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In an increasingly visual world, knowing not only how to build your brand but how to have a distinctive brand identity can help your creative business stand out. Here are 2 branding tips you can use even if you’re on a shoestring budget!
1. Start with a color palette
Choose a color palette to represent your business and then use it consistently!
If you need a complete reboot, browse the palettes on Design Seeds and Colour Lovers. These palettes include hex numbers, a numeric value that is used to represent a specific color for the web.
On Design Seeds, hover over the small color boxes on the right to see the hex numbers.
On Colour Lovers, hex numbers are listed on each color in the palette.
If you already have a palette in mind, you can upload a photograph or link to an online image with Color Hunter, and it will identify the hex numbers for you.
A sample palette analysis on Color Hunter.
Keep in mind that the color palette you choose should be appropriate for your brand and the audience you are trying to reach.
2. Revisit Your Fonts
When you started your business, you may have used default fonts. Now might be the time to customize so you can stand out and create a consistent image. Two great sources of free fonts available for commercial use are Google Fonts and Font Squirrel.
- Google Fonts use open source licensing for commercial or non-commercial use, and plugins are available to add Google Fonts to WordPress sites.
- Font Squirrel fonts can be downloaded to your computer and then used in PicMonkey.
In PicMonkey, choose the option to use “Yours” and then choose from the fonts installed on your computer
- If you’re already using Canva, you may want to choose fonts from its collection. You are more likely to see these elsewhere online, but you can save your preferences to make creating graphics simpler.
Remember that decorative fonts may work well for headlines and logos, but can be difficult to read in small text or in long articles. Choose a simple, legible font for blocks of text along with a decorative font that represents the spirit of your brand.
Putting It All Together
Now that you have the hex numbers for your palette and you have identified the fonts you plan to use regularly, use these colors and fonts on your website and across social media, as well as in your packaging, stationary, and business cards. Both hex numbers and font options can be used in PicMonkey and Canva to create documents for use both online and offline.
Have you refreshed your visual branding recently? What tips can you share?
Marie Segares
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