Are you struggling to be consistent with your branding? There are a few things that I’ve noticed as to why it’s so hard to be consistent with your branding.
Reason one – you only have a logo.
If you only have a logo, it’s really difficult to expand into things like Pinterest templates, a media kit, business cards, or even just be consistent with the look and feel of your Instagram feed.
Reason two – you have the files and graphics provided by your designer but don’t have a clue what to do with them.
If you did work with a designer, maybe you have a bunch of files and you have no idea when you’re supposed to use them.
Reason three – you can’t visualize your overall brand.
The last reason is that you’re reinventing the wheel every single time you’re creating something visual.
Why Is It Important To Be Consistent With Your Branding
Inconsistency means it’s going to take people longer to recognize your brand, or maybe never recognize it if they feel like it’s always changing.
I’m talking about your visual branding specifically, but you can apply these concepts to your brand messaging or other parts of your branding as well.
You should be consistent because it saves you time and a headache when creating visuals for your blog.
As a designer, I do not reinvent the wheel every time I’m creating something visual because that just takes way too much time and effort (and really, who has time for that? Not me!). You need to work smarter and not harder when it comes to being consistent in your branding.
Why You’re Struggling to Keep Your Brand Consistent
Today, I’m breaking down these reasons that it can be difficult to be consistent with your branding.
You Only Have a Primary Logo
When it comes to being consistent in your branding, you need to think beyond your primary logo. Most people think branding is just your name or logo. This is one part of it, but there is so much more involved. Your brand is the experience your audience has and the feelings they get when interacting with you.It’s what makes you stand out in your market and connects your audience to you and what you do.
A logo can’t do all of that!
To start, you need a strong foundation that will help define your goals, mission, ideal clients, and what makes you unique. Building this foundation will allow you to make strategic choices about your visuals that will resonate with your audience and your business. Designing a logo is probably the hardest part of creating an entire brand identity, as it’s the starting point, or guide, for creating the remaining visual elements such as alternative logos, brand marks, colour palette, and brand collateral.
Fonts
Choose two to three fonts that you can use on any graphic that you’re creating for social media, Pinterest, your brand collateral, and so on.
You want to have no more than three fonts that you’re referencing (otherwise it starts to look messy). Keep these consistent and representative of your brand.
Colour palette
A general rule is to have no more than 6 brand colours and stick to them. Think about your logo, your images and graphics, patterns and photography, and also choose a dark or neutral colour for body text. You may need to cut back or add more in order to create balance. Typically at least one bold or dark colour, one lighter colour and a neutral will be needed to cover all bases.
You Dont Know What To Do With the Files You Have
If you’re working with a designer, you will most likely be given a bunch of files and may have no idea when you’re supposed to use them.
The files sit in a folder on Dropbox or on Google Drive, and you don’t even look at them because you don’t even know where to begin.
For most designers, a Brand Style Guide was most likely created advising about each file, the format and how to use it. If not, you can always reach back out to them and say, “Hey, I noticed that I have this file and I’m not really sure when I should use it. Can you help me?”
A brand designer is definitely going to help you understand your files. They designed them for you and they want these different files to be used in your branding.
So here’s a few files that you might have and you might need:
Primary Logo
This is your main logo, that will represent your brand. Your primary logo is really the visual element that’s going to be used the most to help people recognize your brand.
Alternate Logo
Alternate logos are variations of your main logo. These should look and feel similar to the main logo, but can be different in terms of layout and colour. There will be situations where there are limitations for your logo. It’s great to have an alternative one on hand.
Favicon
A favicon is a small element that you can see in the browser next to the page title. It helps you differentiate the website, especially when you have multiple tabs open at once. Because these are so small and can only be a max size of 64 x 64 pixels, favicons are usually a simple letter, icon, image, or small submark.
Textures, Patterns, and Icons
Some brands might have things like custom textures, patterns or icons designed for you. Not every brand is going to have this; not every designer is going to design these. Typically, these will be used for your branding collateral and web design. If you have them, make sure you know how they can be used.
Different File Types
There are different file formats you need for your logos. Here’s a rundown of what these are so that can know when you should use them.
JPEG
The first type is a JPEG. Most people are familiar with this. It’s going to be a flattened version, probably medium quality, and it’s going to have a white background.
PNG
PNG’s are transparent, non-scalable files. They will be pixelated and not as sharp if you make them any bigger than the size they are
Read more: Logo Formats Your Business Needs
EPS
EPS files are scalable, vector format files. You can scale these files as big as you want and they won’t lose quality. These are great for large print graphics.
If you have received these files from your designer and realize there are some files that you don’t need or don’t want to use, feel free to move these to a separate place. This way you’re not overwhelmed looking everything.
You can even change the file names if it will help you remember.
When I work with a branding client, I have a folder that I send them with sub folders in it to describe exactly what the different file types are and why I’m giving them to them. This is also indicated in the Brand Style Guide.
It is super important that you are equipped with everything you need and the knowledge on how to put it to use.
You Can’t Visualize Your Brand
By now you have a logo and the other files but how do they create one cohesive brand?
A brand board is something I provide my branding clients. It shows at a glance all the elements and how they work together. This can be an invaluable reference to your brand and making sure that you can stay consistent. Also, your Brand Style Guide will help you as a blueprint for the visual aspects of a brand. It’s a simple tool that will ensure your branding remains consistent creating a memorable and trustworthy brand.
Feel like you could use a little help when it comes to building a consistent and cohesive brand?
Contact me to schedule your complimentary consultation!
hello@openbookdesignco.com
You may also like:
