There’s a really simple way to amplify that know-like-trust factor everybody’s talking about…

And it has A LOT to do with how you’re visually showing up online!

Your unique brand and business needs an equally unique VISUAL VOICE if you want to stand out, attract just the right people, be remembered and recognized as an expert in your niche, and look credible enough for somebody to actually TRUST you!

The truth is, if your brand and graphics don’t look legit, it’s going to be much harder to gain traction and grow your personal brand or online business.

So in this post and video,  I’m going to share everything I WISH I knew when I first started building my personal brand!

If your graphics are all over the place and could use a bit of TLC, then tune in and learn some simple tricks for creating more consistent, better-designed graphics.

What is a Personal Brand?

In a nutshell, your personal brand consists of everything that you do to promote yourself.

What’s your expertise?

Do you have any unique characteristics?

What value do you bring to the world?

What is it that you have to offer?

What makes you different?

How do you want your audience to perceive you?

Who are you?

Are there any catchy phrases that you might say or words that you use often?

 How do you speak and interact with your audience?

It’s all About Perception

If you were to ask your audience what type of words they would use to describe you, what do you think their answer would be?

Are you playful?

Are you bold?

Are you modern?

Minimalist?

Inviting?

Creative?

Friendly?

Are you the girl next door?

Are you quirky?

Are you expressive with your face or your hands?

Are you mature?

Are you feminine?

Maybe you’re a little bougie…

Are you zen?

Are you organic?

Every Brand Has a Personality!

Here’s the thing. No matter what your brand personality is, it is so important that you are able to bring it to life through your visual content and your graphics.

There’s a bit that goes into all of that, and I break it all down in my branding and design quick start guide. You can grab that right here

Logo Tips

The first graphic that you usually create when you’re building your personal brand is your logo. When you’re creating your logo, you definitely want to keep it as simple as possible. Even a simple text based logo will do, but you can definitely  incorporate an icon or some other design element.

You will want to use your brand colors and you can, but you don’t have to, use your brand fonts. Just make sure that the fonts that you are using have the right vibe and match your brand personality.

I suggest you create three variations: a horizontal, vertical, and an icon style. These all need to resemble each other without being the exact same. A logo template is going to be a great place to start, and you can change the colors, fonts, and of course use your own name, but starting with a template will provide you a great baseline.

If you’re like OMGGGG Kristin I need a logo NOW! I’ve got you’re back! Logo in a Day has your name written allll over it! It includes 30+ logo trio templates (like the ones above) plus, a video training where you’ll learn how to create your logo in Canva!

Brand Color Palette Tips

Shen it comes to colors, there’s actually a psychology that you need to keep in mind when you’re picking and choosing the colors that are going to represent your brand.

Take a look at these examples:

The first color palette feels very adventurous, functional, down to earth, natural and sustainable.

The middle color palette is feminine, confident, inviting, trustworthy, and polished.

And the color palette on the right has a very creative, unconventional, bold, playful, and quirky feel.

There’s no hard and fast rule for how many colors that you need to include but typically I recommend starting with five colors. You’ll need a core color, an accent color, a light neutral color, a dark neutral color, and an action filled pop of color. Having five colors is going to give you plenty of freedom and variety when creating your graphics.

Brand Font Tricks

Just like your brand colors have a level of personality, your fonts have the ability to capture your personality as well! I recommend using two to four fonts in all of your brand graphics and collateral. Stick to these fonts and do not stray.

My favorite resource for fonts outside of Canva is called Creative Market. You can search for all styles of fonts, and I can guarantee you’re going to find something that fits your unique brand personality.

Overwhelmed at the thought of combining fonts? Search for “font duos” and let the experts do the hard work for you!

From casual and feminine, to timeless and masculine, modern, playful, friendly, and sophisticated, there are thousands of fonts to choose from to help you create a unique and consistent brand image.

Brand Imagery                 

There are so many reasons why I love using stock photos! For one, they can give you an instant brand elevation without you having to do much work. They usually come in bundles, which makes staying consistent a lot easier.

You can even combine different bundles to create a unique look and give yourself some more options!

One of my best kept secrets is that you can actually build your entire visual brand image off of a single set of stock photos. How cool is that?

There is no shortage of websites that offer styled stock photography for just about any niche, but these are a few of my favorites:

IvoryMix

BONUS: Design Elements

If  you really want to spice up your brand image, you can take it a step further and incorporate some really unique design elements into your graphics, your website, pretty much anything that you are creating to visually market yourself online.

There are all kinds of patterns, textures, and tons and tons of different design elements right inside of Canva for you to choose from.

Just make sure that whatever you choose fits that overall vibe and tone that you’re trying to convey in your brand’s personality.

Brand Your Business the Easy Way!

I know I threw a ton of juicy tips and tricks at you, but I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. If you want to jump on the fast track and you are ready to become a total brand boss and take charge of your graphics, be sure to grab my branding and design quick start guide where I’m going to dig deeper into the whole entire visual branding process

I can’t wait to see what you create!

If you like this article and you want more branding and design tips, there are a few ways we can connect!

Grab one of my free branding + design resources
 Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Follow me on Instagram

I can’t wait to see what you create!

XO Kristin

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The post 🔥 HOT Personal Branding Tips for Your Graphics [COMPELTE BREAKDOWN]! appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

In this post, I’m going to show you how to make it happen by creating consistently branded graphics to market your content and help your business get seen, heard, and remembered no matter where you are marketing yourself online.

Yep – all of that is possible when you put a focus on how you are visually showing up online! Looks matter, am I right?!

In this tutorial, I’m using:

• Canva (the free version will work, but Pro makes it a little bit easier – here’s a link to check it out for FREE for 30 days!)
• A set of social media templates from my template shop
• Your brand image elements (fonts, colors, imagery, etc.)

Start With a Set of Pre-Designed Templates

This tutorial will help you quickly modify any set of templates of your choice. There are lots of templates available right inside of Canva, but some of them can be overused and a bit generic. It’s also hard to find templates that have a consistent style. Because of this, I recommend you pop off of Canva and check out other sources for templates!

Check out my template shop here!

Have Your Brand Elements Handy

For this tutorial, I am going to be using the Natalie Brand Kit from my Mix and Match Brand Kits, however, you will want to use your own font combinations, color palette, and brand imagery that supports the overall vibe and tone of your brand.

You can add additional design elements if you have them, but for this example, I’ll be keeping it simple with fonts, colors, and stock photos.

If you haven’t yet decided on your brand image and keep changing your fonts, colors, and overall style, check out my Mix and Match Brand Kits here!

Edit the Colors Used in the Templates

With your templates open, the first thing that you want to do is change the colors. It is important to know that Canva handles shapes and fonts differently when it comes to colors. You’re going to be changing the colors of your shapes first, and then going through and changing the colors of your fonts.

Change The Colors of The Shapes

To do this, select the color that you want to change. Click on the color square to open the color panel and change the color.

(If you have Canva Pro, you can upload your brand colors in advance, and they are always going to appear in this color panel. If you don’t have Canva Pro, you can paste your color swatches into an empty page inside your template document. This way, your brand colors will be easily accessible in the document colors in the color palette.

Once you select the color that you would like to change, you’re going to see a purple “Change All” button pop up in the very lower-left corner of the panel. This here is the trick to saving lots of time changing colors! Click the button to change all shapes that were that color to the new color of your choice. Do this for each of the colors that are used in the templates.

Change the colors of the fonts

Because Canva handles shapes and colors differently, you’ll notice that the colors of your fonts have not been affected. You’ll follow the same process outlined above to change the colors of all fonts in your set of templates.

Again, you’ll see the same purple “Change All” box pop up in the lower left-hand corner, you’ll click that button to accelerate this process and change all of the fonts throughout all pages in your document, for all colors used.

Edit the Fonts Used in the Templates

If you have Canva Pro, then you’ve likely already added your fonts into the brand kit. If not, you can do that now. Once you have your brand fonts selected, you’ll have easy access to them in the fonts panel.

If you don’t have Canva Pro, just take note of the fonts you’re planning on using in your templates. You definitely want to use the same fonts (I recommend 2-3) to keep your graphics looking really consistent.

Change Each Font

It’s important to change the same font throughout all of the templates. You’ll notice that your chosen font sticks to the top of the font panel in the recently used section so you don’t have to keep searching for your font in the long list of fonts to replace it.

If you want to change two text boxes at the same time, you can hold the shift key on your keyboard to select multiple boxes at once. Depending on what fonts you’re using, your templates can start to look a little bit wonky at this point, but that’s okay. You can adjust later.

Do this same process to replace all of the fonts in your template set.

Adjust the Sizing

Once you have all of the fonts changed over, you can adjust the sizing to make the text fit better in the template. This is going to be edited again when you actually create graphics for your real content, but for now, we’re just getting these templates branded.

While you’re adjusting, make sure that all of your text boxes are properly aligned. You can easily align text with Canva’s align tool.

Add Your Own Stock Photos

The next thing you want to do is add in your stock photos! These are going to make your templates really come to life!

It’s best to keep your stock photos organized in a specific folder inside of Canva. This makes it really easy to access them while creating graphics and will help keep your images on brand.

As you add your images to the templates, you can also get a little creative:

• Adjust the transparency of the images
• Add a color overlay to infuse your brand even more
• Zoom in, crop, flip or rotate images

Here are some more creative things you can do with your stock photos.

Make Sure Your Text is Readable

The most important thing is to make sure that everything is readable on your graphic.

You might need to tweak the text and placement a bit once you get your photos in if the colors don’t work as you planned or the text isn’t readable on the graphic.

When you’re working with stock photos, it’s important to think about how you are going to incorporate the text into your photo. I love photos that incorporate a bit of natural white space because that makes a perfect little area to drop your text.

Here are some creative ideas for these templates:

• Add some text effects to the text
• Adjust the line spacing or the letter spacing
• Change the colors
• Change the transparency
• Add a gradient
• Move the location of the text

The options are really endless, and that’s what I love most about using templates! You can customize them as little or as much as you like.

When it’s time to add your own content, these templates will so easy to edit and you’ll be able to quickly create just about any social media graphic you need to market your business!

Visual Consistency is KEY When it Comes to Your Graphics!

Having a consistent brand image is an absolute must if you want to maximize your content and exposure, and let’s not forget to mention all of the time that you’re going to save designing in Canva!

If you want a step-by-step breakdown on how you can create a more consistent personal brand image, then be sure to grab my brand and design quick start guide, where I walk you through the whole entire process.

If you like this article and you want more branding and design tips, there are a few ways we can connect!

Grab one of my awesome freebies
 Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Follow me on Instagram

I can’t wait to see what you create!

XO Kristin

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I get it. When you don’t know anything about something, or HOW to do it… it seems pretty far out of reach.

I often think back to the first year or so of running my business. HOLY COW, there was a lot to learn!

You know the quote “You learn something new every day?” 

Well, that was quite an understatement.

There were a lot of things that could have held me back, but instead, the entrepreneur inside me knew that I could figure it all out.

It’s what we do to reach our big goals, right?!

There’s a lot of things that can hold you back when learning how to do something… Things you hear, things you believe, and things you actually feel can all pop-up and keep you from moving forward.

DIY Branding + Design Myths that AREN’T TRUE

1. You aren’t creative enough to DIY your brand + professional-looking graphics
2. You need to hire an expensive designer
3. I just need a logo
4. You need an art or design background
5. I don’t have time to create a DIY brand and learn to design
6. Once you create your brand, it’s set in stone forever

Read on to find out the truth about these DIY branding myths!

If you’d rather watch than read, this video is for you!

Are your Brand + Graphics Holding Your Business Back?

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you probably feel like your inconsistent brand (or no brand at all!) and amateur graphics are holding you back from stepping into the business owner you’re meant to be.

It’s not a great feeling. You may even be ashamed and embarrassed to really put yourself out there because you don’t have a professional-looking brand and your graphics look like a 7-year old created them.

The problem is, is that these two things are some of the most powerful assets you can have for your business.​

There are a ton of DIY branding myths and beliefs about designing graphics that you likely have taking up space in your head. I’m gonna debunk the heck out of them so you can finally stop letting them hold you back from taking your business to the next level!

DIY Branding Myth #1: You aren’t creative enough to DIY your brand + professional-looking graphics

I’m just gonna cut to the chase here.

YOU ARE CREATIVE! If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be brave enough to go on this entrepreneurial journey!

You might think that you have no eye for design, but that’s because you don’t yet know what you’re looking for.

I believe that creativity is something that we all have within us. You have magical ideas inside your head, and with a little bit of inspiration and a step-by-step process, you can turn them into something visual. You just need to understand HOW to do that.

Myth #2: You need to hire an expensive designer

While hiring a pro to design your brand is totally an option, it’s by far, the most expensive route. Honestly, you probably don’t have the money for this when you’re just getting started with your business. A good brand designer costs thousands of dollars, and a cheap brand designer… whelp you get what you pay for.

Here’s the good news! You can create a pretty good-looking brand for yourself with the right tools and instructions!

There’s a step-by-step process and all kinds of online resources available that make this something you absolutely can tackle yourself. Sure, it may take you a little time upfront, but the process can actually be quite fun. And as you go through it, you will connect with your business on an entirely new level! You know your business best!

Even if you hire a brand designer, you’re still going to be stuck when it comes to actually creating branded graphics needed to market your business. You don’t want to be paying a designer every single time you need a new graphic created.

DIY Branding Myth #3: I just need a logo

I get it. A fancy logo can really make your business feel “real”, and it’s usually one of the first priorities when starting a business.

But a logo is just a tiny piece of the branding pie. So you have a logo, now what are you going to do with it?

You can add it to your website and put it on your graphics, but THEN what? Your logo is a tiny snapshot of your business as a whole, but your visual brand is what makes you totally unique, attracts just the right people, and truly carries your message into the world in a professional way.

Your brand image should get people excited and curious about what you have to offer. The real magic happens when you combine an entire suite of strategically chosen design elements to create a cohesive experience for your viewers. It will speak to your viewers much more than “just a logo”.

Myth #4: You need an art or design background

My designer friends will probably cringe when I say this, but you don’t need a degree in art or design to create a professional-looking brand and graphics.

It would be helpful, but it’s totally not necessary.

I believe we all have the ability to discover our inner creative abilities. They are there somewhere inside you! You wouldn’t be on your entrepreneurial journey if you weren’t creative!

And because you know your business better than anybody else, YOU are the best person for the job.

Think about this….When you were little, you didn’t know all of the letters of the alphabet, right? You learned them. All 26 of them! Your parents and teachers were able to teach them to you, likely through a song and making visual connections with each letter.

Branding + design is not much different. It’s absolutely something you can learn, especially when you have a process to follow and know what things are going to make the biggest impact in your business.

DIY Branding Myth #5  I don’t have time to create a DIY brand and learn to design

I get it! Making the decision to DIY your brand can feel really overwhelming and like such a time commitment.

DIY Branding isn’t a quick process, but what I can promise you, is that once your visual brand is complete and you have everything in your toolkit ready to implement, the time you’ll save long term is incredible.

So while it may seem like a HUGE time investment upfront, it will pay for itself time and time again for the life of your business.

Here’s the thing, if you sit back and wait for the right time, DIYing your brand is something you’re going to keep putting off.

And that won’t do your business any good at all. In fact, it could actually hinder your success.

BONUS Myth: Once you create your brand, it’s set in stone forever

Ohhh commitment issues, anyone?! Part of the stress about DIYing your brand and applying it to all of your marketing goodies, are the decisions that need to be made.

Choose colors, choose fonts, choose imagery. Create a logo.

Well, what if you make the wrong choice?

Here’s the thing: there’s an intentional way to make these choices and it’s done in a very strategic manner.

So when you think about choosing fonts and creating a color palette without knowing WHY you’re choosing what you’re choosing – of course, you’re not going to feel confident about your choices!

But when you do it strategically, you can be confident that the choices you make do represent your brand and are something that your audience will connect with.

Oh, and I should also add-in, that your brand is a living, growing thing, just like your business. Over time, you can change things, add things, and do away with things if they aren’t doing their job anymore.

Your visual brand is NOT concrete. It WILL change and evolve over time and it’s okay to tweak things along the way. (just don’t go changing things up ALL the time!)

There Are a lot of Myths About Branding + Design, But They Simply Aren’t True

There are a few paths you could take:

You can continue hacking your way through creating inconsistent graphics that don’t represent your own unique brand and look totally unprofessional…making every.single business-building task less effective and more time-consuming… Feeling stuck. Frustrated. Unseen and unheard.

You can hire a designer with a hefty price tag ($2,000 and up!) who will create a beautiful brand for you. Opt for a designer that charges less and… well, you get what you pay for.

Or you can take the DIY route, which is the most fun and most affordable option. You can take charge, amplify all of your marketing efforts and connect with your business on a deeper level. The end result is an affordable brand and the ability to create consistent and professional-looking graphics to market your business! You’ll feel confident, empowered, and unstoppable. It’s next-level YOU. (To take this route – you gotta believe that everything I’ve talked about in this article are all DIY branding myths!)

Think about where you want your business to LOOK like six from now. Heck, think of how you want to look just ONE month from now.

For a step-by-step plan to get there, Download my free Brand + Design Roadmap where I’ll show you a peek into a 4-part branding + design system you can follow to create a recognizable brand that attracts your dream viewers, increases credibility, and makes growing your business through graphics design something that’s totally possible!

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“I want to create a consistent look for my business, but I don’t know where to start…”

“I have zero eye for design and absolutely no idea what looks good!”

“I can’t decide on fonts and keep changing my color palette”

“I’M NOT CREATIVE ENOUGH TO DO THAT!!!”

Here’s the thing: If you can spin up a business, you absolutely have it in you to create a DIY brand and graphics that work for you, instead of against you.

You don’t need to be a trained graphic designer, use expensive design software and start from scratch every.single.time!

How to Build a Magnetic Brand + Graphics That Attract

Today, I’m breaking down step-by-step the exact process you’ll need to follow to build a magnetic DIY brand that attracts and graphics you’re confident to share.

Why? Because I believe that your brand and graphics (or lack thereof!) should never hold you back from building the business of your dreams.

Let me start off by saying that we’re probably a lot alike.

I haven’t always been a confident designer. In fact, most of the skills that I’ve learned are completely self-taught.

I’ve spent more hours than I’d like to adding fiddling around in design programs and moving things around until they’re just right. Especially when it comes to creating graphics for my business.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about the visual side of marketing your business online.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been hacking together graphics for years, or just getting started in the “design world”, you’re probably feeling a little overwhelmed.

You’re ready to level up your brand so that you actually look like the professional you are, and you NEED to create all kinds of graphics to promote your awesome content, offers, products, or services!

I’ve been designing for over 15 years, and I’m here to help!

After years of designing for ad agencies, in-house marketing departments, clients and now, myself, I’ve broken the whole branding + design thing into something that is easy to follow and actually makes sense. It’s a framework, and it’s super simple to learn and implement.

And since I’m on a mission to help you DIY your brand + graphics so you can look and feel professional online, I’m going to walk you through the entire framework in this mega post:) YAY!

First, I want you to forget everything you think you “need” to build a brand and create awesome graphics.

• You don’t need expensive design software.
• You don’t need to be the most creative person on earth with endless genius ideas.
• You don’t need to spend a ton of money.
• You don’t need to create graphics from scratch, every time.

This is the part where I’m supposed to tell you that I had NO IDEA what I was doing and somehow figured it out…

But here’s the truth: I haven’t been in your shoes before. Branding and design has never gotten in my way or held me back from being successful online. 

There. I said it.

Branding + design is easy for me. It just makes sense.  I used it to grow my business online, super quick, and I want the same for you!

Let’s dig into the framework!

Before You Get Started With Your DIY Brand, You’ll Need a Few Things:

1. Clarity on your business idea

   You need to understand why you’re in business, who you want to serve, how you plan to serve them and what you are going to offer. For example, I’m in business because my brand + graphics totally amplified my business success (and my confidence!), and I want the same thing for you. I serve online business owners, service providers, and digital product creators. I serve through helpful content on this blog and online branding + design courses.

2.  A design program

   I use, LOVE, and recommend Canva. This says a lot since I used to be a total Adobe InDesign snob! It’s so simple to use and crazy intuitive, even if you’re NOT a designer. There is a free version available, but if you’re serious about the graphics you’ll be creating for your business, you’ll want the pro version. This is one of the best business investments you can make for your business since most business-building activities include some level of graphic creation.

   Canva Pro is very affordable and will only cost you about $14 a month. It’s an absolute bargain for everything you can do with it!

3.  A place to send traffic

   I recommend you have a website that you can send traffic to, but understand that that’s a whole new level of tech involved. There are many successful businesses that run solely through a Facebook Page or Instagram Account. However, a website is 100% YOURS. Unlike social platforms, you own all of the content on your website and nobody can snag it from beneath you.

   Your website also makes it super simple to start and grow an email list, organize all of your content, set up an online shop, create sales and landing pages… the list goes on!

The 4 Phases of a Strategic Branding + Design Strategy

There are four phases of the visual branding and design process that you will go through to create a visual brand that is not only totally unique to your business and offers but magnetically attracts just the right people to your circle.

Phase One: Discover

I know you’re probably excited to jump in and start designing… But HOLD UP!

You need to get crystal clear (no streaky windows here!) about what makes you and your business entirely unique. Even if there are others in your niche, nobody is just like you. (That’s exactly why I DON’T believe in competition!) 

You can tap into your own unique superpowers by answering a series of strategic questions designed to help you uncover and distill all of your beliefs, values, and your unique brand personality. This is 

Here are few example questions, taken directly from my Brand Clarity Guide:

Why did you start your business? What is your purpose?

What do you want to be known for? What do you want your audience to remember about you?

What does your brand believe in?

How do you want to be perceived when your customers discovers your business?

How do you want your customers to feel when they interact with you?

I like to think of this part as the “intangible elements” of your brand. They are all of the characteristics that make you and your business entirely different from any other business in the world! 

Once you have answers to these types of strategic questions, you will then have a clear picture of the traits and characteristics you want to infuse into your brand. I call them your brand words, and they are made up of personality words, value words, and story words. This collection of words will pop up again in the next phase of the system.

Through your brand discovery, you will also be able to create a clear mission statement for your business. A mission statement is kind of like an elevator pitch. If someone in an elevator asked you about your business, you could quickly tell them who you are and what you do in a sentence or two.

Here are a few example mission statements to get you thinking:

I am a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner, Transpersonal Hypnotherapist, and Holistic Nutritionist. I guide people in dismantling and rebuilding their belief systems, thought processes, and lifestyle choices amidst inner conflict, clutter, and chaos so they can unwind, rejuvenate, and realign their mind, body, and soul with their deepest and greatest values.

I help creatives keep up with their online marketing by managing their social media or Pinterest account so they can focus their energy on creating amazing products or services without missing a beat with their family.

I am a Certified public accountant who helps small businesses focus on what they do best while I manage their finances. I take care of bookkeeping, financial analysis, and budgeting, providing entrepreneurs with an analysis of their financial information to make informed business decisions and achieve financial goals.

I help overwhelemed online business owners organize their books so they can make and keep more of their money without getting lost in spreadsheets.

Phase Two: Inspire

Now that you have your set of brand words, and are clear on the “why, who, how, and what” of your business, It’s time to translate all of that into something visual you can actually start to work with!

But how on earth do you translate these “intangible elements” into something visual?

Enter the mood board!

A mood board is a visual collage made up of pictures, colors, patterns, textures words, and any other elements that combine to visually represent your unique brand words in a visual way. Often, pictures and imagery can convey feelings and emotions better than simple words can describe.

You can create a mood board by gathering 20-40 images from Pinterest and saving them to a secret board. This can be a really inspiring process, and you’ll likely begin to see a visual style forming right before your very eyes! Narrow them down to your top 10 and put it all together in Canva. (There are many mood board templates you can choose from) Canva makes it easy to drag and drop images, zoom in, rotate, and switch things up until you’re happy with the end result.

Your mood board is going to be the guiding light for all of the visual decisions you make as you create your visual brand.

If you’ve ever been trying to do this process without completing any of the pre-strategy work, you likely felt like you were choosing things at random, with no rhyme or reason. Not good! There is a strategy behind choosing all of the visual components of your visual brand.

Every decision that you make during the branding process can be gut-checked with your mood board. Does THIS fit the overall vibe and tone of my brand?

Phase Three: Create

It’s finally time to create your visual brand! I’m sure you are most excited about this part since this is where it all comes together. It’s also the most time-intensive phase of the framework.

Your visual brand is strongly influenced by the images in your mood board and your most powerful brand words. Since your mood board was created based on your brand discovery – it’s the perfect place to find your inspiration! You’re not going to be making these important design decisions willy-nilly! This is pure strategy.

Spending the time to make these very important decisions now will pay off in the time you will save later. You’ll always know what colors to use, what fonts to use and you’ll have carefully chosen stock photos that you can use in any graphic you create. Talk about efficiency!

Here are the elements that will make up your brand image:

1. Logo Trio

   Yes, I recommend THREE logos! Here’s why: There are so many places your logo will show up, so having multiple options will come in handy. Shoot for one main logo, a logo mark, and a submark. It’s good to have a horizontal version, a vertical version, and a very simple circle/square icon that you can use as an icon or design element.
   

2. Fonts

   Choose 3-4 fonts that fit the overall tone and vibe of your branding. You’ll need a header font, secondary font, body copy font, and an accent font with some personality. Use these fonts in EVERYTHING you design! Purchased fonts can be uploaded to Canva pro and will ensure that your brand images look unique.
   

3. Color Palette

   Using color psychology, create a color palette that attracts the right people and makes them feel a certain way. Sometimes, you can pull colors directly from your mood board. Five colors is a great place to start. I recommend 2 core colors, 2 neutrals (1 dark, 1 light), and 1 accent you can use for POPS of color for things like call to actions and buttons.
   

4. Images

   Without images, designing anything for your business would be pretty hard! They are the cornerstone of your graphics. I suggest you find 2-3 stock photo bundles that include close variations of your core brand colors or compliment them very well. Styled stock photos are my favorite, and there are many websites that offer affordable stock photos.
   

5. Patterns and Textures

   Incorporating these will add an extra element of style and consistency to your brand, website, graphics, and visual content, without the need to plaster your logo on everything you create. You can use these as backgrounds and overlays to give your brand image an element of realness.
   

A lot of people going through the DIY branding process can get hung up on making these decisions. I get it! Picking ONE thing and committing to it can be a little scary. But, going through the Discovery and Inspire phases will ensure that you are confident about the design decisions and make the process a whole lot easier.

Phase 4: Implement

Now that you’ve got all of your design elements carefully, strategically, AND intentionally chosen, it’s time to put them to work. The key thing here is that you want to remain consistent at all times, no matter what you are designing for your business.

The implementation phase is an ongoing thing since you will always be creating graphics to market your business. The type of graphcis may change depending on what you are working on, but the idea remains the same.

There are three main areas to focus on in this phase:

1. Your website and website graphics

   Your website is the HUB of all of your online marketing efforts, so it’s important that it incorporates the foundation of your brand through copy and VISUALS. It’s often your customers/clients/viewers’ first impression of you and your brand. When viewers land on your website, they need to see and feel the essence of your brand and everything it stands for. It needs to be a cohesive reflection of your brand, and not an after-thought.

   The MOST important thing is to incorporate all elements of your visual brand intentionally and consistently throughout your website, and the graphics on it. Nothing more, nothing less:)

   

2. Your lead magnet

   A lead magnet is a free piece of content that you give your viewers in exchange for their email addresses. The #1 goal of your lead magnet needs to be to actually provide value, like something that saves people time or money, or shows them a step-by-step process, or provides s quick win. You may be surprised when I say this, but what your lead magnet looks like is equally important as the content inside of it!

   Your lead magnet needs to look both professional and eye-catching. Your viewers will see the “cover” of your opt-in freebie long before they see what’s inside, so you need to be sure that it has a good design and looks appealing. AND, you must incorporate of your brand elements into it when you design it!

   Your lead magnet also has to have a great-looking cover, since you’ll be using that a lot as you promote it. (If you don’t promote it, your list won’t grow!)

   

3. Your social media graphics

   All of the above isn’t a case of “if you build it they will come”! Now it’s time to put yourself out there through whatever social platforms your ideal customers are hanging out on! Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Linkedin are some of the most popular, visually-driven platforms. (Pinterest and YouTube aren’t technically social media platforms, but visual search and video search engines, but it’s easier to lump them all into one category.)

   First things first, all of your social media profiles should be consistent. Most platforms allow you to upload a profile picture, which should be a headshot of yourself. Use the same image on all platforms! You can also upload a cover image to give your viewers a little more info about your business, how you can help them, or share your current promotion.

   As far as your graphics go, you must make sure that you’re using your visual brand elements and paying attention to the design of your images. People are skimming and scanning waiting for something to catch their attention, so make sure they are eye-catching, on-brand, and visually interesting.

   

So there you go! The four phases of a solid branding + design strategy for creating an authentic brand, cohesive website, and consistent social media presence.

To recap, here’s a breakdown: 

1. Discover – Discover the unique characteristics of your business and uncover your superpowers.
2. Inspire – Bring your brand to life with a mood board inspired by your brand personality.
3. Create – Create an authentic visual brand using your mood board as the guiding light.
4. Implement – Weave all aspects of your visual brand through your entire online presence. Consistency is key!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start, or don’t feel confident enough to pull this off, don’t stress! You’re not alone. Things always seem hard when unfamiliar.

Branding and Design is a Learnable Skill

Branding + design is a learnable skill, especially when you’re applying it to your own business. It’s totally possible to implement, but much easier if you have a system to follow along with. With the right guidance, it starts to feel easy, and something you actually enjoy!

That’s why I included lots of step-by-step tutorials, video trainings, worksheets, and cheat sheets inside The DIY Brand + Design Framework. If you’re ready to uplevel your visual branding + graphics, I’ll guide you through the whole entire process!

You may even realize that creating graphics is something you look forward to doing!

The DIY Brand + Design Framework is launching on May 21! You can join the waitlist here.

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The post The Non-Designer’s Guide to Branding + Design for Your Business (DIY Style!) appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

If you’re here, you’re likely nodding your head and realizing that you’ve let the appearance of your business slip more than you’d like to admit.

Don’t worry – you CAN turn your ship around and make a comeback. And you should!

Amazing things can happen in your business when your branding is authentic and your graphics look legit – and I’m going to share the top four things with you a little later in this post.

Here’s the thing.

You have your own set of superpowers that you bring to the world…

And it’s okay if graphic design isn’t one of them. 

But just like all things in this world of growing your business, you CAN learn how to create a DIY brand and graphics for your business, even if you’re not a designer!

And you can get started with my free Brand + Design Roadmap, where I show you my 4-step system for creating a magnetic brand + a consistent and professional online presence!

When I started my online business, I had NO IDEA what I was doing.

There were so many moving parts, things to learn, and creative ways to market my business.

• How to get traffic
• How to maximize social media
• How to start and grow my email list
• What to offer my audience
• How to create a product (and how to sell it)

Needless to say, I was OVERWHELMED. 

While I didn’t know all of the ins and outs of starting and growing an online business, I did have a very powerful skill up my sleeve…

I am a graphic designer by trade. That’s my superpower.

The branding and design aspects of my business have never gotten in my way or hold me back. (It happens to be one of my favorite parts.)

​So even when I was winging it…

At least I looked like I knew what I was doing!

And that, my friend, IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL!

My ability to craft an authentic brand and create consistent graphics to market my offers was the MOST POWERFUL tool that I had in my arsenal. 

I hacked my way through so many other things, but branding and design were not on that list.

It worked out in my favor. And it can work in yours, too!

Many magical things can happen in your business when your brand and graphics are something you focus on.

If You’d Rather Watch Than Read, Watch this video!

But don’t forget to snag your free DIY Brand + Design Roadmap first!

Branding and Design go Hand in Hand

Branding + graphic design are technically two different topics, but the way I look at it… it’s hard to have one without the other!

They are SO powerful when combined. You could have a brand, but if you don’t infuse the visual elements of it through your graphics and visual content,  what’s the point!?

So that’s why you’ll find me talking about both of them, simultaneously – a LOT!

So first let’s talk about visual branding – aka, your brand image. This is, essentially, what you look like online, and often, the VERY FIRST IMPRESSION that your viewers get of you and your business.

Hence the reason it’s so important!

What is Visual Branding?

Your visual brand, or brand image, is made up of a handful of design elements that are relatable to your viewers and unique to YOUR business.

No matter where they stumble upon you online, your visual brand or brand image is a combination of carefully and intentionally chosen design elements that, when combined, give your business a unique look and feel and attract just the right people into your circle. It also helps your viewers quickly relate to you and your business.

So you may be wondering, okay, Kristin, what are these design elements that you speak of?

There are a few key design elements that should be included in your visual brand. (Yes, your brand is so much more than just a pretty logo!)

• Your logo trio
• Color palette
• Font combinations
• Imagery (stock photos, personal photos, etc.)
• Patterns and textures

Every single one of these design elements plays a very important role within your visual brand arsenal, and that is why they need to be very carefully and intentionally chosen.

This is where the magic happens! When done strategically and intentionally, your visual brand will attract just the right people into your circle and be a unique differentiator for your business. I believe that it’s one of the most powerful tools in your marketing strategy and one that you will use OFTEN!

Now that you have an idea of what visual branding is… let’s talk about its BFF, graphic design!

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is the process of combining images and text and copy in a way that creates not only appealing graphics but graphics that tell a story and get your message across in the clearest way possible to your viewers.

Graphic design is the vehicle that you are going to use to weave your visual brand throughout every single piece of visual content or any graphic that you create for your business.

If you’ve been in business ANY amount of time, I’m sure you’ve put on that graphic designer hat a time or two. After all, most business-building and marketing tasks involve some amount of graphic design to be successful.

And that’s the BIGGEST reason why it’s so important to understand the basics – because you’re going to be putting that hat on quite often!

So… why does all of This even matter?

There are A LOT of reasons why your brand + graphics are something you need to focus on, but since I know you’re busy building the business of your dreams, I’ll dig into the top four reasons.

Top 4 Reason Branding and Design Matter for Your Business

Reason #1: Your Brand + Graphics Will Attract Just the Right People

When you strategically and intentionally choose the design elements that make your visual branding arsenal (like your fonts, colors, and image style) you are setting yourself up to magnetically attract just the right people!

When you combine all of your visual branding elements, they convey a unique vibe or tone that your ideal customer is going to jive with. There is more to it than choosing a couple of fonts that you like because they’re pretty, or choosing a color palette because you personally like the colors. It’s not all about you and what YOU like. It’s about what is going to be appealing to your viewers and resonate with them in a way that brings them into your circle.

If you’ve ever struggled with choosing fonts and choosing colors, it’s likely because you’re not being strategic about it. There’s usually no rhyme or reason why you’re using a specific font or palette of colors.

When done strategically, you can make all of these design decisions intentionally and with total confidence.

Reason #2: Your Brand + Graphics Will Help You be Recognized and Remembered

When you use the same fonts, design elements, and styles throughout all of your graphics, your viewers will start to recognize you!

Let’s say that I want to introduce myself to a group of people. One day I wear a ball gown and the next day I wear a cocktail dress. The next day, maybe I’m dressed in all black with a studded belt.

Don’t you think that these people are going to be a little bit confused as to who I am?

Let’s flip the script. Let’s say I wear a pink tie-dye shirt, a pair of black leggings, and some Birkenstocks every single time that I am in front of these people.

After a while, they’re going to recognize that that’s my style.

The same thing goes for your branding!

You don’t want to be creating images that are all over the place and look visually inconsistent. You need to make sure that you are using all of your brand elements – your fonts, your colors, image style, and design elements –  throughout every single graphic or visual content that you create. This way, no matter where you are showing up online, your viewers start to instantly recognize and remember you and your brand!

Reason #3: Your Brand + Graphics Will Ensure that Your Viewers Trust You

This is a BIG one! Be consistent with your brand and aim for profesh-looking graphics and your viewers will instantly trust you and your offers!

If your graphics are all over the place and look like a child created them, your viewers are NOT going to put their trust in your business. Instead, they’re going to mosey along and find the next person that can help them solve their problems, and LOOKS LEGIT.

When you’re creating graphics, you MUST make sure that they are consistent with your brand and that you follow basic graphic design rules.

Here are a few design rules that will make the biggest impact on your graphic creation:

1. Proximity – related objects should be closer together. Unrelated objects need more space.
2. Alignment – make sure all of your text and elements are left, center, or right-aligned perfectly!
3. Repetition – use your brand elements throughout EVERYTHING you create. Assign certain styles to certain types of graphics
4. Contrast – create visually interesting graphics and make the important things stand out
5. Hierarchy – give your viewers a path to follow – what do you want them to see first, second and third?

#4: Your Brand + Graphics will Streamline Your Graphic Creation Efficiency, Saving You Time!

Ahhh! I’m so excited about this one because it can be a TOTAL game changer for your business!

With your visual branding at your disposal, you are going to save SO MUCH TIME creating graphics to market yourself online! And, you’re going to be so much more confident when you create them!

Raise your hand if you’ve been lost down the font rabbit hole, or the sea of color palettes more than you’d like to admit. I’ve been there too!

This becomes a HUGE time suck because instead of being able to quickly create graphics with confidence and intention, you waste your time looking for different fonts to use and different stock photos to use. And you’re questioning yourself the whole time!

When you have a consistent and professional-looking visual brand and know the type of images that your audience will relate to, you can design more efficiently and intentionally than before. You might even start to enjoy the design process!

Say goodbye to hours wasted in Canva fiddling around trying to make your graphcis look just right. PHEW!

Branding and Design Plays a Crucial Role in Your Online Business

The branding process and graphic creation may seem overwhelming but your time invested in it will pay for itself for the life of your business. There is nothing better than being able to market yourself online with total confidence (instead of worrying that you don’t look professional and that people aren’t going to notice you, trust you or pay you for your products or services!)

If you’re ready to get a hold of your brand and graphic creation, you’re going to wanna have a step-by-step system that breaks it all down. That’s exactly what you’ll get in the DIY Brand + Design Roadmap!

That’s all for now! I can’t wait to see what you create!

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The post 4 Reasons Branding and Design Matter For Your Business appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

What is a Mood Board for Branding?

A mood board is a visual collage made up of pictures, colors, patterns, textures words, and any other elements, that when put together, visually represent your unique brand with more clarity than words can describe.

This fun and inspirational piece of visual eye candy is the very first step in creating a brand that empowers you.

A mood board shouldn’t be confused with a brand board, which are actually two very different things.

A brand board is typically a one page document that’s used as a visual cheat sheet.

It contains all of the visual elements that make up your brand: 

• Your logo and any alternative logos or submarks
• A color palette
• Font selections
• Photography​
• Textures
• Design elements

Before you can even think about creating a brand board, you’ll need a handcrafted mood board to help you determine all of the above. 

Bloggers and online business owners who are DIY-ing their own branding and graphics use mood boards to shape the style and tone of the brand they are working hard to build. If you have absolutely no clue where to start with your branding, a mood board is 100% necessary.

If your branding doesn’t match the vision you have for your business, you’ll have a hard time connecting with your dream customers

How do I Create a Mood Board for my Brand?

Here’s a step-by-step of how to create a mood board if you want to piece it together yourself:

Step 1: Choose Your Brand Words

The first thing you are going to want to do is to think about how you want those who interact with your brand to feel. Do you want them to feel energized? Relaxed? Sophisticated? Jot down all of the words or phrases that come to mind when you think about the vibe you want to give your customers. How can you visually represent these words, feelings, and emotions? You can also jot down some general descriptive words and adjectives.

Step 2: Gathering Inspirational Imagery

There are many places to find images to make up your mood board. My favorite resource is Pinterest since it is a visual search engine and there are millions and millions of pins. You can find images by searching your brand words and descriptive words and go from there. Pin everything and anything that resonates with you and sparks your attention. You can also visit stock photo websites like Unsplash and IvoryMix and pin collect images from there.

Step 3: Put it All Together!

You’ll want to find a design software or mood board app to put all of your inspiration together to create your mood board. My favorite software for DIY Designers is Canva! Canva is a free tool that is great for beginners with little design skills. Canva also has mood board templates that make it easy to quickly drag and drop your images and inspiration into.

Step 4: Create a Color Palette

Once your mood board is full of images that visually represent the tone and style of your brand, the last step is to create a color palette. If there are certain colors that appear in your mood board, you can start creating your color palette based on that. You can also head back over to Pinterest and search “green color palette”, “happy color palette”, or “muted color palette” to see tons more inspiration!

Mood Board Examples

I’ve collected a few mood board examples so you can get a feel for what a complete mood board for your brand can look like, and to show that there are no strict rules for creating your own. Each and every mood board will have it’s own unique spin and no two will be alike! 

Credit: lindsayhumes.com

Credit: karalayneandco.com

Credit: byrosana.co.uk

Credit daperfoxdesign.com

Credit: lindsayhumes.com

Mood Board Design is a Must!

Your mood board is an essential first step of many visual projects, especially when it comes to DIY-ing your own branding.

They will shape the visual tone and style of your brand or project when words just can’t describe.

Mood boards don’t have to be complicated or take hours to create. With a bit of time, the right software and an open mind, you can create a mood board that will start a fire within you and allow you to create an amazing brand!

I can’t wait to see what you create!

The post The Mood Board: A First Step To Creating a Brand you Love appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

If you’re ready to stand out online and look like the professional you are, it’s time to stop settling for average images and common stock photos that everybody is using. I’ve collected over 500 totally free styled stock photos from the most creative photographers on the web. These photographers specialize in stock photos for bloggers.

[disclosure]

If you’re new here, I teach graphic design to bloggers and online business owners. I whole-heartedly believe that great graphics have the potential to take your business to the next level. I teach ten simple graphic design tips in my free graphic design mini-course, and you can further develop these basic tips into a more robust set of design skills that you’ll use in nearly everything you do to grow your blog or biz in The Blogger’s Graphic Design Primer.

Use this massive collection of free styled stock photos to design beautiful, eye-catching Pinterest pins that get repins, tons of clicks and bring you all kinds of website traffic. Use them for your social media image needs and even create opt-in freebies that will have your audience handing over their email address. The options are endless.

Let’s turn your so-so graphics turn into b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l images your audience will notice!

Howto Get TONS of Free Styled Stock Photos

IvoryMix

Hands down, one of my favorite places to get styled stock photos! I love what Kayla offers so much, that I have V.I.P access to her entire library and use her images to create all of my Pinterest pin templates in my online shop! Long before I became a paying customer, I was utilizing her free styled stock photos that you can find right here. All you have to do is get yourself on her email list to access her free resources library where you’ll find TONS of free stock photos that she has shared since 2016.

Pixi Stock

Alicia over at PixiStock is helping bloggers from all different niches build a beautiful brand with her styled stock photos. She sends her email list free stock photos every month. All you have to do is sign up here, and you’ll get your first batch immediately! I love seeing her in my inbox. If more unique photos for your brand are what you’re seeking, Alicia offers custom photography services where she will take custom photography specifically for YOUR BRAND!

HauteStock

Another one of my favorites, HauteStock (formerly HauteChochoate) creates beautiful images that will instantly help elevate your brand. Rachel understands that online entrepreneurs are expected to deliver tons of visual content to stand out online. It’s not enough to have a fantastic website and a beautiful logo. That’s why she’ll send you a bundle of free stock photos specifically for female entrepreneurs just for signing up to her email list! Grab your free photos here.

Styled Stock Society

The free styled stock photos over at Styled Stock Society are everything you would ever want in a stock photo! The images are square-cropped and perfectly sized for sharing on Instagram – but you can, of course, use them on other social media platforms, your website, your blog, or anywhere else you market your business online! Add your own color overlays, text and elements to make them your own. Get a taste of what she offers with 10 free stock photos plus new freebies in your inbox every month! Click here.

Related: Creative Ways to Use Stock Photos

SCStockshop

Stockshop is used by big brands everywhere, including BRIDES, Lauren Conrad, and the knot, so you KNOW the images found here are amazing! Add yourself to their email list, and you’ll receive 20 free styled stock images instantly, and then monthly free images as a subscriber! Sign up here. If you’re willing to invest in stock photos, I love that you can shop by color, and collection, making it super easy to find the perfect photos for your brand.

With all of these free images coming monthly, you may want to create a brand new email address just for all of your free styled stock photos!

Join my Exclusive Pin Template Subscription

Gold and Berry

Gold and Berry is a lifestyle and design blog that focuses on DIY projects, tutorials and more. Beyond her free styled stock photos, she offers TONS of other freebies like watercolor textures, gold foil textures, mockups, desktop wallpapers and illustrations, most of them free for commercial use. Head over here and see what goodies you want to download!

atelier21co

Ingrid, the creative behind atelier21co, helps bloggers and online creatives stand out with stock photo collections, tutorials, and freebies to help them have the best-looking brand around. Sign up to her email list here, and receive a bundle of free styled stock photos. I love that she includes two mockup images that will make it super easy for you to showcase your opt-in freebie!

ohtilly.

Tilly (LOVE her name, by the way) is a styled stock and feminine branding photographer who loves sneakers and vintage Levis. Sounds like my kind of gal! Tilly offers TONS of styled stock photos for bloggers in just about any niche. She also shares tons of helpful info about using stock photos and blogging in general on her own blog. Get access to 15 free styled stock photos right away, plus more every month right here!

Download Five Free Pinterest Pin Templates!

If you’re into free goodies for your blog or business, check out my free Pinterest pin templates – the perfect canvas to drop in any one of these stock photos into!

CreateHER Stock

CreateHER Stock is one of the only stock photo websites that focus specifically on authentic stock photography that features black women. After starting her lifestyle blog in 2014, Neosha realized there was a need for stock photos featuring women of color. CreateHER Stock was born and launched in 2015. I love hearing a story like this! Grab 180+ images for FREE right here.

She Bold

Head on over to She Bold where you’ll not only find free styled stock photos but a wealth of blogging and lifestyle information! She Bold is made up of women who are dreamers, thinkers, and doers who are determined to create the best version of themselves. Jasmine has a stellar brand herself, so there’s no doubt she can’t help you with yours! Join her free resource library where you’ll get access to over 100 free styled stock photos, quotes, and templates! Click here!

Shay Cochrane

Shay is the face behind SCStockshop, but you’ll find another 20 free styled stock photos on her website here. Shay loves helping other business owners create stunning brands with gorgeous imagery and has worked with tons of impressive commercial clients like Emily Ley, Sugarfina and Pure Fiji. Her style is very clean and pretty, and I love that about her!

Helene in Between

Helene travels the world with her two dogs and husband and runs her blog while living her best life! She has a bundle of 15 free styled stock photos that you can download right here. Use them on your blog, Instagram, Pinterest, or wherever! They are high quality, high-resolution images which means you can crop, cut and zoom to fit any size that works for you. Add your own text, logos, overlays and more to make them your very own. Download them here.

Girl Boss Stock

“Wow!” Was the first thing I thought when I landed on this fun and funky website! I love what Girl Boss Stock has to offer in terms of free styled stock photos! Never hunt for an image again when you become a member of Girl Boss Stock. You can develop your own style with elements, images, branding kinds, presets and graphics all available on the website. But first, grab 10 free styled stock photos here! (And more on the first of every single month!)

Solopreneuer Sidekick

If you’ve never stumbled upon Louise’s website, you are missing out! I love what she offers: everything from Canva tips, tricks and tutorials, a free website course for the tech challenged and even 10 free styled stock photos you can use to amp up your branding. Click here to download them!  Don’t forget to take a peek around her gorgeous website while you’re there.

Dabbles & Babbles

Jamey over at Dabbles & Babbles knows that good images are a crucial part of putting together great visual content for your website, promo material or blog posts. But finding images to use can sometimes be difficult. She has you covered with a free set of strong, quality photos that ensure you’re not losing potential readers, clients, and customers. Her photos are 1200 px wide making them large enough for just about anything you want to use them for. Click here.

Wonderlass

I stumbled upon Allison early on in my blogging journey, and she seems like a super fun person! Her entire brand encompasses who she is as a person, and it’s impressive to see the characteristics of one person all shoved into a website! Anyhow, she offers some fun and funky free styled stock photos you can download right here. Check out what else she’s got to offer and try not to get sucked into her crazy antics!

A Prettier Web

Mel over at A Prettier Web teaches WordPress to women entrepreneurs. Along with 7 free styled stock photos, she offers WordPress themes, online courses, and website packages so you can look prettier, on the web! Click here to access your free photos.

Well, that’s a wrap! I hope you found this resource for free styled stock photos helpful! I know you are going to find some beautiful images to use in your own blog graphics and visual content.

I can’t wait to see what you create!

The post 500+ Free Styled Stock Photos for a Stand Out Brand appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

There are so many different ways that you can utilize that perfect stock photo so you can use it over and over without anybody ever noticing. These design hacks will come in handy especially for those of you who are using free stock photos. It’s inevitable that somewhere, somebody else is using your exact same image and these tips are great ways to help you infuse your own style into a free image so that you stand out.

Before we get too much further, be sure to check out my free graphic design mini-course where you’ll learn simple fixes for the ten most common graphic design mistakes bloggers make when designing their own blog graphics and visual content.

Okay, so back to the meat and potatoes. Here are 11 simple yet creative ways to use stock photos in your blog graphics.

Crop it
Transform a horizontal image to a vertical image to use it in a sidebar graphic or a Pinterest pin.

Add an Overlay
Infuse your brand into a photo by adding a color overlay. Create a box on top of your image, then drop the opacity down until you have a nice balance. Sometimes adding a simple black or white overlay is all you need.

Blur it
Blurring a photo creates a subtle background with unrecognizable details. Blur it a lot or just a little to create your desired look.

Zoom in
Create a not-so-familiar background for your message. Sometimes a design calls for a subtle detail to bring life to a boring white canvas and zooming in on different areas of your photo can do the trick. The image below does not scream photography, but I was able to zoom in on part of the image to create a relevant background for the graphic I made to go along with this post.

Add a Gradient Fade
This is a good trick for creating white space in an image. Some photos come with space for your message, but sometimes you might need to make some yourself. Fade to white or any other background color by adding a solid box over an image then fading the edge of the image so it blends perfectly with the background. A color picker tool might come in handy for this one.

Flip it
Flip a photo vertically or horizontally for a whole new image! This is a quick fix for when you’re really paying attention to the placement of your text.

Rotate It
Different angles can be interesting to the eye. This is perfect trick to get a lot of uses from a single flat lay photo.

Add an Effect
Be careful with this one, effects can go bad quickly!

Isolate an Object
Just because there is a background, doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Isolate an object and remove the background to create an attention-grabbing effect.

Select an Object and Blur the Rest
Here’s another way to draw attention to something specific. Select an object, duplicate it and make sure it remains in the same exact place as the layer beneath it.

Use it as a Background
Give your image a touch of style by zooming in on an image and then dropping the opacity on it so its just barely there. This will create some extra pizzzaz and look more interesting to your viewers.

There are so many different ways that you can use stock photos within Pinterest pins, blog post images, social media graphics, email headers and all of the other beautiful graphics you’re creating for your blog. I hope these tips spark your creativity and give you some new ideas for utilizing your  You could get away with only using a few branded stock photos for your blog by switching things up with a single image. Doing this creates repetition and will help grow your brand, too!

Looking for great stock photos to represent your killer content? I’ve put together a list of the top 20 places to find stock photos for bloggers. Don’t forget to pin it for later!

1. Unsplash | 2. Pexels | 3. Pixabay | 4. Picjumbo | 5. Burst | 6. Kaboompics | 7. Plixs | 8. StockSnap
9. FancyCrave | 10. Stokpic | 11. Deposit Photos | 12. Ivorymix | 13. Hautestock | 14. Creative Market | 15. Bigstock
16. Oh Tilly | 17. Pixistock | 18. Stocksy | 19. The Hungry JPEG | 20. Shutterstock

I can’t wait to see what you create!

The post 11 Design Hacks to Make the Most of a Stock Photo appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.

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Before You Settle on a Blog Logo…

You need to spend some time learning about your audience. Your blog logo not only represents you, but it also has to resonate with your readers and set the right mood. Who are they? What colors do the like? How do you want them to feel when they visit your website?

Where to Get a Blog Logo

So if you’re here, it’s probably safe to say that you don’t really know where to start when it comes to finding, or maybe even creating your own, blog logo. You probably feel like you don’t have a creative bone in your body and you are likely how can you turn your vision into reality and end up with a blog logo you love.  So, what’s a blogger to do? Well, you have a few options when it comes to a logo for your blog… Let’s jump in!

Design Your Own Logo

If you are the DIY kind of person, you can take a crack at designing your own logo. I know this might sound a little daunting, but if you’re up for a creative challenge, I say go for it!

There are a lot of perks that come with being your own designer. To get started designing your own blog logo, you need to first understand the basic principals of graphic design. You’ll also need some inspiring design elements to work with.

My go-to source for creative inspo is Creative Market. They have lots and lots of logo bundles that are pretty affordable.

Grab a bundle that speaks to you, pick a few of your favorite elements and fonts and start playing around. Create a handful of logos and then narrow down which fits your brand the best. You can even ask your audience what appeals to them in the process.

Learn the Basics of Graphic Design

Want to learn the graphic design basics? Enroll in my free 30 Minute Graphic Design Training where you’ll learn tons of actionable tips for creating more professional-looking visual content. YES, it’s only 30 minutes (cause I know you’re busy!) but you are going to learn SO much! You’ll also get a very brief introduction to six super important graphic design principles that will improve your graphics when you use them.

(Even if you’re not going to DIY, you should still enroll so you have the information for later when you’re going to be needing all kinds of blog graphics!)

Buy a Pre-made Blog Logo

There are also professional designers like Angie Makes or Autumn Lane Paperie who specialize in pre-made logos. A pre-made logo won’t be nearly as unique as having a logo professionally designed, but this is a good middle of the road option if you can’t afford to hire a professional.

Because these logos are designed for nobody in particular, a pre-made blog logo tends to be a bit generic. You also run the risk of someone else having a logo that is very similar to yours.

Use a Logo Design Software like Logojoy

to be completely honest, I am blown away by this website. Although hiring a talented designer to create your dream logo would be ideal, there are times when you just can’t commit to that. LogoJoy makes it easy to get a decent logo for your blog or online business without breaking the bank. Their process is so intuitive; this is all you have to do:

• ​1. Choose five logos that you like from a collection of about 50 pre-made logos.
• 2. Choose 3 colors that you like
• 3. Add a tagline if you’ve got one.
• 4. Search and add up to five symbols that you feel represent your brand. (I typed in “heart” and was amazed at how many different hearts there were for me to choose from!)
• 5. Click continue and wait for the magic to happen!

Logojoy generates what seems like and endless amount of logos based on your direct input. As you scroll, they keep generating logos. You can favorite the ones you like and your results will be changed based on your input. If you change your mind about a color or icon, you can delete it and pick a new one right there and watch in amazement as new logos are created.You can even preview your logo to see what it would look like in the real world on things like tee shirts, mugs, and business cards.You don’t pay until you are satisfied, and logos come with all of the file types you’d receive from a designer. They even provide perfectly sized versions of your logo for social media, and brand guidelines that include the colors and fonts used.I am seriously #mindblown that something like this exists. Go play around!

Hire Somebody to Design Your Blog Logo

The best option for a blog logo is to hire a designer to design one for you. This is the most expensive option, (I know because I am one!) but a good graphic designer will be able to turn your thoughts and visions into reality.

You will probably end up spending anywhere from $300 to $500 for a professionally designed blog logo, but you can be guaranteed that it will be 100% unique. There won’t be another blog or business out there that looks like you.

Whatever route you choose, I wish you all the luck in your online business journey!

The post The Non Designer’s Guide to a Killer Blog Logo appeared first on Kristin Rappaport Creative.