So, you've spent the time growing your business, and now it's time to really think about branding.
After all, this is how to take your business to the next level.
While we wish branding was a walk in the park, the whole wazoo can be a bit confusing. This may catch you out in ordering too big or small of a branding kit. So, what's fluff and what's the stuff you really need?
We've broken it down below to make your life all the easier.
Graphically designed logos in vector format
What is a vector, you may ask. Vector format is your be-all or end-all when it comes to having a nifty and well-designed brand logo on your side. Essentially, it means you can blow up or scale down your logo as much as necessary without saying goodbye to its quality.
If you're working on a bunch of mediums, including billboards, social media and brochures, this is going to save you a whole lot of pixelation.
Logos files in both print and digital format
Can you believe that even with all of this technology, a logo can look completely different on a screen than it does on a pamphlet?
A logo that is in RBG format will be efficient for everyday use and will be friendly to office printers. But, when you head to a professional printer (even Officeworks), everything will look different if you don't choose CMYK format.
Trust us, ensuring you have both formats available will save you massive headaches in fine-tuning your branding materials at a later date.
A style guide is key
A style guide is going to be your bread and butter once you stop working with your graphic designer. This is because it can help you understand the colour specs, fonts and logo colour variations that make your brand truly unique.
Requesting one from your graphic designer will ensure you can work on social media templates, business cards, HTML email signature other graphic design materials without their help!
A profile image file
Just as colouring is different for various outputs, so too is file type. Requesting a profile image variation of your logo in PNG or JPG will guarantee that your logo looks great when representing your brand on social platforms.
An HTML email signature
Even if you're not sitting at your inbox every second of every day, at some point, emails will be a critical part of your business. Plus, they will likely be the most common way that you chat with your customers. Having a professional signature may not seem like much, but it can add significant credibility to your brand, which can help you feel more trusted.
Graphically designed business cards or thank-you cards
If you're a service-based business, having professional business cards on hand will help you sell your service, even when you aren't on sales calls. On the other hand, personal thank-you cards can add that extra touch for product-based businesses, making it a great way to build relationships with your customers post-transaction.
Digital letterheads
While letters may be a thing of the past, they are not obsolete. Whether you're sending a digital or physical letter to your customers, having a professional letterhead will always add extra professionalism to your brand.
How many revisions will you receive?
Even the best graphic designer may not be able to 100% align with your goals first go. So, it's critical that you check that revisions will be included at no cost for your design work. Above this, asking how many revisions you get in your package can ensure you're more proactive when making change requests.
To sum it up
Agreeing to work with a graphic designer shouldn’t just be on the basis that you like their style. If you do that, you may lead yourself down a wormhole of confusion, miscommunication, and not receiving the deliverables you expected. Imagine getting a tattoo without checking reviews, looking at the sketch first and making any necessary adjustments. That’s what you sign yourself up to if you don’t ask the right questions of your graphic designer.
So, before you agree to anything or sign any contracts, remember to ask about the formats you will receive, the revisions you get to make and if you will acquire a branding kit. This way, you aren’t hit with any ‘half’ jobs when the work is completed.
