everything you need to know about branding and establishing yourself as a brand
Why is it important to create a brand for yourself as an artist?
Over the past few years, branding has become the number one way to market yourself as an artist. Without a brand, the world can't establish who you are and what you do concisely enough to put you into whatever role you are, you have to actively show them. Branding is the easiest way to do this. This 'How To' will discuss with you the top points you should bare in mind when branding yourself or your company so everyone else knows what to expect from you.
Where do I Start?
It's important that you establish a strong and clear intention right from the off set as to what you want your brand to represent. You need to know exactly what you want to put out there so you engage the right audience straight away. There's no point putting your 'brand' out there if you're unclear on any of the following; your intention for your brand, your aesthetic, the brand colours, your style and typography. Once you have clearly established all these variables in your head (or on paper, it can't hurt to make notes 😉) you can begin to get stuck into all the nitty-gritty stuff.
The Importance of Social Media
Social media. This is a big one. Having an online presence is key to creating a brand. Your customers need to be able to search you and see that you're viable. This builds trust and also grows your customer base massively. Content is king at the moment so get posting! Check out our previous social media guides here to see how to optimise your social media for business.
Things you need to remember when creating a brand
01.
intention
Nothing can begin without an intention. You need to know what niche you're going into and have a strong sense of what your work portrays so you know who to market your brand to. Having an intention will help you further down the line, if you ever come to a time where you are unsure what to create, go back to your intention, what you wanted to put out there and that should spark some inspiration. Think about what you hold most important to yourself and put that into your brand. For example, if you are someone who believes in being ethical, make sure your brand has that standard too! That is what will set you apart from the rest and will also give your brand passion and life because you believe in what you're saying. It sounds cheesy, but it really is true.
02.
Goal setting
Goal setting comes hand in hand with intention. Knowing what you want to achieve and a way in which you want to achieve that will give your brand structure, clarity and vision. People will trust you as they can see clearly what you're putting out there.
03.
Consistency
Consistency is probably the most important thing to take on board for anyone creating a brand. Being consistent makes your customer base begin to know and trust you. You have to be consistent in everything: when promoting yourself on social media, your day-to-day admin, responding to emails and basically, anything else you can think of! But this doesn't have to be overwhelming at all, the best way to remain consistent is to make a plan for yourself and stick to it. This will mean that you're not missing any of the important things that you need to be getting in each week and your days won't be constantly filled with a panicked 'what do I need to do next?' narrative!
03.
Aesthetic
The overall aesthetic that you choose for your brand will heavily influence how your customers see your company, so you want to make sure it represents what you want to present. The colours, theme, logo and typography are important to think about when deciding your aesthetic. It should tie everything together. All the above aspects should compliment each other whilst showing your customer base what you're about.
04.
Logo
Your logo is going to be the first thing people see when experiencing your brand, it needs to represent what you offer in a clear way that is visually pleasing. You can create your own logos using any editing software you may have for example, Photoshop, or you can head over to fiverr.com where there's a massive database of freelancers who can create a logo for you!
05.
style
Creating a single style for your brand to have across the board is very important as it creates consistency in every way your customers experience your brand. This gives your customers trust and builds brand loyalty because at each point of interaction, it looks like it fits together. The style of your brand should also compliment the overall aesthetic and colours whilst being true to your own style.
06.
Colours
Once you've decided on your aesthetic and style you need to pick your brand colours and stick to them. Remember, consistency is key! 
Try to pick eye-catching colours that work well together.
07.
Typography
Typography is another way in which you're non verbally communicating with your customers. You want your typography to be clear and consistent throughout your brand; be it on your website, on posters or even your business card, they all need to have the same brand experience.
08.
The way you speak
When creating a brand, thinking about how you interact with people is paramount. Networking and growing your brand organically is a great way to get your brands name out there. But you do need to think a bit about how you come across when speaking to people. Speak with confidence and belief, people can see when someone is passionate and respond well. You don't get a second chance at a first impression and word of mouth spreads fast, so its always best to show your best self!
In conclusion, for your brand to be successful, you need be consistent and proactive on all the above points. A clear image of your brand is what you need to strive for. It will make your customers gain their trust and loyalty for your brand and will pay off in the long run! Good luck!