Visual branding is an under exposed area of a professional online marketer's tool set. I have to confess, I am as guilty as the rest. I am like a shoe cobbler that doesn't have great shoes. I have been so focused on content, and getting my message out there that I have not pulled it all together like I know it should be. Here is why. (This is not an excuse, just a observation - so you don't repeat my mistakes.)
I learn so much everyday by immersing myself in new topics, how to get my message out there. I post, publish, create, and slap stuff up. I'm a designer by trade, and I could easily obsess on design alone. I know design alone does not convert to sales. So as I happily go about creating content my sites, web 2.0 properties get a half attempted design effort - not as a whole - but one at a time when I open up the "channel".
Here is my TOP TIPS to you:
1. Slow down for a second. Take time to identify your personal story, message, and plan. You will be creating your unique positioning. (sometimes seems overwhelming in the beginning - but it can be done)
2. Identify a color palette that you can translate across all mediums. This may take some help of a designer, but worth the effort and cheap to do.
3. Identify your image. You will be using pictures of yourself, and your look (textures, support images, etc). This will affect your website, all marketing materials, all the way down to how you show up in a YouTube channel. The background you stand in front of and the clothes you wear in your video say something about your brand.
4. BE THE REAL YOU. No posing! Be confident people will like you. Take your strengths, and emphasis them. If you are a craftsman who works with wood, or a potter who works with clay - capture those textures and use them in a sutle way. Now, if you are an internet marketing expert, remember that you are bridging the gap between the textures. So don't make your branding all about wood, use the colors, a small texture. You have to tie it together - who you are and where you are going. Don't make the gap huge and far fetched.
5. Smiles in photos are easier to trust. Use an image that has you appearing confident and smiling at the same time. Let them see your face, your eyes, and learn to trust you.
6. If you do not know how to design a better website than the template you are using, don't mess with the template. Only change it if you can improve upon it. You will look worse if you have a template that is custom but looks like you don't know what you are doing. Get professional help if you need it. It doesn't have to cost a fortune.
7. Make sure your message is clear. Don't have a site that is selling everything in the kitchen sink. It makes you look unfocused and hard to follow what you really want to viewer to do.
8. Be bold. Meaning - use the headline/subhead/ body format. You can NOT get people to take action if you are treading lightly. It will be obvious that you don't feel confident. Use the principles in Hypnotic writing to formulate your thoughts. (I will do another post on that)
9. If you really want to trick out your site through your header and the font. Remember the goal. You want to capture their attention and have them easily understand it, to move on to the next thing you want them to do. So, use one type treatment (not all that is possible). Use bold, or maybe italic something. Keep the focus on one thing, do not over do a headline so the who thing is tricked out. If you want something done that is more complex that a simple bold/ italic treatment, hire a professional.
10. Stay consistent. Map out this plan, execute by doing things yourself or getting help when you need it. You will have to be clear on who you are and what your message is to be consistent. If your not clear up front, you will be inconsistent and changing all the time. This will cause you to do the work twice if not more. It will save you time to get clear.
Final thoughts.
I know we are all ambitious marketers and are great at getting content out there. If we can slow down to create the picture so to speak, the plan will go smoother, and will convert better.
read my graphic design blog for more design tips.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:18AM