What a strange time to be finally writing our first blog post! I’d like to start off by saying that I hope everyone is safe and healthy. We will all get through this, it’s just a matter of time. Let’s put this isolation period to good use and focus on self-betterment — from self-care to business-care, there truly hasn’t been a better and more crucial time than now. We’ve been wanting to post all kinds of ideas here over the years, like this extensive DIY branding guide for those with no background in graphics. Today, I know you may need it more than ever.
After speaking with many of our clients and hearing their concerns on the other end of the line, I’ve come to the realization that there is quite a lot that we can all do to support each other in these difficult times. We are all affected, in one way or another, by the rapid spread of Covid-19, small and large businesses alike. So I’ve decided to post a few DIY branding tips for small business owners currently in need of design work. I truly believe there’s a very bright light at the end of this tunnel, so don’t despair and take advantage of this time to solidify your business strategy!
Note: I would also like to offer as many pro-bono services as I am able to take on after regular work hours or during weekends. Please continue reading if this might be of interest to you.
In light of everything going on right now, I have put together a few guides to help you make your own graphics for your business. Each guide will have its own post, which I’ll link down below. I will try to post other helpful articles as often as possible. Every penny counts right now due to the uncertainties regarding the aftermath of this coronavirus, so I hope that these small DIY’s will save you a few bucks and in turn, add a few tricks up your sleeve. (In the future though, try not to DIY everything 🙂 Know your strengths and focus on what you’re good at. I know I suck at copy, for example, so I’ll hire a copywriter instead of doing a subpar job myself. I’ll touch on the topic of hiring in a separate post. Stay tuned!)
Branding elements your business needs and how you can DIY them in no time
I’d like to think that by now, almost a decade of designing and 6 years into my business, I know what a brand needs to deliver the necessary content as efficiently as possible. Whether it’s a logo, a website, a media kit, or social media graphics, everything should come together consistently and professionally. This checklist is sometimes never-ending, so knowing how to do it yourself, or at least attempt to, in times like these can really come in handy. I won’t be able to teach you what years of learning and practice have taught me in the following posts, but I will give you some tools in this DIY Branding Guide that might help you manage a few areas on your own.
Here are a few how-to guides to get you started on creating your own brand identity and marketing material
How to create your own logo: In this guide, I touch on everything logo related . I share tips on how to pick your brand fonts and colours, and where to find those assets and inspiration.
Design your own social media visuals & marketing material: From posting strategy to design tools, this post covers the basics to get you started on creating the right social media visuals. For all Canva users, there are a couple of freebies in this post that you might want to grab!
Design your own business cards: Coming soon!
Create your own website (blog, portfolio, e-commerce): Coming soon!
If DIY’s aren’t your thing or if you’re looking for more professional work, we are currently taking on a few small design projects at no cost to help out our fellow small businesses. Get in touch with us to see how we can help you.
Leave a comment below to let me know what kind of DIY’s you’d be interested in!
Wishing you a beautiful day ♥
