One of the coolest aspects of personal branding is that it’s entirely up to you. “Artist branding is a very personal thing and should be a true reflection of you as an artist, which really is a reflection of yourself,” says Melanie Severin, a Minted artist from Alberta, Canada.
The digital world (and even traditional sources) is your oyster when it comes to sharing and experimenting with your brand identity. Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr in addition to business cards and event promo materials are great channels for telling your story and connecting with a local or global audience.
If you have a Minted Artist Store, you have a number of ways to curate your persona—via your product assortment, cover image, and the “About Yourself” bio and carousel of up to five 1420 pixel x 640 pixel photographs.
Before you dive into updating your Artist Store and other marketing content, consider our advice for developing your brand identity.
Define Your Brand
If you had to describe the meaning and style of your work in a handful of words and visuals, what comes to mind? Think about these words and visual references as you’re developing copy and photos that best represent you.
Like many artists, Melanie says she’s constantly evolving and growing, but a mix of sophistication and whimsy is the consistent theme in her work. Part of Melanie’s brand includes her personal life—her rural home-based studio, being a mom of three young children (who raise chickens!). “And the fact that I live in Canada and am heavily inspired by nature,” she says.
Melanie’s artistic style varies widely in terms of the different media, color palettes, and disciplines she works in, so it doesn’t make sense for her to show only a limited palette or style in her branding imagery. “But for some, that works very well, and in fact I’ve seen some absolutely stunning Instagram feeds built on a very limited palette or style,” she says.
Get the Lighting Just Right
“Great lighting is everything,” Melanie says, and we couldn’t agree more. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to overspend on lighting equipment.
Perhaps you want your photos to be shot primarily indoors with natural light, or maybe a cloudy outdoor setting perfectly captures your mood and style. Like we said—it’s up to you! Read our DIY photography tips in “10 Tips for Taking Great Photos for Your Artist Store.”
Shoot For the Appropriate Format
The 1420 pixel x 640 pixel dimensions of the Minted Store “About Yourself” photo carousel are long and lean—the opposite of, say, Instagram’s square photos. When planning and styling your photographs, take a step back and leave space to crop in a way that will look best in the long landscape format.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
If you don’t have five great images for your About You carousel, don’t upload five images. In other words, focus on quality over quantity. Because photography reflects consumers’ impressions of your work, Melanie says, “definitely don’t feature any photos that are poor quality, grainy, or out of focus.”
If you’re taking your own photos, we recommend investing in or borrowing a decent camera. You could also do a “trade” with another Minted artist or photographer—you take his or her portraits in exchange for him or her taking your portraits.
Melanie takes most of her own brand photographs, but a fellow Minted artist, Ardell McLennan, also has taken some of the photos in Melanie’s Minted carousel and Instagram feed. “I recommend working with a photographer occasionally for portraits,” she says. “It’s pretty difficult to get good photos of yourself, in your workspace, and in the process of creating.”
Mix It Up
What’s unique about you as an artist? Convey your personality and what makes you stand out with a variety of shots. “Consider what it is about your style and process that might be really interesting and different from others and think of creative ways to capture that in a photograph,” Melanie says.
For the Minted Store About You carousel, we recommend artists show at least one portrait in their creative environment or places that represent their “artist brand,” in addition to at least one photo that depicts their creative process, and styled product shots.
Tell Your Story
“People want to know what inspires you, what your typical workday is like, how and where you create. All of these things become part of your ‘brand,’ in addition to the overall style of the products you create,” Melanie says.
Social media and the artist store photo carousel are great ways to share not only beautiful styled images of your products, but also your day-to-day adventures. Melanie’s biggest goal is to “be herself” and give followers and customers a glimpse into her life and inspirations—and sometimes that’s portrayed with a sense of humor.
“One of my absolute favorite photos in my Instagram feed is of our daughter when she came into my studio dressed as Darth Vader,” Melanie says. “It was a priceless moment that embodies what it’s like for creatives who work from home with children. Sharing these real-life moments with your followers helps connect you with them and makes your work that much more meaningful.”
Write in First-Person Voice
Let the world know it’s you behind your messaging by writing in first-person voice. For example, in your About You bio on your minted store, you could write something like, “I’ve traveled and surfed the world over, and my work reflects my adventures.”
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.