Hello again! In Part Deux, I'll be sharing my favorite tools and tips for DIY branding, so you can bring your creativity to life! Keep reading to learn about all the amazing resources out there that will make your friends wonder if you're secretly a graphic designer.

Tips for DIY Branding

Do you ever mindlessly scroll through Instagram, only to realize you've been doing it for 30 minutes (or more)? Or do you get lost in the results of a quick Google search?

With so much digital noise, how can entrepreneurs make their businesses stand out visually? The answer is a cohesive and engaging brand identity.

Brand identity goes beyond just a logo. It's a collection of images, colors, fonts, and graphic elements that convey your business's values and purpose. When done thoughtfully, it communicates your personality and strengthens your customer connection. And the good news is that creating visual language and amazing graphics for social media is more accessible than ever! Here are my top tools for establishing and/or strengthening your social media and web presence without breaking the bank or hiring an agency.

Top Tools for DIY Brand Identity

Here are some top tools for DIY brand identity that can help you create amazing visuals for your website, social media, newsletter, or presentation:

• Coolors: This tool helps you find perfect matching colors in seconds! You can generate random color palettes until one fits or use the image picker tool to create a palette automatically. When picking out colors, it's important to remember your company's purpose and personality. For example, if you are a wellness company seeking to reduce stress, pick soft colors that convey feelings of relaxation and health. If you sell combat boots for the modern woman, powerful, contrasting colors like electric pink, reds, greys, and dark shades will communicate that.

• Google Fonts: Finding the right fonts can be time-consuming. The top rules when picking fonts are to make sure they are easy to read and fit your business's personality. Fonts for a beauty brand are going to look very different from a tech company.

• Canva: Easy to use and perfect for scrappy businesses and non-designers, Canva allows you to create stunning social media content quickly, which is perfect for keeping your customers engaged.

• Adobe Spark: While there may be overlaps with Canva, Adobe Spark is the standout for creating shareable videos.

• Unsplash: Stock photos have come a long way in the last five years. Need some free high-quality images? Check out Unsplash for amazing finds like "creative process", "yoga", or "nature".

• Squarespace has beautiful, easy-to-use, customizable templates and basic SEO. Squarespace is a fantastic option for most businesses, as it is more affordable than hiring a web developer. If you already have a brand identity, it is always important to reassess it, especially if you've pivoted or added a new line. Ask yourself if your current visuals reflect any recent changes and ensure that your brand identity is attracting your dream clients.

If you're a woman or non-binary entrepreneur, your action item is to create some new brand elements and/or conduct an audit of your current one, then share it with me (hello@ladieswholaunch.org) so we can see your incredible work.