Branding first!
When you get a bright idea, what's the first thing you do? I know it may sound crazy, but the first thing I do is buy a domain name. The second thing I do is imagine a logo. My improv buddy John Bolden helped me bring my Adored Austin logo to life. I made a prototype in MS Paint (confession: I'm not too great at Photoshop or Illustrator), and John took my idea and made it into my little logo that I still love and use and will continue to use for as long as I do this (which I hope is for the rest of my life!).
When Hubs and I were coming up with The Man Makeover, I did the same thing, except I had sketched the logo on a napkin while on a double date with Hubs' work buddy Eric and his girlfriend Lindsay. I was delighted when Lindsay, who is a young, hip, graphic designer, offered to bring my tiny little sketch to life. She did a great job, and I'm excited to up the ante of the look of The Man Makeover by using this important branding tool:
No matter what your goals of readership are, I think marketing is an important first step and worth looking into. Lindsay owns Small Business Designs and she specializes in branding for independent business owners and bloggers like me. She's independently owned and solely operated, so she knows how important it is to keep rates reasonable. I, myself, am putting in an order for 1000 business cards today (to gear up for SXSW). She quoted me for $40, which is insanely reasonable (the cards are thick, shiny, double sided, and have cute, rounded corners). If you think you're ready to implement some branding tools on your site or for your business, I can't recommend Lindsay enough for your marketing needs. Shoot her a quick message and get a free quote on a logo or business cards. What do you have to lose?
