Will I Ever Be Happy With My Branding?
I recently saw a post on Instagram by a small business owner asking for honest feedback on her logo. She wanted to know how others deal with uneasiness about their branding. I thought this would be a great topic to address because I know it’s a common struggle among small business owners.
DIYed Branding
Good Enough is Good Enough
If you haven’t hired a designer yet and you’ve done your own branding, the best advice I can give you is that good enough is good enough. Don’t stress over it! I know that’s unusual advice coming from a brand designer, but I’m only saying this in regards to DIYed branding, so hear me out.
The truth is this is not your area of expertise. You shouldn’t have to become a professional designer in order to launch a business. It’s all too easy to get caught up in making your branding perfect, but this will only hold you back from doing the things you’re good at that can actually move your business forward.
The mindset you should have towards DIYed branding is that it’s temporary. This will free you up from obsessing over it. Ultimately, the goal should be to get professionally branded as soon as you are able. With that in mind, just stick with what you have or find a pre-made logo if you need to, and move on.
Professional Branding
When you hire a professional to do your branding I guarantee you will feel completely different about it than the branding you did yourself. There are multiple reasons that professional design will enable you to finally feel confident about your branding.
It’s Strategic
The first reason is that professional branding is strategic. A good brand designer will create a brand identity that is so much more than just a pretty logo. She will help you dig deep into understanding what is essential to your brand and find ways to visually convey that to your target audience.
This will usually be done through an extensive questionnaire that you will answer. The designer will then take this information and distill it into a brand strategy. This document will guide the entire branding process and will ensure that all of the visual decisions are thoughtful and intentional.
It’s Collaborative
The second reason you will finally be happy with your branding is because working with a professional designer is a collaborative process. You will have someone to bounce your ideas around with and someone to contribute their own. When you’re doing your own branding it’s far too easy to get tunnel vision. A professional designer can approach your branding with a fresh set of eyes.
The other benefit is that there is a clear completion to your branding. When you work with a designer there is usually a set timeframe with a set amount of revisions. Once you approve everything you will receive your final files and your branding will be complete. You can finally say goodbye to constant tweaks to your logo and changes to color palette. You will have a solid brand identity that you don’t need to fret over anymore.
It’s a Good Fit
If you’ve chosen the right designer then you can rest assured that you will be happy with the end product. The right designer is one whose portfolio you love and who takes a genuine interest in your business. A good way to ensure it's the right fit is to hop on a consult call or meet up in person. This will allow you to get to know the designer and ask any questions you may have before committing to work together.
It’s an Investment
Lastly, when you’ve invested a good chunk of money into something, you will take it much more seriously. It’s one thing to do your own branding. You may rush through the process because you’re eager to launch and you know you can always change things later.
However, when you’ve made a financial investment in your branding you will take it much more seriously. You will review all the options from your designer thoroughly and provide thoughtful feedback. It will eliminate the temptation to re-brand all the time, which will give your business consistency and credibility.
Re-Branding
On the flip side of all this, it is completely normal to rebrand or at least refresh your branding every couple of years even if you get professionally branded. Your business is going to naturally grow and evolve and this may require your branding to change with it. There’s no pressure to feel married to your branding forever.
I hope this advice is able to put your mind at ease about your branding. Your area of expertise is what needs your attention the most. Leave the branding to the professionals and if you’re not at that point yet, rest assured that good enough is good enough!
Can you relate to any of this? What’s been your biggest branding struggle?