If you own a small business, you probably already know how important design and aesthetics can be.
And social media is no different, now that our timelines are filled with beautifully designed assets (hello, Canva!), bold color palettes, and calligraphy galore. With so much eye-catching content out there, it can be hard to know how to stand out.
Enter Lauren Hom, designer and letterer, who runs her own business designing campaigns for major brands like Adobe and Target. She joined me last week on Instagram Live to share her expertise about how to use design to elevate your business.
Don’t overthink the logo. When starting a business, the logo seems to be people’s number one concern, but Lauren argues it should be one of your lowest priorities. Choose colors you love, make it easy to read, and invest more energy and resources into building a kick-ass website or perfecting your product.
Give that website some love. Lauren refers to websites as “the online brick and mortar storefront.” If you had a physical storefront, you would want it to look so appealing that people would stop in their tracks and walk inside. Your website should have the same effect.
Dare to be unpolished. Yes, being professional and organized is a must. But, if you want people to buy into your brand or product, they first need to buy into you. Infuse your design with your personality and don’t feel tied to maintaining a clean, formulaic aesthetic in your social feed. Throw in a funny meme if the mood strikes you!
Take up real estate on the timeline. Post in the 4:5 vertical aspect ratio whenever possible - it takes up more space in the feed and makes someone more likely to stop scrolling and engage with your content. And be sure that whatever you're posting is legible. Low-effort tricks = high-reward potential.
Make your design irresistible. Design gives context to who you are as a brand and what you do. (Think: A restaurant with candles and white tablecloths vs. a restaurant with mason jars and Edison bulbs.) If you’re selling a product off the shelf, make your design something that would convince a consumer to pick yours over the neighboring competitor product. If you’re an entrepreneur selling a service, your design should clearly communicate your personality and message.
Want to hear more of Lauren’s tips? Check out the full conversation here.
And if you have a business topic you want to cover on my Instagram Live, email nicole@nataliezfat.com!
