Welcome to Booth Camp! We are starting this series by getting back to the basics. So if you’ve never had a booth before, you are in the right place. If you have been creating and selling for years, but you are ready to do more in your business, then revisiting the basics is exactly where you need to start! So let’s dive in!
When you are starting any business endeavor there are a few things that you need to establish as soon as possible.
What do you sell?
Who are you selling to?
How will they buy from you?
I know, I said this was about branding, and it is! Knowing the answers to those three questions will help you land on a name, colors and aesthetics for your marketing, and it will help you decide how you need to talk to your customers.
For example if you are selling Leather Goods for men, you probably don’t want to name your business something flowery like The Blue Dahlia, and use a feminine color scheme in your marketing.
Instead you will probably pick a name that reflects the product, something like Smith’s Leatherwork or even something like DRS Essentials (if those are your initials). You will probably choose a color palette that is more natural and earthy. Because that will resonate more with your customer and communicate what your products are.
If you are selling handmade accessories and toys for kids, you will likely choose a more playful name and have a more colorful aesthetic.
While it is important that your brand feel like you (especially if you are an artist) it’s also really important that it match the products you sell so that you can market your business well. So I’m going to give you three more questions to consider before you move into the branding basics.
How do you want your business to be recognized?
What do you want people to say about your business?
How do these answers tie back to you as the business owner and/or artist?
After taking some time to mull over those questions, let’s break down the Branding Basics you will want to establish for your business
Business Name
It’s true, you can always change the name of your business, but the more you grow the harder this will be, and you don’t want to do this often because it will confuse your customers. As Donald Miller says, “When you confuse, you lose.”
Choose a name that isn’t product specific. Something that will still work even if you move into new products. When I first began making jewelry years ago I named my business Wired Essentials because I was creating jewelry and my designs all used artistic wire. When I began making candles, that name didn’t fit. I started a second brand called the crafty wino, because I poured candles in recycled wine bottles. Then when I added Furniture and Canvas art in 2018, I didn’t think it was a good fit for either name….
So in 2018 I rebranded and put all of my products under one brand; MADE by Danielle. It encompasses anything I want to create and sell and the thing that ties them together is me, Danielle.
I know lots of people who choose kind of quirky names because they can readily brand them without being product specific. You likely already have a business name at this point, and that is fine. I would encourage you before moving forward though to consider that name and if it will continue to fit your business as you grow. If you feel like you need a change. The sooner you make it the better!
Brand Visuals
Once you have a name, I recommend choosing a color palette, a logo & 2-3 fonts you like. If you have a lot of design experience then the sky is the limit, but this all sounds just a little overwhelming, I want to make it easy for you.
Step One: Head to Pinterest and create a Mood Board. Pin items that have the vibe and aesthetic you want in your business. Then choose one photo that best represents the colors (even if not the overall vibe)
Step Two: Head to coolors.co and create a free account. Upload the photo and use the color picker tool to create your palette. Save that palette image so that you have your hex codes.
Step Three: Choose your fonts & Create a Logo. I recommend Canva (Check out the video for a walkthrough)
Brand Message
The next thing you want to do is create an over arching brand message. Some people actually use this message as a tagline, others simply use it as a guide to formulate all of the copy (words) they use when advertising or marketing their business.
Successful marketers will tell you that you don’t want to simply sell a product; you want to sell an experience or transformation. So not only will this message tell your customers what you offer them, but how it will change them into who they want to be, or reinforce what they already believe about themselves.
Businesses will actually generate a lot of brand messages over the course of time because most don’t offer one single product or offering, but your overarching brand should have a single message that helps you focus and filter new ideas to ensure that they fit your brand.
For example, once I rebranded to MADE by Danielle I created an acronym; Meaningful, Artisan Designs & Essentials. My brand message? Thoughtful Gifts & Unique Decor. Because who doesn’t want to be considered thoughtful? And aren’t we all trying to be unique?
This message is one sentence that you could use to answer the question, so what do you do in your business?
“Handmade Jewelry for the Trendsetter” (Who doesn’t want to be a trendsetter?)
“All Natural Bath and Body Products for people who care about the environment” (Who doesn’t care about the environment)
It speaks to what makes your product special, and who that product is for.
Pull it all together
Now for your homework! Fill in all of this information in today’s PDF handout.
