Day 31 - Your Questions Answered!

Branding31

Welcome to Day #31 of the 31 Days to Better Branding series! To learn more about this series, click here to find links to the other days so you'll be able to follow along or catch up if you happen to miss anything.

We've reached the last day of Branding!

As promised, here are some of your most pressing questions answered. I decided just to summarize them into general questions rather than posting out each email. Some of them are really tough to answer in a few sentences but I will try my best!

"Will it confuse my current clients if I re-brand myself?"

It shouldn't bother them too much, especially if you get them excited about the changes to expect. You can always start with minor changes and revamp over a long period of time instead of shocking them with a drastic makeover. It might also confuse (or annoy) them if you are changing your mind every other day. So just plan ahead and be sure you know what you want - then communicate with your clients in an enthusiastic way so they can be excited about the changes with you.

"Should I use my real name as my business name?"

There's no right answer to this question, but there are a lot of factors to consider. Is your name common? Will it be tough for people to search and find you? Is it easy to spell and pronounce? Is the domain name available for a website? Do you already have social media accounts established in your name? I think it all comes down to personal preference and I'm split right down the middle on this one:)

"Can I use my blog as my website?"

Yes you can! Especially now that there are a lot of blog companies, themes, and templates that make it possible to add pages, slideshows, contact forms, etc. Some people might say that a blog is less professional than a website, but sometimes you can't tell at all that a website is actually a blog from wordpress or blogger. If you have all the information in easy to find places and it's more than just a simple news feed, I say go for it!

"What's your opinion on watermarking? I'm afraid my images will be stolen."

I personally like when I find an image and can immediately know where it's from. So I like watermarks if they are subtle and just telling me the name of your company. I'm not a big fan of large/bold watermarks that detract from the photo and almost scream, "I don't trust you!" No one wants to be taken advantage of, but you're not doing yourself any favors if people are too distracted by the watermark to see or share your work.

"You talked about Facebook, but what about Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and so on? Do I need to do all of them?"

Nope, you do not have to keep up all of those accounts to be successful! (I would suggest making an account with each of them to reserve the name. That way if you decide to take it up later, it won't be taken already and can keep you consistent.) I talked about Facebook because that one works for me and I see that as an easy way to connect, share and do contests. The most important thing is to find what works for you and then use that one regularly.

"How can I use voice if I'm working with a team and we all alternate writing?"

If you're trying to come across as one united voice, I would meet with your team and decide how you want to come across. Decide on one target audience and all of you should try to speak to them. That way your business won't sound like you have multiple personalities:) With blogging, another option would to let each person post in their own voice and then sign off with their name so that the readers can get to know each of you individually.

"Tips/shortcuts for blogging quickly?"

It helps me to do a few posts at a time. I almost always write a quick outline of main points on paper when the idea comes to my head, snapping photos as I go. Then when I have the chance, I start the actual post on the computer and quickly type it all out, not worrying about misspellings and grammar. I shoot for getting it all down in 10-15 minutes. That way if I run out of time I can always do a proofread and add in photos later without losing my train of thought. For curated posts like the Design Trends, I use Pinterest to help me collect all of the images and links in one place.

"What if someone doesn't like my style?"

This sounds weird but that is actually a good thing. Don't be discouraged by rejection or negative words because this means you have narrowed your market and are taking a stand. You are drawing in that specific ideal type of client who gets your style and will love everything you do, creating loyal followers. On the flip side, you want to repel the type of client who isn't a good fit for you and what you do so this is saving you both a lot of time.

Thank you so much for letting me share and trucking along with me for this series! I'd love to hear from you about the changes you're making and how it affects your business!

xo, Laurie