3 Ways To Grow Your Brand On A Budget

July 31, 2018

I often hear from many talented creatives in the industry about one very common frustration: how to grow their brand on a budget.

They understand the importance of creating a one-of-a-kind brand. They want it to stand out and tell their story well. And they want it to share their heart through every thoughtful detail. But when just getting started, it can be so tricky figuring out where to spend your resources especially when money is tight.

Just because you are just starting your business or have limited financial resources, doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful brand that reflects the heart of your business well. So today, I want to walk you through three of my go-to tips to help you grow your brand if you are on a budget.

3 Ways To Grow Your Brand On A Budget | I often hear from many talented creatives in the industry about one very common frustration: how to grow their brand on a budget. I want to walk you through three of my go-to tips to help you grow your brand if you are on a budget. | b is for bonnie design #creative #entrepreneur #clientexperience

Step 1: Invest Your Resources Strategically

My first way to really help grow your brand in a financially responsible way is to invest your resources strategically.

When it comes to making any kind of financial investment in your business, you should always research that decision first. It’s important to make decisions that are ultimately going to benefit your business in the long run. And I believe it should be no different when it comes to growing your brand on a budget.

Most of the time when I’m chatting with my custom brand clients, we’re thinking about all the different ways we can create branded touch points that will elevate their businesses. We are thinking through things like a gorgeous logo and website. And in some cases packaging design, welcome guides and all kinds of beautiful touch points.

But here is the thing sweet friend, you don’t need all the bells and whistles in order to set your business up for success from day one. Instead, I would recommend you focus on a few intentional visual touch points that will reflect a beautiful branded presence that will actually elevate your business without breaking the bank.

Instead of trying to have it all, focus on a beautiful logo and website. Think of it this way. Most of the time as you are getting started, those are going to be the spaces where your potential clients are engaging with you and your brand online.

So the key here is to focus on clean, minimal designs that will grow with you.

STEP 1: BONUS TIP – Templates On A Budget

I think it’s important to keep in mind that less is usually more when it comes to visual branding.

It’s easy to create a visual identity that’s really cluttered if you are pulling in too many colors, fonts and graphic elements. This especially can happen if you aren’t walking through a professional design experience or aren’t working with a custom web designer.

So if you are going the DIY route, then I would focus on using at most two colors in your branding when it comes to your logo and website.

If this is a time you are trying to make your money go as far as possible, I would recommend looking into some high quality templates.

There are some beautiful logo templates out there you can purchase on Etsy or Creative Market. There are also some amazing templates for websites through Showit or other website platforms.

I know many creatives think they need to build a custom brand right off the bat, but if you are intentionally investing your resources there is nothing wrong about using some beautiful branded templates to start out.

STEP 2: Focus On The Experience Not Just The Visuals

I know I just spent a lot of time talking through the best ways to create a visual presence that will work well with your budget.

But the thing that will serve your business well in the long run, not just for the first few years, is the experience you create for your clients.

Your client experience is actually going to take you farther than your visuals will at the start. Why you might ask? Because your clients will remember how you invite them into your business and the way you made them feel more than what your logo or website looked like.

I promise you. People always remember the kind of experience they had when working with you. How attentive were you to work with? What kind of quality service did you provide? And every little thoughtful personalized touch you poured into their project from start to finish.

So if you were going to spend your time and energy into one facet of your business. I highly recommend focusing on building an incredible brand that will endure through a one-of-a-kind client experience that serves your clients well.

This is something that doesn’t have to break the bank either! If you are looking to further your client experience process I’ve written a few posts here and here to help you dive into how to become the queen of client experience on a low budget.

STEP 3: Give Yourself Room To Grow

I know when you are in the early stages of starting your business, it’s hard to fathom that things will change over time.

But it’s true.

Nine out of 10 businesses I see my clients start look nothing like the businesses they have today. The thing is, we will grow and evolve as business owners, as creative dreamers and as humans. And guess what? Your business and services you offer as a result will grow and evolve alongside you.

So when you are creating your brand, don’t create something that is so specific and pigeon holes you into one service, one market and one thing forever.

Instead, give yourself the space to grow. Choosing a minimal, clean, set of visuals like I mentioned in step one will help you set yourself up for success in this way. Because clean minimal designs give us more flexibility and room to grow.

The same is true of the experience you are creating for your brand. In terms of the vision, values, and mission behind your work you need to give yourself the room and grace to grow.

Our businesses rarely look the same over time. I know some people are willing to embrace that change with open arms while others might struggle to adapt to that change over time.

But I promise you. Giving yourself the opportunity to grow in different ways and to allow your business to come along with you in that journey is going to give you the opportunity to create a brand and business you will be proud of year after year.

Pigeon holing yourself into something that isn’t a good fit in the long term or that isn’t the type of work you want to do in the future is only going to put you on the fast track of burnout.

So give yourself the space and grace to grow along the way sweet friend.

How To Grow Your Brand On A Budget

I hope these tips were encouraging to you in this season of active growth within your brand. I know it can feel like everyone is spending all of their money on these beautifully custom websites and hand lettered logos.

But the truth is, we all start somewhere.

There is nothing wrong with strategically investing your time, energy and money where it matters most for you in the long run.

Focus on doing the most with what you have and choose to enjoy the journey along way because it’s all part of the process.

If you are at the stage in your business where you are ready to focus on where to spend your resources then I’d love to chat. I mentor many creatives along this process in their business to strategically refine their approach, streamline their branding and plan for the future.

Or maybe you are at the point in your business where you are ready to invest in creating a tailor-made brand that will take your business from early days of just getting started to a new season where you are thriving under a brand that truly looks, feels, and sound just like you! I’m currently accepting branding clients for Fall 2018 and would love to chat. Let’s take your brand to heartfelt new heights and create a one-of-a-kind elevated brand that will transform the way you do business. Click here to get started!

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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