You know that your DIY brand isn’t working anymore. But now you face this terrifying prospect of putting your business in someone else’s hands.
You are asking yourself
How will I go from using a DIY brand to using a professional brand?
Will I still be able to do some things myself or do I have to now rely on a designer to do everything?
Will this still take up a huge amount of my day even if I have a professional design?
There are so many things swirling around in your head it’s now this huge thing that feels like it is taking over. And don’t underestimate it, it is a big thing, it’s a big investment not just of money but of time as well. And it should be your business is this beautiful thing you have built and nurtured and grown. It deserves the investment, you deserve to have a brand that reflects who you are now and where you are going.
And deep down in the back of your mind there is this little tiny voice that’s saying “I shouldn’t have a professional brand, who do I think I am getting someone to design a brand for me” good old imposter syndrome rearing it’s ugly head. And you know it’s not true but it’s that little niggle that is there in the background holding you back.
The problem is you are now stuck in this loop asking yourself endless questions, overthinking the decision, doing some more research in the hope that it will fix everything. All the while you are staying stuck. Stuck in decision paralysis. Stuck with a brand that isn’t helping you get to where you need to be. Ideas are being sidelined, great ideas, ideas for masterclasses, 5 day challenges, new products. All held back because you think, “I can’t do that with my brand the way it is.” It doesn’t look like you, it doesn’t feel like you and you don’t want to release anything looking “wrong”
DIYing your brand when you start is great, actually something I support. It helps you learn what you like what you don’t like. And helps you decide when you want to outsource the design. But a DIY brand is put together and patched and added to. You never have the time to stop, step back and put a system in place. Rules feel restrictive, but they aren’t. They help you look consistent wherever you show up, and it’s that consistency that attracts people. They see, for example, a tips post from you that has a specific colour. It shows up every week, and they start to associate that colour with a tip and follow you just to see those.
People have said to me a few times “Do fonts and colours really matter?” Yes, they do. Inconsistent fonts are confusing, trying a new one out each time, just because you were thinking “that didn’t feel quite right” just confuses people. And colour is really important it can signal something you are selling, or as I mentioned above, a weekly tip. Without a proper structure for your brand, you are starting from scratch each time. And it’s not that you’ve got it wrong. It’s something you might not have thought about, or had time to think about, because you get busy with clients. And you have to have that money coming in!
Lets answer some of those questions you’ve had to try and help you make that decision.
The transition from a DIY brand to a professional brand is a big thing, but the process itself is actually easier than it sounds. We need to spend the time looking at your business, who you want to work with, where you want to go and making sure you have a big dollop of personality in there. There has to be that deep dive into your business to get that foundation right. You need to know who you want to speak to and how you want to be perceived. You won’t realise it, but your personality will start to shine through in those simple questions. That’s the building block at the start.
After that there isn’t much of a change. Ok, I am understating that slightly. You have a brand that feels like you, so it will feel easier to use. You will stop overthinking what to use where, because you will have branding guidelines that show you what to do (and what not to do). You will have branded assets that you can use across everything, social media, websites, lead magnets, landing pages, everything. Using your brand will become effortless. So actually probably a big change then! lol!
And you still want to be in control and do some bits yourself (I know that feeling, I just can’t let it go) that’s fine, it’s totally your choice. If you say I never want to touch graphics again, a designer can work with you regularly to create what you need month to month. Or if you say, “I want my brand to be easy, but I love the creative freedom it myself” that’s fine too. Your branding guidelines will show you how to use and apply your brand, where and when to use colours, and how to use fonts so you have visual hierarchy (sorry fonts in different sizes so they stand out) So you still get the freedom, but with guidance to keep everything consistent. And that consistency is what does the work, people know you, they start to trust you, and because they love your personality, they want to work with you.
The time you will save will be the biggest thing. That overwhelming decision that has been taking up all that brain space? Gone. You won’t have to overthink creating anything with your branding on, it will be there, you add the words and you are done. And with all that extra brain space, ideas will flow, so you can finally put together that masterclass or lead magnet. All you need are the words, the design is there and when it goes out people will know it’s you.
You are probably asking yourself a million other question, luckily I have covered a few in these blogs
If you’d rather skip the extra research and just have a chat about moving from DIY brand to a professional brand, I would love to see if we are a good fit. You can book a call here.
