Day 6.

Branding is very important when it come to your business.  Having a "look" helps  online buyers feel secure and confident in purchasing from your shop. When visitors view your Etsy shop you want them to feel like they have entered the world of your work. You want to carry an aesthetic online, in your packaging, photography and in person.

Here are some questions to ask when creating your brand:

• What do you sell? How is it different from others?
• Who is your target market? Who are your buyers and who are they buying for?
• Does your shop have a mission? Do you have a cause and what does it mean to you?
• Do you have one thing people could identify your shop with?

Ask your self these question. Make a list. Do you have a reoccurring theme in your answers?

Now that you have an idea on how to create your brand, you will use this tool to build a cohesive, professional looking shop.

Some ways to execute your brand include:

1. Graphics. Use your shop banner, use certain fonts and colors to evoke your brand. Stay consistent and simple, but involve your shops personality.
2. Photography. This is a big part of how I brand my shop. I take my photos in the same spot. I  use the same background and take my shots in the same angle. They have the same exposure of lighting and when you view my page it looks clean and simple. 
3. Cohesiveness. Use the same graphics you use in your Etsy shop throughout you presence on the web. Use it for your facebook page, your shop blog, & twitter. Use your graphics and colors for your business cards, packaging, and put your logo on EVERYTHING. You can even do little freebies like pocket mirrors or magnets with your name. 
4. Descriptions. Use your shop voice in your descriptions. Reflect the personality of your brand with your words. Tell customers how your product is unique to just your shop. Something I do is use my shop name to name my product. I.E. Honey Bunnies or The oh honey child fox.
5. Customer Service. Use customer service to seal the deal. Being from the Oklahoma we all know how to treat folks. We know how to lay on the sugar and when folks receive a product from you, you want them to feel like they have also received a little piece of Oklahoma. I use words like folks, honey, darlin', friend, y'all, peach etc. to really convey my shop personality and my  personality. It's quirky and fits me. It may not be the bit  for everyone one, but you can keep in mind how your mommas and grand-mommas raised you :).

There is no end to how you can brand your shop. If you don't know much about designing graphics or where to begin, research it. Learn how to do these things, they are very important to the success of your business. If you don't want to learn or just can't get the hang of it HIRE someone. There are many talented and local designers out there. They can give you what you want.

Now I am off to make a new shop banner and design some new business cards.

-britt-