I never set out to be on design teams. At least not at first. I can remember regular conversations in the Club Creating Keepsakes forums about whether or not any of us wanted to apply for one. All I can say is “never say never.” For example, I never thought I would be on a design team and well, you know how that is currently going. I never thought I had what it took to write a tutorial. And then I did. Both for my blog and for a scrapbook magazine( on a regular basis for over a year). I never thought I would ever be able to create content for a class. Now I have taught a few of them online. I never imagined I would be on a podcast. Now I am a co-host.Do you see where this is heading? Essentially, each time I tried something new it started off small. Just the itty bittiest of a thought at the back of my mind. Could I? Should I? Dare I? And then…well why not? After all, there is the old cliche of how you will never know unless you try. So I did.
I mentioned in my first post how I started my blog with the simple goal of sharing layouts for challenges. Back then, I never thought about branding myself or my blog. I decorated the sidebar with blinkies and Gifs. I found some free online headers and background images and installed them into blogger. There really is nothing wrong with doing that. The thing is, none of it really represented me or my website. Sure it was stuff I liked, but as my son pointed out one day while looking over my shoulder, none of if was really mine. At this time, I had a very shabby chic style blog theme going. It had a vintage lady in a bustle with a lot of swirling patterns mixed with butterflies and birds. I liked my blog theme, so I asked my son what he meant. He told that I was a creative person and so, I should put a little more effort into thinking about what my page looked like. I had already chosen My Scrapbook Evolution as the name but the the blog decor didn’t really match. It got me thinking quite a bit. I began to search for ideas about re-imagining the way my blog looked.
Branding didn’t really come into play until I decided to get my own domain name. I had been approached with a request to become a teacher for Scrapbook News and Review’s Art Studio. I felt that I wanted a platform that looked professional and gave anyone who was considering a class I was teaching a chance to know me better. I had a name. Now I needed a look to go with it. I originally chose the name My Scrapbook evolution for the following reasons:
-when I began my blog, I was just a beginning scrapbooker. The blog would share how I was growing and changing.
– I have a background in science. Mostly biology. Evolution is a nice scientific word and I like the way is sounds. ( Yes, that might be a bit silly but it works for me.)
Now my blog would be evolving too. It was going to be about, not just my growth, but also, I hoped to help any of my readers grow a bit too. I needed ideas for creating a logo. I needed to decide on colors. Suddenly, the moment I decided to teach classes, I had become a budding entrepreneur. I read a few online articles about branding. I took a few classes around the net. And then I settled upon my colors and theme. The colors were easy. Blue and green are my favorite colors. The theme has evolved a bit over time. I decided to stick to a fresh modern/ retro science theme. An odd blend but it does work for me.
Now branding doesn’t just include images or colors. Especially if you want to make process videos. Branding is a whole package…the way your site looks but also how reads emotionally. As I explored my options, I realized that a lot of the music with a science or technology theme could sound harsh. One of my very favorite video games is Fallout 3. It is a game that mixes imagery and music from my America’s past with technology from the future. I especially enjoyed the soundtrack as it reminded me of songs I listened to with my grandfather. I decided to search for similar music.You can listen to the full Fallout 3 soundtrack here on you tube to get an idea of the music that was inspiring me.I also decided to import the idea of the old grungy film beginnings and endings to my process videos. Watch the first few seconds of this video for an idea. I am not sure everyone enjoys the beginnings of my process videos, but they certainly make me smile a bit every time one comes on. The way I chose to brand My Scrapbook Evolution( from blog to process video) resonates with me and so that makes it easier for me to put myself into it.
The theme and the branding of My Scrapbook Evolution continues to evolve. I am pretty much operating on a shoestring budget. While it would have been awesome to go out and pay someone to design a logo that was inspired by the Vault boy from Fallout 3, I have had to rely upon my own skills. My logo started off plain and as my design skills grow, my branding will evolve.
So, what does this long winded post about my personal branding have to do with you? Even if you never think you will ever teach a class or make some kind of business out of your scrapbook blog, branding yourself is a good idea. Many design teams like to see professional looking blogs with good content. Branding yourself is the first step toward that professional look. You might be starting your goals off small with a just a design team here or there, but ask yourself what you might do if a good opportunity comes your way? Joining those smaller design teams all those years ago set me on a path that I didn’t expect to be walking down. I have no idea where this path will lead me or when it might come to stop. What I do know is this…as I walk down it, I can see one small goal growing into a bigger one. All of those small goals form into one big dream. My advice to you, is to set small goals and keep a big what if at the back of your mind. Don’t be afraid. Not meeting one of those goals isn’t a failure. It’s just a different fork in the path.
So, how do you brand yourself on a shoestring budget? Brainstorm. Start with your favorite colors. Think about who you are or even what you wanted to be when you grew up. Think about music that inspires you. Start with these things and move forward. I started off with the idea that I was going to be a biologist and I included those elements in my branding ideas. I then added something from one of my favorite non-scrapbooking hobbies. Your branding should be meaningful to you in just the same way. It doesn’t have to be obvious to your readers, but having the connection with your branding will help you put more of your personal self into your website.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact that you don’t have a lot of money for tools. I use PhotoShop Elements. I don’t have a DSLR. I am learning about how to manage a website, how to take product photos, and how to create graphics for my website little by little. Use what is available to you and let your blog branding and design grow along with you. Blogs and websites need a little freshening up every year or so anyway. Make notes of tools you might like to get for later on. When you have the money, you can decide whether or not to make the investment.
Wondering what my goals are? I am continuing to develop and work on creating content for this website. I want to learn to be better at podcasting. Who knew I would enjoy that so much! I would like to share my classes again. I just need the right platform. I want to improve the quality of my own photography and my process videos. Learning more about website design and coding would be a plus too. Making graphics for my website has also inspired me to start trying to design my own digital items. I don’t know if I will ever become a designer but I promised myself I would never say never again.
Are you considering applying for design teams? Have you ever thought about branding yourself?What are your goals?If there is something specific you would like to ask about design teams in general or about branding, feel free to ask me in the comments or send me a note by email.
Need a few resources to get started?
Launch a Blog on Budget -This article includes a mix of resources, some free others not. It has a free blog branding worksheet and some tips as well.
Crafty Marketing Made Easy by Traci Reed -I took this class a while back and benefited quite a bit from it.The class is short and self paced. Looking around the web, I see similar courses for a much higher price. This one is a great starting point without having to spend a whole lot.
I pin a lot of the stuff I find around the web in regard to branding, writing for your blog and anything about making a website that I find useful here:
Follow My Scrapbook Evolution’s board Blog Post and Website Planning on Pinterest.
If you are considering ever becoming a designer, here are a few spots to try first.
So You Want to be a Designer by Traci Reed– I am currently taking this class.
