Branding for Makers: How to Create Your Brand
Hi Maker Friend!
Have you ever found it difficult to define your business and brand?
Are you stuck on how to tell your brand story in an authentic and compelling way?
Are you wondering how you can set yourself apart from the competition in a saturated market?
I'm Chereen... knitter and fellow maker trying to figure out this creative business thing. I live in the mountains of Colorado and what started as a hobby is now a business that I'm absolutely passionate about.
As I've learned and grown on my business journey, branding is something that I've become obsessed with. Before I had my biz, I didn't truly understand what branding was, let alone how to create and build one for my business. I attended webinars, listened to podcasts, read books, and watched countless videos to figure out what I was doing. Can you relate?
In the last year, I've gotten into my groove and feel confident in the way I'm presenting my brand. I started doing an Instagram Live Series and kept getting asked the same questions...How did you create your brand?
What IS a brand?
Why is branding important?
How do I know what my voice is?
A brand is the personality of your business. It’s how your business, products, and aesthetic makes people feel and how you connect with your audience. Why is this important? To put it simply, people buy from brands not businesses. There’s always an emotional aspect to making a purchase, and if you’re a seller of handmade goods, this especially applies. A strong brand makes your business recognizable and creates that connection with your audience and customers by telling your brand story effectively.
The 3 P’s
So how do you find your voice and tell your brand story?
Start with the 3 P’s: Purpose, People, and Product.
Purpose - What is the purpose and mission behind your business? Why did you start your business in the first place? What problem is your product solving? As a seller of handmade goods, the problem you are solving may be as simple as bringing someone joy or a meaningful gift option.
People - Who is your ideal customer? Why would they like your product?
Product - What do you make and what is special/unique about your product? What makes it different from your competitors’?
What’s Your Why?
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” - Simon Sinek
I love this quote from Simon Sinek. If you haven’t listened to his TED Talk, I highly recommend you do so! There is so much more to your product than just what it is. The story behind your product and your business matters! Have you ever thought about why you are or aren’t attracted to certain brands? What emotions or feelings do you get when you think of them? Why does that make you like or dislike them? The reasons behind these feelings all come from branding and how the business is telling their brand story.
What impressions or feelings do you want your brand to evoke? What is your why? How will you tell your brand story?
You should define these things about your business before you even come up with a logo design, color scheme, and fonts. A strong brand identity will dictate all other aspects of your business. From how you are marketing, to who you are marketing to, to how you write your copy and what you share on social media, crafting unique and memorable brand is what sets your business apart. The things you define and discover about your brand story will guide all of these other decisions. Branding is also something that will evolve and change as you continue on your business journey…this is totally ok!
Brand Styling and Design
Once you’ve defined a few things about your business and brand, you can put together a style guide. You can either make your own or work with a designer to help you create one. A good brand stylists and designer will try to get a good understanding of your brand story and mission behind your brand before they even begin creating.
If you’ve gotten this far and are ready to dive deeper into creating your brand, I highly recommend my 25-page branding workbook. This workbook is written like a mini self-study course geared towards makers like you. It will take you step-by-step through defining your brand story and help you being your branding journey. The workbook comes as a pdf download and includes several worksheets and an editable style guide template with video tutorials. You can also buy the style guide separately.
Want to work with a brand stylist?
meet naomi of made in minny and Naomi Goff design
Made in Minny and Naomi Goff Design
My friend and fellow maker, Naomi is the owner and creator behind Made in Minny and Naomi Goff Design. She is a brand stylist and graphic designer in addition to being a maker and having her own shop. Naomi understands branding from both a design AND maker perspective and I highly recommend her if you are looking to work with someone to help create your brand.
Naomi has generously agreed to offer a $50 off your first design service if you mention mention Smeeny Beanie Knits.
