A few thoughts on branding.
I'm not a graphic designer. But there are some ideas here that I've been putting on the back burner for a while now, and it's time to let 'em loose.
First of all, I understand that the idea of branding and marketing eludes some folks. You wanna just do your thing, have fun, and not worry about the business side. But these folks are the ones who, after a year of having their "business" look around and wonder why they aren't successful or aren't reaching their goals. Branding, especially in a creative field such as photography or art, is paramount. It's a matter of how people view you. Do you appear to be some stay at home mom, making little crafts in your basement, or do you come across as a professional in whom they can have confidence? This concept must carry across all aspects of your professional presentation. Do you write entries about your personal life, like sick kids or money trouble, on your business page? UNACCEPTABLE. And even beyond acceptance, it's stupid. How do you expect anyone to want to pay you for your services when you present yourself as a scatterbrained, unprofessional, ADD-having, short-sighted amateur? Truth is, you can't. You can't expect anyone to pay you. Put yourself in your client's shoes. Would you pay someone who behaved in such a manner? Never. So the first point I'm making, I suppose, is that branding is more than just paying someone for a logo. It's about deciding what image you want to reflect, and presenting yourself as that brand, at all times.
The second topic is the logo and actual brand. Now, here's where I might lose some of you. There's a TON of cutesy, curly, pink, precious little logos out there. You know the ones. Little pink ducks holding hands, a little curly cue shaped like a heart, the list goes on and on. But here's the thing. Who are you appealing to? Are six year old schoolgirls going to buy your product? Are you going to present your wedding albums to Hannah Montana? If so, then power to you. Go ahead and make your logo look like a commercial on the Disney channel. If not, then consider this. Appeal to everyone. Men, women, professionals, stay at home moms, international, affluent, middle-class, and blue collar alike. If a woman's husband is embarassed to carry your business card, then perhaps you should re-think your design strategy. Create something unisex. And let it say something about your business. If my business is photography, why would I have a logo of a pink teddy bear? It makes no sense.
The third concept here is simplicity. A graphic designer once told me, "You should be able to draw your logo in the sand with a stick." He was absolutely dead on. This is somewhat self-explanatory. If your logo has so many curls and intricate pictures and designs that you can't replicate it easily, then how are you using it? Is it overwhelming your actual service or product with it's complications, or is it a simple, powerful stamp of who you are?
I'm in no way telling you how to run your own business. I'm simply trying to get you to think about what you do with your audience in mind. After all, when you have a business, you aren't just out to please yourself. It's imperative to think about who your clients are, what they would want, how they would view you. You can't please everyone all of the time, but you can damn sure market yourself and still stay true to who you are.
