The internet is filled with resources if you are the DIY type – there are websites, apps, videos and so much more to show you how to do things for yourself and skip hiring the professionals. Some have templates all laid out ready.
If you run your own business, you could create your own branding through services like Canva and in theory, this does save you money on design.
But in the long term, you could be costing yourself customers and sales.
Here are my top 7 signs that it’s time to step up your branding. If you have been asking yourself, ‘Do I Need a graphic designer for this?’, the answer is … if you want to create a quality, professional, scalable business…then, YES!
Top 7 Signs You Need a Branding Designer
1. Your brand doesn’t feel like you
Your brand should be all about YOU.
It should feel right when you see it, and should evoke the feeling and experience in your audience that you want your brand to give them. It should attract the customers that are ideal for you, the ones you want to work with, the ones whose problems or pain points your business was created to solve.
If you cringe when you need to produce your business card, or sigh when you open up your website or your Facebook page, because your branding just doesn’t feel like you – then it’s time to get a designer in.
2. Your branding doesn’t light you up
Your branding doesn’t just need to feel like you and align with your values for your business – it also needs to light you up! If you don’t loudly and proudly want to flash your branding to the world, then it might need a refresh, and soon.
3. You are ready to scale up your business
You might have started small and created your own branding on a budget when you did. Or your business might have evolved a little organically, and your branding is either all over the place or non-existent.
If you have reached the next step for your business, and it’s time to scale up, to spread your wings, and engage with more of your ideal customers, then you need the perfect, tailored branding to do this.
4. You need to stand out from the crowd
If you created your own logo using DIY services, it may have been fine to start with, but now you need something more. DIY logos do tend to look quite generic, and while they are nice, they may not be polished or stand out as originally designed.
If a designer creates a logo for you it will be completely original, and shouldn’t look like anything anyone else uses.
5. You don’t have polished versions of anything
If you created your own branding, you will also probably only have one or two versions of your logo and other images.
You will also be provided with a number of different looks and versions of the logo, including different formats, sizes, levels of opacity and more – so you have something polished for every different need you can imagine.
6. You don’t have consistency in your branding
Branding has two fairly important roles to fill. It has to be aligned with your business and your customers. And it has to be consistently used across all your platforms.
If you have been DIY-ing different aspects of your branding, there is a pretty good chance that you aren’t applying it consistently across all your material.
The more consistently you use your branding, the quicker you will stick in the memories of people who come into contact with your business.
Visitors need more than one connection or interaction with your brand to develop a relationship of trust, before they will convert into buying customers. On average they need 8 different touchpoints with your brand before they buy, and they may need more if your products or services have a high price point.
Consistency means you stay in memories sooner, and you will see the results of this in your revenue.
7. You want to attract a different kind of customer
Are you attracting the right clients? The people you really want to work with? Businesses that have a DIY brand often don’t attract the right client, and they find they can’t offer premium prices. Having a professional brand will address these points, and more.
A professional designer will think of things that you hadn’t even considered, and know the best ways to implement new touches into the different parts of your brand.
Do I Need a Graphic Designer? – Final Thoughts
I know that DIY-ing something like branding is one way to save money in the short term, but in the long-term, it is a very good way to sell your business short.
Your business is special. You are smart, educated, ambitious, and driven, and looking for ways to make your business stand out from others. You are doing something that you love, something that creates a positive impact and lights you up.
And your branding should show this.
You should have branding that pops with personality and that truly aligns with your vision so you can confidently put your biz out into the world.
If you want a brand that you are proud of, that represents you and your hard work, a designer (like me!) can help. With the right design, you can confidently go out and promote it knowing that it is the perfect representation of your values and your vision. Find out more about my services HERE and feel free to get in touch to chat further!
Do you know what Brand Consistency is and why it’s super important? Read more HERE
