Part 2: How to Create an Attractive Visual Brand (for Voice Teachers)
Psst! Have you created your inner brand yet?
>> Do this before designing your visual brand! <<
Gone are the days of relying solely on word of mouth for student referrals! Thanks to the coronavirus (and modern day marketing!), having a digital brand has become essential to growing your private studio business.
Because here’s the thing: humans are visual creatures! And a picture is truly worth a thousand words. How people feel about you and your business will be highly dependent on what they see on their screen.
Think about it — have you ever seen a crappy looking website and trusted that company with your money? Chances are, probably not! Visuals are captivating, and they play a huge part in attracting clients/customers.
As voice teachers, we probably don’t know the first thing about graphic design. (And if you do, you’re awesome! — this will be easy for you.) If you’re totally overwhelmed by the thought of creating this whole “brand” thing, don’t worry! You don’t have to be a graphic designer to build an attractive brand.
Branding is actually pretty simple to build once you have the framework for it. And personally, I find it really fun to do!
Over the last 5 years, I’ve had the greatest pleasure building brands for dozens of musicians and music teachers. It’s amazing to go from feelings to visuals, and to be proud of a representation that feels like you!
Before diving right in, here’s a couple of tips to get started:
Tip #1: Take note of the brands you’re already attracted to.
Do you seen any commonalities? Particular fonts, colors, designs, or graphics that you naturally gravitate towards? This can be any brand — from vitamins to Instagram influencers to your favorite local restaurants. Start becoming aware of the visual components of your favorite brands. (Fair warning: once you start observing, you won’t be able to stop!) Take note of what makes certain brands stand out over the others. Is it the font pairings? The color combinations? The style of their graphics? These are all clues for your own brand — not just for inspiration, but for education! ;)
Tip #2: Pick 2-3 adjectives describing the feeling/vibes you want your brand to evoke.
Brands are the visual way of evoking feelings! We can sense this inside a Starbucks as much as we do ordering online from our favorite eCommerce website. Take a look at the pictures above — do you sense the feelings/vibes from each mood board?
When deciding how you want your brand to feel, consider these key questions:
What do you want your students/customers to say about you (as a voice teacher) to others?
How do you want them to feel when interacting with you/your brand?
Once you know how you want your audience to feel, the designing becomes easy (& fun!)
Tip #3: Create a brand that attracts your ideal student/audience.
Don’t overcomplicate this — it’s actually much more intuitive than you might think. Kids tend to love bright colors. Women often like pink. Rock musicians tend to like bold colors, like red and blue. Just go with your gut when considering who is interacting with your brand and what they’re likely attracted to.
Remember: just because you like it looks doesn’t mean it’s going to be attractive to who you’re targeting. If you’re unsure, ask a friend or student to share their feedback!
Now that you’re all ready, it’s time to build your brand!
Learn the 5 things every voice teacher’s outer brand needs inside of The Aligned Voice Teachers facebook group. (It’s free!)
