling to.

Connect with your audience through sharing your real-life experiences they can relate with. It can be humorous or things going on in your daily life but don’t forget to share stories and tips that connect you to their struggles and needs.

2. Consistent graphics, colors, & font usage

This may sound bias because I’m a graphic designer, HOWEVER, one of the best ways to build a consistent brand that stands out is your graphics.

Maybe you’re not to the point where you need or even can afford the extra mulaaaa $$$ for branding, and that’s A-okay. Start with a program like canva.com. They have a ton of templates and is great for a jumping-off point if you feel overwhelmed with where to start! Below are a few design tips.

Pick 2 fonts that you will always use. If you have a logo already make sure they match the style and compliment that.

Choose a consistent color palette you’ll stick to. Pro tip: try to find colors that match your pictures you’re using on your website and social feeds.

3. Branded imagery

Getting a photoshoot of photos that express your story, vibes, and show you at work is fantastic. So many people use free stock photos or even paid ones and there isn’t anything wrong with this, BUT it won’t help you stand apart from the crowd. There are many times I see the same photos used on multiple sites. This can cheapen your site and feels very cookie cutter.

Images for Campfire Pottery taken by Meredith Brockington.

4. Write down a list of words that you want to associate with your brand

I learned this handy-dandy little trick from Ashlyn Carter. She recently did a free webinar on copywriting for creatives and I gobbled up every bit of it. A great way to help you get a jumpstart on writing for your brand every day is by creating a list of words or brand “isms” that create an engaging and genuine brand voice that is all your own. This list you create will be a brand voice guideline and help you identify your voice and can shorten the time it takes you to write that next social post, email, or message to your audience.

I hate to say it (and as a designer I wish we could just rely on the designs) but your branding visuals can’t speak for itself. You need a voice and one that is consistently sharing and connecting with your audience to help guide your brand identity.

5. Creating a customer experience & gaining brand loyalty

One of the greatest ways to impact your audience is by surprising and delighting them. This may take some creative thinking, so if you have a team take an afternoon to do a planning session or if you run your own business grab a close friend or fellow business owner to help each other ideate. Developing ways that are the icing on the cake to make your customer enjoy their experience with you. How can you do this? Personally, my favorite experiences with brands have to do with evoking emotion AND tangibility.

A few examples based on things I’ve experienced AND gained my brand loyalty:

If you own a storefront or maybe a salon have drinks or fresh baked goods for your customers as they shop or get their hair done. You have a Perrier and a macaroon for me and I instantly not only feel elated I just came into your store I feel slightly more indebted (in a good way) and excited to support your business. You don’t have to do this all the time, that can be pricey and time-consuming if you are strapped. Maybe just try doing it one day a week and see what the response is like.
Pro tip: find snacks or drinks that go with your brand/product in some way, it doesn’t mean you have to get your logo imprinted on a cookie (although that could be fun) but just finding a snack that goes with the energy of your brand.
Bonus with online shopping. Glossier is one of the most incredibly well-branded, well-crafted beauty companies. When you check out online, they allow you to pick from several different samples of their products and they also include fun cosmetic bags and stickers with their branding when they ship to you.
Free products (bonus: that capture memories). Artifact Uprising does a fantastic job of giving away free photo prints. Every-once-in-a-while I’ll get an email from them offering 25 photos prints for free, you just pay for shipping. They print on top of the line, ultra-thick paper and there is nothing sweeter than getting prints for free of the last vacation I took with my family. This has kept me continually going back to them for more prints and I’ve even made several photos book and gotten gifts for loved ones all because they gave me free photos. I loved following the company before, but once that email hit my inbox I became a forever fan.
And finally, if your budget is tight a nice way you can start creating a connection point with your customer is by giving them a printed or digital version of how to best care for/use their product. Or handwrite a perfectly branded thank you card and place it in their package. GLDN has the daintiest and incredibly gorgeous jewelry. I ordered a custom necklace for my sister for Christmas and it came in simply amazing packaging but also included a handwritten note from their team and then it also included the custom message I asked them to write for her. This touch was elegant and made me fall in love with how personal their brand was.

So what’s the primary takeaway? Get your audience to connect with your brand! These 5 tips can help you streamline and begin ideating how you can do that better!