You’re an artist, you’re working on your signature style; you’re connecting with other creatives online or in person… but how do you make your artwork stand out? How do you tell your own, unique story? How do you find clarity and make decisions for your business?
Having your own Brand Identity, and being able to tell it as a Brand Story is an amazing way to accomplish all of these things. There are a lot of pieces that come together to build your brand’s story, but we’re going to break this down into small, actionable steps that become big wins!
Let’s start by discovering your brand’s story:
Brainstorm: Who is your Ideal Customer? What do they like, and what problems are they trying to solve? Where do your ideal customers hang out (online or in person)? Once you're done, underline keywords- you'll come back to those later, to help you pinpoint areas to focus on Example: My ideal customer is curious about the world and their surroundings; someone who loves to surround themselves with unique objects. They care about bringing high-quality, sustainable items into their life. They choose quality over quantity. They are established and generally stable in their life, but still seek adventure and new experiences. They love sharing things they enjoy with their family and friends, and love recommending things for them to try.
Brainstorm: Your interests. What sets you apart? What are your passions? What are your goals? What is your story? What do you care about? What motivates you to create art? Underline keywords! Example: My goal is to create artwork for unique conversation-pieces in peoples’ lives. I love wallpaper and home decor, but am also drawn to fabric and fashion. I care about creating art for high-quality, highly functional products that bring elegance and adventure into homes. I’m passionate about travel, historical art styles, and learning new techniques.
What are the overlaps between #1 and #2? These things will give you an idea of how you can focus your brand, and will give you ideas for content you can build and what angles you can use as you develop your business plans. If it helps, you can make a Venn Diagram, because everyone loves a good visual aid!
Let’s break this down, and also notice how this overlap provides me with a direction for my business (I underlined more keywords here, to help build my Brand Word Bank):
Me and my ideal customer are curious about the world and love to explore (This helps me make decisions as I’m creating artwork: subject matter, colors, shapes, inspirations… and also how to build + communicate stories about these designs to my audience)
Me and my ideal customer care about bringing high-quality, sustainable items into their lives (I’m looking for companies whose values, products, and delivery match mine and my customers’ values)
My ideal customer chooses quality over quantity. (I could prioritize putting my work on larger, high-quality products rather than rapid-production or quick-turnaround fads/consumables)
“I love wallpaper and home decor, but am also drawn to fabric and clothing.” - This helps me target potential business partners and choose a focus for pitching my work to companies
Take a look back at your underlined words: this should give you some clear messages to focus on as you're building your brand. Now that you've got an idea of what your brand focus will be, let's look at some ways you can start sharing this with the world:
Use your website, images, voice, and subject matter to support your brand focus and build your story with words and visuals across all of your platforms.
Your Brand Name - If you’re just starting out, you can brainstorm your name using words from your Brand Word Bank! If you’re considering a rebrand, this could also be helpful. Remember: before choosing a brand name, do your research and make sure it’s available on social media platforms and isn’t under copyright anywhere else!
Decide on your signature colors/style/fonts/logo. Ideally, these will be consistent across all of your platforms, and help build instant recognition. You can use these for your website, email signature, logo, and other content you create. Here’s a look at my Style Sheet, which is always evolving, but is such a handy way to quickly plug in my brand’s look across any platform. Tip: if you add the hex# for each brand color, it ensures you can get a consistent result across any program!
Website, Instagram, Pinterest, other online platforms: Make your logos, colors, graphics, and fonts consistent across all your platforms to build recognition. For my Brand Story, I'm focusing on travel, adventure, exploration, and a feeling of elegance. I wanted my website to have those elements of exploration (a world map linked to collections) while also immediately showing some of my work and having quick-navigation options for those on a mission.
Build an Image Library that visually communicates your story / key values across your online presences (more on this in the bonus activities below!). Remember the Ideal Customer exercise from earlier? I used that vision when choosing images for my homepage: My ideal customer is curious about the world and their surroundings; someone who loves to surround themselves with unique objects. They care about bringing high-quality, sustainable items into their life. They choose quality over quantity. They are established and generally stable in their life, but still seek adventure and new experiences.
Your Brand Name, Brand Style Sheet, Web presences, and Image Library will form a solid foundation for you as you build your creative business. If you're ready to take it further, here are a few other things you could add:
Bonus Activity 1: Create a press kit that helps you verbalize your story and brand values– as a bonus, this content can be used on your online sites. A basic press kit should include a short profile of you as an artist, a description of your business / introduction to your artwork, your contact details, and photos of you and 3-5 photos of your strongest artwork. Use key points and images from your Brand Story to really show off what makes you unique!
Bonus Activity 2: Consider how you package and present what you’re selling. Whether this is a physical product that you package and send out, how can you build your brand story into the package you’re putting directly into your customers’ hands? If you’re presenting digitally, how do your portfolio or online shops help tell your brand story and refer people to the places where you are connecting with your audience?
Bonus Activity 3: Build your Brand's Image Library. This subject has so much value that it will be its own post someday, but here’s the main thing– so much of the marketing for Surface Pattern Design is visual, and this gives you such a good opportunity to show your story, build your values, and catch your audience’s attention in interesting ways! How can you show your designs off in ways that are eye-catching and “YOU”? Whether you do this by hiring a professional photographer for a brand shoot, or want to go a more DIY route by using mockups, you can build an image library that really reinforces your brand story on your website, Instagram, and in press materials.
Here's an example of how I used mockups with consistent subject matter and "mood" to tell a story for my Mushroom Season collection:
I keep an Inspiration Library (click the link and I'll show you how to make your own!) as well as a Mockup / Product Image library so that I've got lots of stories to tell, any time!
While your Brand Story (and the materials that support it) will always be growing and changing with your business, it’s never too early to start. Your Brand Story will bring you clarity and direction as your business grows; it attracts your audience and potential clients. Having a clear idea of your brand visuals and brand voice will help you stand out in the crowd, make smart choices about where to spend your time and energy, and will pay dividends for years to come.
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