Kestrel Creative

11/03/2022

Welcome to Kestrel Creative! 🌸 We are a boutique design studio that provides brand development and design services specifically tailored for small business owners.

Our inbox is open for custom requests and developing new client relationships, nationwide. We look forward to partnering with you!

Learn more about us and submit your inquiry at: www.kestrelcreative.co ✨

Kestrel Creative is a woman-owned boutique design studio that provides brand development and web design services specifically tailored for small-business owners who want to differentiate their brand in an era of digital clutter and impersonal solutions.

07/03/2022

⚠️ Stop building your business on a platform you don't own.

What do we mean by that? We're glad you asked. 😎 Remember all those times businesses freak out when Facebook and/or Instagram crashes? Or when we're threatened with a ban of TikTok?

You have zero control over those platforms. If you have pigeonholed yourself into only operating on those, this is your wake up call to expand into something you do control.

Our answer is to have your own standalone business website, ideally complete with email marketing lists and campaigns (if relevant). You'll always be able to reach your customers, no matter what Mark Zuckerberg is doing (or not doing).

Not sure where to start? Can't tell your Square from your Squarespace or your Wix from your Wordpress? No worries, we're always happy to help. Reach out today and let's get started! ✨

28/02/2022

🙅‍♀️ : "We just need a new logo."

If you're new around here, we're big believers that "brand" is WAY more than just a logo.

Yes, your visuals are a substantial part of what your business' brand is, buuuut it's not the only pillar you need to stand on. Our clients are provided with a firm foundation of visuals, voice, experience, and strategy. You can't just have a logo without any substance to back it up.

Don't believe me? Consider the fashion brand Hollister for a minute. What comes to mind? For us, it's dark stores, pumping music, trendy clothes, and strong cologne smells. Whether you support them or not, you remember your experience with that brand. If they just had their flying seagull icon, how would that brand change?

Now consider: how does your audience experience your brand? Do you have (or need) more substance than "just a logo"? Drop us a line, we'd love to chat. ✨

21/02/2022

Your Monday moment of zen brought to you by Kestrel Creative. 😌 This makes us wish we sold physical goods, so we could wrap them up in beautiful patterned tissue paper 👀

14/02/2022

Design without direction is art. Design focused by business objectives is a brand.

We've talked about branding your business, but now let's talk about YOU, the brains behind the operation. ✨ What outward persona do you show to the world? What do you value? How do you talk to people? Most importantly, is that aligned or conflicting with your business?

Consider the four pillars we have discussed (voice, visuals, experience and strategy) to develop a personal brand complementary to your business brand. Ideally, your personal voice and the business voice are aligned and combine to elevate your business value, attract clients, and fuel your growth potential.

Create authority, authenticity and expertise around the way your business operates by backing it to you, the person behind it all. Because after all - it's your business.

07/02/2022

Are you sick of us saying that your brand is more than just your logo? 🙈

There are four pillars of branding success: experience, voice, visuals and strategy. Your logo is just one element of your visuals.

For a well-rounded brand, we recommend all clients nurture all four quadrants. You have to be intentional with your strategy: your design choices, your words used, the experience you are creating for your target audience, the tone you speak to them.

Which quadrant do you think you could improve? Let us know, we'd love to help! 🌸

31/01/2022

Pro tip: don't use 30 hashtags in your posts.

Remember when we talked about hashtags not being the perfect silver bullet for your business? They are useful, if used properly.

Keep your tags concise and focused on your values, services/products, and target audience. Unique, niche tags are better than general ones where you'll get lost in the void. Fine tune which few really speak to your business and hone in on those. You won't regret it. ✨

24/01/2022

You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression.

Studies have shown that humans can determine "visual appeal" within 50 milliseconds. For comparison, a blink lasts about .1 seconds, or 100 milliseconds. Humans make decisions in HALF the time it takes us to blink, and we do it without pausing to think about it.

It's every snap judgement you've ever made without realizing it. It's the difference between a user staying on your site or moving on. It's the reason why good branding matters. 💡💪

17/01/2022

🙅‍♀️ : "Hashtags are the best way to grow your business on social media."

There's a lot to understand when it comes to hashtags, and social media in general. But to assume hashtags are going to be the silver bullet in your business' online presence? No, no, no.

While they can absolutely help, hashtags are NOT the most important part to your online growth and long-term success.

What's more important? I'm glad you asked. 🔥

Instead of relying only on hashtags to grow, especially on Instagram, we encourage our clients to consider (1) clarity, (2) content, (3) connection and (4) consistency.

Who can you help? How can you help them, and why? How are you solving a problem? Are you connecting with others and building relationships?

10/01/2022

Unpopular opinion time: please don't use Canva.

While a great introduction to graphic design, Canva's stunning templates and ease-of-use come at a massive trade-off. 👉 You do NOT own these designs. 👈 If you take a look at their terms of service, Canva legally owns anything you make on their platform.

So, when you think you can design your company's logo or collateral on Canva and own all the rights to that hard work... think again.

When considering branding and design, we recommend working with a trusted professional. We personally do all of our design work within the Adobe suite, and our clients always get the rights to all of their respective work. Always.

03/01/2022

How do you know when your business is ready to hire or outsource for social media management?

From our lens, the biggest factor is that you simply don't have the time (or desire) to do it yourself anymore. ⏳

Instead of letting it fall by the wayside, we highly recommend keeping your online growth and social media momentum going with another set of hands. Just because your business is growing in new, exciting ways doesn't mean you should let a pillar of that growth go away.

Ready to outsource? Shoot us a message, we'd be happy to help. ✨