Look, I’m gonna be real with you. I’m exhausted. I’ve not stopped moving since Thursday Morning and now I’m finally getting some rest, I’m sick. I caught something from someone and it might be the big, bad C Word or it might be just a cold. But I am not in the mindset for giving you my usual high-standard, high-energy gubbins. But I wanted to put SOMETHING out, lest I break the habit and this whole project falls by the wayside. So grab yourself a cuppa, get all snuggly and I’m gonna throw some Hot Takes your way. Yeah, baby, it’s low quality slop time here at KillaWatt Studios.
“Canva Logos” make you look illegitimate.
This one seems mean, I get it. But these are HOT takes, right? And we’re starting on full blast. If you use a Canva Logo Template as your logo, it makes your brand look less legitimate. There are several reasons you shouldn’t use a Canva Template for your logo (the biggest of which probably being the fact that if you use a Canva Template then you don’t own your logo: Canva does) but the one relevant for today is that it kinda makes it look like you’re not taking yourself seriously. Because while people may not be able to tell that you’re using free tools and didn’t invest in your logo, they can subconsciously see the lower quality when compared to a professionally created logo. And they can see you’re on the same quality standard as the less-than reputable online-only borderline scam and dropshipping operations.
If you’re reading this, that means you give a shit about what you do to the level where you’re reading a brand designer’s Blog or Newsletter. And let’s be honest: that's deep. We’re in real nerd territory right now. So you are definitely taking what you do seriously, whether it’s how you put food on your table or just a hobby you’re really passionate about. So if you’re taking it seriously, if you want to build a brand that’s trusted, reliable and legitimate: steer clear of the Canva Templates.
You don’t need everything in place to get started
This sounds like sacrilege, coming from me, I know! I sell branding packages. I make sure you have everything in place before you get started. But that’s not a mandatory thing: it’s a best practice. I want to make sure you have the best start or restart for your brand. I want to make sure that you have all your ducks in a row so you come out the gate looking amazing.
But sometimes that’s an impossibility, if you don’t have the budget. This shit’s expensive, I get it. But the secret is: you don’t need the whole thing to start moving. You can make do with just a logo, colour scheme and a brand voice. That’s basically your face and voice. If you’re waiting for all the pieces to be in place before you start, I’m here to shatter that illusion for you. This isn’t chess, it’s more like a Deck Building Game. You only really need to get your starting cards, then you can start playing and building yourself a proper, full deck.
But you do need it all, eventually. And you need it done right.
People take that second take and run with it too far, I reckon. They DIY, they build piece by piece as and when they need it, they just muddle along because it’s good enough and it works.
But that will only ever get you so far.
You, at some point, do need everything taken a look at by some professionals. You need a brand designer to give you a brand kit, style guide and logo that may just be a tweaking and tightening or may be a whole fresh look. You, at some point, do need a copywriter to come in and define your brand voice, write you up a communication style guide and rewrite your website copy. You do, at some point, need a photographer to come and get good photos of your staff, your offices and your products that aren’t taken on your iPhone.
(If only someone were out here, building an all-in-one, Avengers-Style Brand Building team…)
All of these things will take your brand and supercharge it, making you look like the industry standard, not a fly-by-night chancer. Like I said before, you’re in deep now, clearly you’re taking your shit seriously.
You should look the part, too!
Housekeeping
If you like what I have to say here, if you have any thoughts about this or any post, or if you have a topic request for a later post, you can get in touch through eden@killawattstudios.com!
Oh! One more thing before I go! My Local Paper wrote about me! I’ve just finished a course with Community CVS here in the North-West, and we put out a joint Press Release promoting us both! Take a read of it here
