You have your fashion business up and running, but you need help with visual branding. We get that. That’s why we’re here to help you. We want you to be seen, but more than that, we want the right people to see your fashion line. Even more than that, we want the right people to see your fashion line and LOVE it so much that they buy from you!
Let’s go over a few important tips for visual branding success.
1. Brainstorm
Get your thinking caps on because it’s time to go to the drawing board. Start with answering these basic questions about your business:
- Why are you trying to attract people to your fashions?
- What makes your fashion line different from others?
- How does your personality fit into your fashions?
These questions get to the heart of you and your venture. Somehow, your branding scheme needs to embody your overall purpose and your overall image. Finding that overall image may take some serious thought. Don’t give up until you’ve got it!
It’s okay to take your time in the brainstorming stage. If what you are creating has meaning, then your brand will be so much stronger in the end. Once you know exactly what you’re trying to say, the rest of branding falls into place.
2. Know Your Audience
Who are you reaching out to? Who will buy and wear your fashion products?
These lucky people are your target audience.
Now, consider what will appeal to your audience.
Are they teenagers who want to shine with their own individual style? Are they working men, athletic adults, affluent older women?
Write your answer down because this is crucial to how you brand your product!
When you know who your audience is, start thinking about their lifestyles.
What kind of problems do they encounter, and how can you help them out with your fashions? Do they need to look professional all day long, and will your clothing help them do that comfortably?
You get the idea. Keep asking yourself probing questions, and also seek input from others. Most people love to share their opinions!
3. Tell a Story
Fashion is very personal. It tells a story.
- A girl in a red tank top and frayed blue jeans.
- An older gentleman wearing a cable knit sweater, a flat hat, and a warm scarf.
- A confident woman in a sequined ball gown and strappy heels.
When you see these people, you immediately begin to imagine their lives and their situations. Their fashion calls up emotions.
When you present your fashion designs to people, you are telling them, “You get to look like this, feel like this, BE this.”
So. What stories do your products tell? How will you present those stories in your branding?
4. Choose Your Style
Are you ready to begin the physical work of your branding? You are a designer, so use your skills to make your brand look perfect.
Carefully select a color scheme. The color combo you use will send out an instant first impression, and yes, first impressions count.
Utilize mood boards to establish a spot-on mood appeal. As you do this, you may also want to make a list of adjectives that describe the mood you want to set.
Scour Pinterest (you do this anyway, right?) to find design ideas that stick with you. Collect your ideas, create a coherent look, and be inspired!
Come up with some words that describe your style.
Is your brand retro and hip? Maybe you think of your fashions as classic and timeless. Some fashion may fall under the handcrafted category: unique, low-key, small-town. Other designs are full-blown contemporary and can be branded with modern graphics and innovative design. How about minimalist? Boho? Outdoorsy? Athletic?
Find examples of logos that share your style and study them. How did they achieve their overall effect? How can you tap into that same energy?
5. Be Consistent
Having so many ways to reach your target audience is both a gift and a challenge. You have oodles of possibilities for advertising and getting your brand seen. That also means you have more work to create all your individual messages and still represent one overall image. You will probably be reaching out via many social media platforms, and hopefully, your intended audience will see your images more than once.
Be consistent so that when someone sees you on Facebook, and then sees you the next day somewhere else, she’ll think to herself, “Oh yeah, I saw that shirt yesterday, and I liked it.” You want people to remember you in a good way. It’s called building brand loyalty.
How are going to accomplish this? We suggest simplifying. Make things easier for yourself by going after one awesome look with your visual branding, and then making small changes to it for each different platform.
Where will you be using your visual branding? Everywhere, including:
- your website
- social media
- store signs
- advertisements
- invitations
- clothing hang tags
- receipts
- shopping bags
6. Get Reliable Feedback
When you have something to show, test it out on people you trust. Work out a test version of your website, and send it to a variety of people who are part of your ideal audience. Get their honest feedback about how they feel and what their first impressions were.
You may also want to share your ideas with branding experts, to see what they think.
Remember that you will get differing opinions. Look for patterns in the feedback, and let that influence your changes. One negative comment from your older sister shouldn’t make you start all over.
7. Be The Creative Person You Love to Be!
You are creating fashions because that’s what you love to do, right? Then do it! Be creative. Show off your quirky personality. Be original and full of spark. Let this visual branding challenge be a new way for you to empower yourself and others.
When it all comes together, and people take notice of you and your work, you’re going to feel amazing. Yes, it takes a lot of work. Yes, it can be frustrating and scary. But keep going! It will be worth it.
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