When I first started curating an online image for my work, I constantly felt like nothing really looked good. Things seemed to clash, some photos looked nicer than others, some stuff felt repetitive or even silly to post.

Truthfully though, building a recognizable image is always hard at first. It took me at least a year to get where I am now- but don’t worry!!! It doesn’t necessarily take that long, and it likely won’t for you. I spent months working on styles, color combinations, font choices and photography methods before I finally found what I considered to be *me* simply because I had no idea what I was doing.

This also applies to any form of online branding, and not just knitting/crochet. Be it IG influencing, drop-ship boutiques, or even just for fun. You can definitely apply the information here towards your own work as well!

So here’s a fun little run-down of all my tips to help find your own style in branding and IG curation. No need to take all of it as law- think of it more as a guide towards building what you already have!

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• Colors are everything.

When you think of major brands in today’s age, especially everyday things such as food or retail, there will ALWAYS be a color associated with it. Just think- Home Depot? Classic orange. Taco bell? The iconic bell purple. Walmart? The cute yellow in their little popped logo. Everywhere there is color in branding! It’s a major factor in memory recall, and is what helps keep simplicity extremely recognizable.

So how do we decide on colors for our own brand…?

Best place to start is picking from your own favorite colors.

Picking what you love most out of the rainbow is the best way to want to continuously keep up with your work and personalize your style, without having to worry if it’s something you’ll like long term. (This is coming from someone who is constantly wanting to change things up LOL) For me, the colors I find most striking are greens and pinks. The key though, is deciding on what shades I like most, and how they compliment each other.

Play around with the color wheel, and dig through all the brights, darks, pastels, and muted tones. Not everything will compliment each other, but sometimes those crazy choices are what spark the most interest.

When I was deciding on my own palette, a lot of shades just felt like …. watermelon. Or funky off-color Christmas tones. Eventually, I decided soft muted pinks and more citrusy, bright greens are what look best for my style.

Think about additional colors too once you’ve decided on your main selection. I personally prefer darker colors for fonts, website links, and accents.

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• What’s your personal, IRL style like?

Implementing your own personal taste is another major building block for curating a consistent image.

Branding yourself online feels most natural when you’re true to yourself and your own interests- If you’re super into grunge and alternative styles, super cutesy aesthetics probably won’t be the most entertaining image to hold yourself to. Besides, you won’t feel connected to your own work in the long run trying to be someone you’re not.

I personally love cute things. I love fuzzy textures, lace, cats, pastel colors, my wardrobe consists mostly of dresses, and a lot of the stuff I own comes in the color pink or white. That alone is so much fantastic info to use! But how?

Post about it! Create things that reflect those interests. That’s the best information I can possibly give. Being an authentic-you will draw others with similar interests towards you and your work, leading towards your own little community online within your branding.

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• Find a small niche within your niche to help stand out a little more.

While this does sound incredibly vague, you could easily be the next big trend with a fresh new idea.

For example, within crochet, everyone loves a good granny square. It can be used for anything- blankets, pillows, cardigans, hats, coasters, bags, and so much more. So… think about stuff you haven’t seen yet with a granny square. Pretty hard right?

That’s where brainstorming and getting creative can create something entirely brand new. Don’t be scared to dedicate a notebook or a note file in your phone to all your crazy ideas! Making something entirely unique will become recognizable within your name and brand. It keeps people coming back, as well as finding you for the first time.

When people see it, they’ll wanna know who made it, how they made it, and if there’s anyway they can partake in it too.

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• Learn how to take photos, and edit them with a signature touch.

If you’re on IG, photography is everything. (Which i’m sure you already know that.)

And I mean, absolutely. Everything.

But the best part is, all you need is your cell phone!

I only use my Iphone 11 pro, and the free version of adobe light-room from the app store. That app has been a whole game changer for me, and allows me to bring forward all the colors I love in my brand, and keep my photography light and airy.

Play around on the app with a few pictures, and find what tools you use most. For me, I often edit the lighting of my photos by brightening the black tones and shadows till they’re nearly non existent. My bedroom is pretty dark most of the time with very little natural light, so being able to bring the brighter tones back out is fantastic for me.

Another great tip is to find somewhere that has a very basic background. Maybe you have an empty wall by a window, or a nice white door that often catches sunlight just right. Take some time to wander around your space, and see what captures best  on your phone throughout the day.

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• Build yourself an awesome logo that you love.

Even if it’s just your name in a pretty font you like, having a logo is another big step in being recognizable within your branding.

Canva is an amazing resource to find fonts and build a logo for yourself. I just recently started using it, and it’s a whole world of a difference when making a website or a pretty IG post. The best first step is to just create a new post, type what you want, and just start cycling through hundreds upon hundreds of fonts available.

 I like to screenshot the ones I like most so I don’t lose the name of the font, and it allows me a bunch of choices if I end up changing my mind later!

Don’t hesitate to use all the other endless resources that Canva offers too! You’ll find yourself making so many random things in your free time simply cause it’s fun.

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• Look towards your favorite accounts and artists for inspiration.

(Obviously, don’t steal their ideas and blatantly copy what you see. There’s no fun in that! You could even get in trouble for it.)

But take the time to observe the small details from their work, their branding, website, and IG posts. What catches your eye most? What colors do they use? Is there a reoccurring theme to their aesthetic? Can you recognize their work without their name attached?

Being able to see how others have implemented their personal style is an awesome way to reflect on your own style and taste. If your taste is similar, think about things you can apply towards your branding that screams YOU in a similar manner.

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• Take your time, and make sure real life comes before IG and your brand.

Sometimes, online life takes over. Next thing you know, you haven’t showered, eaten, or fallen asleep when you’re supposed to. Don’t forget you’re human! As fun as it is trying to build a following online, make sure it doesn’t become your whole world.

If you need a break, take a break. Never let your IG insights control you or make you feel as if you need to push harder on content and creating.

I burnt myself out extremely fast in the very beginning of my IG days. I constantly just wanted to push towards selling stuff, getting likes, wanting one more follower than before. It became annoying honestly, feeling stuck on what I wanted to do and how I was gonna do it. I started projects, but couldn’t even finish them because I had such a high standard for myself that clearly wasn’t going to work. After two weeks of doing absolutely nothing due to the overcrowding in my brain, that’s when I finally fell back into my rhythm.

Being healthy and gentle on yourself is what creates the best content in the long run. I promise :)

I hope something written here has been enlightening for you, and helps you with your own brand journey online! Everything takes time, but if you treat your time right, you’ll be set for life. I wish you tons of luck, and if you ever wanna join my lil community, you’re always welcome here.