What type of business image do you want to portray: professional expert or DIY hobbyist? Look at your current website and all your social media profiles objectively; what image do those portray? Does that image match across all platforms? Does it match what’s in your head?
It’s time to get consistent and invest some money into your business by upgrading your branding elements across the board. If you want to attract dream clients, you need look like a dream team member.
Here are just a few suggestions to get you started thinking about your brand image:
1. Purchase a premium WordPress theme or use Wix.com. WordPress is the easiest platform to use for creating your site and making subsequent changes. While the WordPress theme directory is filled with beautiful, free themes, these are prone to hackers and often have weird links hidden within their sloppy coding. Premium themes are created by respected developers and offer support for any problems or questions you may encounter.
You can also create a website easily using Wix.com. Wix offers very easy to edit, quality themes with lots of functionality for business owners, all at a very reasonable and affordable price.
2. Invest in a seasoned website designer. Anybody can install and update a WordPress theme but it takes a talented web designer with experience to instill their artistic talent and make your website look professional as opposed to DIY. Web designers or developers are also experts when it comes to writing and fixing code, so they won’t inadvertently delete an important piece of code that will break the whole theme. They also can complete the redesign in far less time than it would take you, thereby allowing you to focus on other money-making tasks.
3. Schedule a professional headshot photo shoot. People buy from other people, so include a recent photo of yourself somewhere on your site; a professional headshot is even better because, again, you’re trying to avoid the DIY mistake. Photographers also have a gift for bringing out your natural personality in a photo, which goes a long way toward building trust and winning new clients. Remember to use updated headshots on all your social media profiles, too.
4. Use properly licensed stock photos. Images are important to add to your blog posts and social media graphics but be sure those images convey the same image as your website. Also check the licenses before making any purchases. If a license says, “For editorial use only,” then don’t use it as part of your company’s logo. You can use that image as part of a blog post but then be careful about your wording and your call-to-action. You’re running a business so invest in stock photos instead of cutting/pasting images from other sites; you’ll run the risk of copyright infringement.
5. Outsource to the experts. Be realistic and know your weaknesses. Hire a writer to assist with website copy, blog posts, and email autoresponders. Hire a graphic designer to create your social media posts and other design elements. Even if these are the skills you have, sometimes being too close to a project makes it more difficult to complete. Outsourcing to experts again uplevels your branding and makes it more professional instead of relying on a DIY solution.
Invest in your business and build up the brand image that best suits you. Now implement your marketing plan to find new clients.
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