Branding Edition with Naomi of Made in Minny and Naomi Goff Design
It’s HERE! This episode of How I Built My Maker Biz is so special! I was so excited to have Naomi on the show. Naomi is the owner and maker behind Made in Minny and also has a branding and design business, Naomi Goff Design. With the launch of my new workbook and mini self-study course, I am collaborating with Naomi to give you even more insight on branding.
Branding is such a deep and complex topic and this Live went by way too fast! Naomi is such a wealth of knowledge and is the owner, maker, and designer behind Made in Minny and Naomi Goff Design. She understands branding as a maker AND as a graphic designer. There is so much more to talk about on this topic, and I’m excited to have Naomi come back again!
Naomi has been running her shop Made in Minny for 5 years and also has her own brand stylist/graphic design business.
She went to school for retail merchandising and business so gained much of her design experience from there. She has done design work for several small businesses including Kristi Yamaguchi’s clothing line! From there, she wanted to take her talents and start her own shop, and Made in Minny was born. Recently, Naomi has also recognized that she really enjoys helping makers with their small businesses and also runs her own branding/design business, Naomi Goff Design. She will help you create a brand that is true to you and offers services from logo work to building out an entire website.
All things branding!
Branding is so important, and Naomi loves helping other makers develop and design their brand. We talk a bit about my new workbook Creating Your Brand, which is written like a mini-course on branding. The workbook guides you through creating a brand that is true to you and helps you to answer the questions “Who am I?” “What is my why?” and much more. Naomi describes the workbook as something all makers should go through before they work with a brand stylist or designer. What stories are you telling as a brand and business? What aspects of you and your life are part of your brand? Who are you telling these stories to? Why are you telling this story? These stories humanize your business and connect you with your audience. You are so much more than a business that sells a product. Especially as a maker, what sets your products apart? People are buying your story and supporting YOU. They want to be raving funs and support not only your business, but you as a person.
We all start somewhere!
A huge part of branding is just starting. You learn SO much when you get your stuff out there. A huge part of the growth and development of your business happens as you learn more about who you are, and you can only do that once you start! The workbook will help you get further faster, and guide you in setting yourself apart from your competitors. Taking action and doing it is where you will learn and grow the most. When you put yourself out there and just start, you can better hold yourself accountable.
Some tips on creating content for your brand
Find your 5
Choose 5 categories of what you post about. This will help you focus on specific topics and keep your content on brand. It also allows you to structure your idea generation a little better which makes it easier to brainstorm content!
Taking photos
Naomi suggests batch taking photos on a day that you feel inspired. We’re not going to be inspired every day, so lean into the days where your creativity is flowing. Take pictures of your products from several angles and in different scenarios and you’ll have content for weeks! I myself take a few beanies with me every time I go on a hike. If I see something that looks good, I’ll stop and snap a quick photo. This gives me a constant stream of photos to choose from and I never feel stuck on having to take a photo in order to post on the same day.
When you’re in a creative rut
-Step away from the project and leave it alone for a while
-Spend some time outside and in nature
-Hang out with friends and take yourself out of your business brain
Taking yourself out of the creative space allows you to recharge and get motivated again! She says batch taking photos in advance has helped so much in preventing the creative rut. She never has to feel obligated to take photos.
Who are you speaking to?
By talking to the right audience, it will increase the amount of engagement you have. It will make the people who are paying attention want to interact.
Many makers face the difficult conundrum of having an audience that is comprised mostly of other makers vs. buyers of their products. How do you speak to both? How do you attract more buyers? This all goes back to your 5 categories and telling your brand story. Are there parts of your brand that apply to both? Rotate the types of captions you write so that you keep your content relevant and interesting to your target audience(s).
Value your handmade work
Branding also incredibly important for pricing. The way you tell your brand story and showcase your product will show your audience how they should value your product. What makes you and your product unique? Why should they buy from you?
There were so many more words of advice in this interview. We could have chatted for so much longer and I hope to have Naomi back again soon! You can watch the entire video below.
Find Naomi on
Instagram: @made_in_minny and @naomigoff.design
Website: https://madeinminnyshop.com and https://www.naomigoff.com