Arty Business Ep.7: Branding (Patreon)

Hello again, beloved Patrons, and welcome to another Arty Business article! As requested, this month's article will be all about BRANDING for independent makers!

Branding, oh branding. Such a mysterious, confusing, and possibly icky-feeling topic. I had so much trouble researching for this because to so many people, branding for their personal business or online presence means only: growing their social media following. 

To me, strengthening your brand online can and should result in growing your following, gaining more clients, connecting with new friends, and increasing your sales. But it also means putting more you into your online presence and art, representing yourself authentically and clearly. It means creating a cohesive look so that when people see your online shop/packaging/website/business card, they think oh, that's so (your name here!) It means feeling like your own business represents you the way you want to be seen.

If you are trying to connect with others online in some way, whether it be attracting brands, customers, clients, or new friends, your business will seriously benefit from regularly taking the time to re-examine how you're presenting yourself and your 'brand". Even if you're not trying to sell anything at all, taking time to reflect on yourself is healthy and beneficial to EVERYONE!

So let's get into some tips!

Lisa Congdon, artist, illustrator, writer, speaker.

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WHY DOES BRANDING MATTER?

+ Authentically you! The absolute most important thing to me with branding is that it encourages you to be completely and authentically YOU! Everything around us, from magazines and movies to our parents and friends, influences the way that we present ourselves, the way that we "Should" be. It can be so easy to allow ourselves to be put into the box of "Should", and using the lens of branding lets us break out of that box and be our true selves. 

And that makes this career feel so so much more fulfilling. Hell, being authentically you makes life so much more fulfilling.

+ Connect with clients & followers! There are a million types of creators with a million types of clients. Having a strong control of your brand means you'll be connecting more with the types of clients and customers that you really want. You're using your brand to promise something about what you provide. 

As I'm being more intentional with my brand, I'm getting more and more customers looking for silly, colorful, and playful art, which absolutely warms my heart. Put out the kind of vibe you want to get back!

+ Better Art! If understanding and being intentional with your brand means you're trying to understand yourself better, then this will naturally strengthen the quality of what you're creating.

+ Build trust! Having a consistent brand builds trust between you and your customers, clients, and new friends. Which means they'll become repeat customers, clients, and friends. It also helps you quickly weed out those who aren't interested in what you have to offer. 

Andy J. Miller, illustrator, writer, podcaster, speaker.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAND?

Before you start choosing a color scheme and making a logo, take some time to explore what you want your brand to mean. Choose the subjects that resonate most with you and journal about it, talk about it with a friend, doodle it out, whatever works best for you! And return to this regularly, your brand will change just like you do.

 + Your values! What are the most important things to you? What moves you? What makes you cry (happy or sad tears!) What makes you laugh? What makes you jump in the air and yell 'YES!" The things that impact you the most are the things that will resonate the most with someone else, and that will be the most fulfilling to own in your brand.

I'm particularly impacted by veganism and animals. Some of my saddest moments have been when an animal close to me is in pain, and my happiest moments are getting to know an animal better. I know this is important to me, and I'm working to incorporate it more and more into my business and personal brand.

Determine 5-10 of the things that make you feel the most. Then look back over those and see if these are themes you'd like to incorporate into your work. Are you already doing so?

+ Your strengths! What are your greatest skills? What have you always been comfortable doing? What do people always say: 'Oh, they're super ____"? Alternatively, (and this one might be more thought-provoking) what have people been known to either love or hate you for? These features may be something you want to completely own as part of your 'brand.'

For example, I have a tendency to be VERY optimistic. Many people love that about me, most people usually like it but it can be annoying at times, and some people haaaate it (I'm lookin' at you, freshman year roommate.)  I've also been known as weird and silly throughout my life,  and some people love that and some people think it's super annoying and not funny (middle school memories.) And that's fine!! It's something unique about me that I'm proud to incorporate into my brand. It's me! 

+ Your goals! Where do you want your business to go? What do you want to do with your business? What kind of clients do you hope to attract? All of these factors can have a huge impact on your branding, and it's important to see if your branding aspects are compatible with your goals. The artworld is flexible and it's important to be unique, but it's at least beneficial to understand the standards and values of your market.

For example, a painter looking to succeed in the fine art world would have very different branding from a merch designer for Anime Conventions. Or would they? That's up to you, but do it intentionally.

+ Your words! After thinking about the values, goals, and strengths you want to impart, try to work out a couple of words that you want to represent your brand. Maybe make a big list and then narrow it down to a few keywords. They can be adjectives, nouns, verbs, whatever! Having these power words will help remind you of your core brand for every decision you have to make.

I haven't done this exercise since I started my business in 2018, but a few words that remain in my mind for Ragonia are silly, fun, helpful, and funky. 

Katie Abey, illustrator, designer, writer, business owner.

WHERE TO SHOW YOUR BRAND?

+ Online aesthetics! Probably the top thing people think of when they think of branding for businesses, and of course, it's very important! Use your self-reflection as a guide to develop a simple, cohesive color scheme and use it across platforms. Make yourself a nice logo that's easily understandable and represents your business. Develop a banner that fits your brand's themes and color palette, and use it across platforms. Use a consistent font, or better yet, make your own font! 

This can always be changed and improved, so don't feel like you're roped into whatever branding scheme you create forever. And have fun!

+ Markets! A great place to develop and reinforce your branding is in-person markets, conventions, and craft fairs! Work to have your display represent your brand as you want it to be seen using your display materials. An easy way to personalize your display is by changing your materials: replace the standard black tablecloth with a colored cloth that matches your brand, find shelving or boxes in a unique material. Order a distinct banner with your logo or make one yourself. Set the mood you want people to feel when they visit your booth! Fun!

+ Content! Obviously, the majority of your content is going to be the product or service that you offer, but your social media platform is also a great way to have viewers get to know you better and "build your brand". Are you funny, informative, passionate, or silly? Have fun with adding other content! Add some videos of you dancing, maybe teach a skill you've learned, share about a cause that's important to you, or post a cute outfit of the day!

In the future, I'd like to share more about vegan recipes I make on my social media platforms. I love cooking, veganism is important to me, and I like to represent it in a positive, encouraging way!.

Let yourself loosen up and post extra content that's fun for you, and allows your followers and customers to get to know you a little better!

+ Promotions! As your following increases, you'll probably be offered promotional opportunities from other companies. This can be a great way to both build your brand and support companies that you believe in! But some people fall into the trap of betraying the trust of their supporters by aligning with promotions that aren't in line with their brand. 

My partner and I were recently disappointed with some streamers that we watch for accepting a promotion from a big fast-food chain. We felt it was because the streamers had built a brand partly on being very socially conscious, and the promotion broke that promise. On the other hand, if I see a content creator promoting a company that seems in line with my values, I trust and like that creator a little more.

Be respectful of your follower's trust in your brand by promoting companies that are in line with your values.

+ Yourself! Use your personal sense of style to add to your brand, especially for in-person events (like conventions), photos, and streams. I try to dress extra colorful and fun when I go to markets and conventions because I think it helps highlight my brand further. People have even commented when I look good with my booth, which I love! But if your brand is relaxed and comfy, feel free to dress that way too! You do you! But do it intentionally! (Do we see a theme here?)

Speaking of which, take (or have taken) some nice pictures of yourself to use on your online platforms. Work to have it represent you as authentically possible. Those photos will further build trust with your audience and become a great reminder for you about your personal brand!

Catherine Kay (Katnipp Illustrations,) illustrator, designer, Youtuber.

WHO DOES THIS WELL?

(Just a few illustrators who come to mind when I think of a strong personal brand!)

+ Andy J. Pizza! Andy does an amazing job of representing his playful and positive personal brand in ALL aspects, down to using the last name Pizza as his business name just because he loves pizza and he's random like that! Also part of his brand: teaching people around the world about creative business, and putting his silly thoughts on his Instagram stories.

+ Pam Wishbow! Pam's witchy/grungy/elegant branding matches perfectly with her art and personal style, and she really highlights this with her packaging and market displays. Also part of her brand: honest feelings on running an Illustration business, metalworking experiments, and her cat.

+ Katnipp Illustrations! A 100% kawaii pastel cuteness extravaganza of a personal brand, Katherine of Katnipp Illustrations matches every single detail of her online persona to her personal and artistic style, and it's glorious. Also part of her brand: teaching the details of running an illustration business, and nerdy Harry Potter everything.

+ Katie Abey! Rainbows, puns, distinct doodle-y style, nerdy references, encouragement, and some bad language that I'm here for. Katie Abey has built her damn strong brand (with two brick-and-mortar stores and almost 90k Etsy sales before her 30th birthday) and it is so clear that it represents exactly who she is. Also part of her brand: Sharing thoughts on motherhood, mental health, and gender. And her glorious crazy wild house.

+ Lisa Congdon!  Lisa has built her graphic playful, design-y, mid-century modern-y, brand around her excellent taste in art and design. Clean and modern, yet funky and fun with just a touch of Portland edge, she highlights her brand in ALL aspects of her online presence. Also part of her brand: social justice issues, educating about the illustration field and starting a new career in your 30s, and biking.

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R  E  S  O  U  R  C  E  S 

• "Discover Yourself & The Courage to Get Yourself Out There" - Creative Pep Talk Podcast
• "Personal Branding" - Being Boss podcast
• "The Ultimate Guide to Branding" - Etsy's Seller Handbook
• "How to Define Your Brand" - Etsy's Seller Handbook
• "Arty Business Guide to Style" - Ragonia article (hello!)
• "Arty Business Guide to Social Media Growth" - Ragonia article (hello again!)

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Steffi Lynn (haveanicedayy) letterer, illustrator, designer.

And that's all she wrote on branding, at least for now!

I hope you found this guide helpful, branding is a super complex topic and I hoped to focus a little more on finding the personal in personal branding, rather than the technical art side of branding. 

I hope the guide showed that I think good personal branding comes from:

1. Knowing yourself, your art, and your goals very well, and

2. Representing that knowledge clearly and consistently.

It will be a continual process of renewal, just like all other aspects of Arty Business. In fact, in writing this guide I definitely think certain aspects of my business are due for a bit of an overhaul, (namely my About Me's on my Etsy and Portfolio, don't go read them!)

What part of your branding do you think you want to upgrade next? Did you have any other questions or suggestions to help with branding? And who's an artist you think has spot-on personal branding? Leave a comment, let's keep the convo going!

xoxo,

Ragon