The beauty & lifestyle industry is one of the most crowded. It can be difficult for brands to cut through the noise to establish their very own visual identity and become recognisable across multiple platforms. Whether you’re working on launching your new baby to the world, or a more established brand looking for a new lick of paint, I’ve got five tips that will help you achieve a beautifully curated and recognisable visual identity.
1 | LOGO DESIGN & COLOUR
They say that you never have another chance to make a first impression and this has never been more accurate than with your logo. The mark and colours are the equivalents of your brand walking onto the red carpet and everyone turns to look and see what it’s wearing. What does your logo say about your brand? How does it make people feel? Colour psychology is primarily used to influence the way people see and experience a brand. Take a look at all the big names and you’ll notice that most logos you see are not ‘accidental colours’. The colour is the base, next turn your attention to the fonts, text overlays, backgrounds, filters etc. The key? Cohesive and uniformity across all platforms.
2 | YOUR USERNAME
Consistency here is once again crucial. When choosing a username for a platform it's important your handle remains as consistent as possible across all platforms to ensure overall cohesion and optimal search-ability. Your handle tells your consumers who you are, and what you do and allows them to find you easily. Sometimes the perfect handle is taken on a particular platform. Life happens. Doing your due diligence BEFORE creating your other accounts will help to avoid a potential clash.
3 | YOUR VIBE
At the risk of sounding like I’m desperately trying to reconnect with my youth, the ‘vibe’ your content communicates is imperative. When people visit your website or social media, what do they see? Does it look like a cluttered, random mess or is there obvious thought and care put into the content? The best way to ensure that the vibe you are wanting to convey comes through is to have a content plan (and a professional to create that planned content for you, naturally).
4 | YOUR TONE
Even in a world where visual content rules, your words matter. The words on your website, the blog posts you share and the captions on your social media posts are just as important as your photo and video content. Do you want people to consume your content for entertainment, education or inspiration? The words you use need to align with that goal each and every time.
5 | YOUR ACTIVITY
There’s a saying that you’re the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Specifically, on social media, people can see not only what you post but also who you follow and engage with. Does your activity help foster the online community you want to grow when your brand interacts? Aside from simply being a tool to help expand and grow your audience, activity online helps nurture that important tone of voice and authenticity and creates trust between your brand and your consumer.
THE BOTTOM LINE?
Creating a cohesive visual identity is a real skill and like most things, it's all about consistency and the content. If you’re looking for a professional who can help you achieve this then get in touch.
Until next time,
Charlotte x