Rachel Overall Consulting

Yesterday I shared with you the key photoshoots you really need to create great content and build a brand that sells. But, if you're investing in a shoot, it's key to plan properly to ensure you get what *you* really need from it.

So, here are my top 5 tips to think about when planning a branding shoot:

➡️ OUTFITS. Plan a range of different outfits which portray the brand image you're looking to create. Think about the colours, textures, style, and what season you want your content to reflect. Do you want to go formal or casual? How can you bring in your brand colours (even through clever use of accessories, like a handbag or scarf?).

➡️ HAIR/MAKEUP/NAILS. Investing in a hair + makeup artist is a great way to ensure you're feeling your best on the day. Get a haircut in advance and book yourself in for a manicure - your hands will often be centre stage, especially in any action-shots with you and your products/services! Create a Pinterest board to guide on the look you want to create.

➡️ LOCATIONS. Plan your locations wisely. Think about places that'll be both on-brand (whether a high-end hotel or a casual coffee shop) and where possible, try to think about the colours too, whether matching your brand palette or opting for a more neutral backdrop. Don't forget some outside shots, and any you may want in your workspace.

➡️ PROPS. Good props are key - whether it's a notepad and pen, your laptop, any books, your phone, a coffee/wine/cocktail, your products, or any materials/items needed in the process of making your products/services.

➡️ PHOTOGRAPHER. Make sure you choose one experienced in capturing branding shoots who can put you at ease and help with the best poses. Make sure too that their photography style aligns with your brand aesthetics - whether light and airy, or dark and moody. And make sure to get both landscape AND portrait shots!

Many think you need a big budget to grow your brand. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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WRONG. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Having previously worked on multi-million pound marketing campaigns for global brands, as well as now working with small brands with little-to-no marketing budget, I know that whilst having a marketing budget can certainly help to accelerate growth it is by no means a necessity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So how can you grow your brand with limited budget?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Email marketing. Growing your email list is one of the most effective and cost-efficient methods of building a relationship with your audience.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ PR! PR is a free and easy way to get more eyeballs on your business.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Grow your socials. Focus on these as relationship-building platforms, engaging with others and posting regularly to grow your audience. Reshare great content as well as providing your own value.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Influencers. Influencers aren't just for big brands - they work well for small brands too. Micro-influencers in targeted niches can work particularly well - carefully pick businesses with similar audiences to your IC and gift them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Word of mouth. Ask for reviews/testimonials from past clients and leverage these to their full potential! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Competitions. Done well, these can be a great way of growing your audience and creating engagement, with minimal investment required.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Regardless of how you market your business or how much you spend, it's important to evaluate and analyse the data to see what is, and what isn't, working. This will allow you to concentrate your efforts where they're most effective.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What have you found to work best for growing your business?

After what has been a pretty relentless few months, I couldn't be more excited to see some of my clients able to reopen today and get back to doing what they love. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Whilst many of my clients run online businesses, this past year has seen me working with a number of owners of salons, boutique stores and PTs, helping them to find ways to diversify their revenue streams and create an income online as well as offline. But with restrictions easing, it's great to see them being able to go back to their bread and butter, opening their doors to their customers once again.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Whilst it's good news for many, I also know how tough it is for those still holding on, particularly my clients in the likes of the events and travel industries. For those still unable to return to business, I hope that this next step in the roadmap at least brings us *all* a little closer to some much-needed normality and brighter times ahead.

With April now upon us, Q2 is here! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a big believer that the devil is in the detail, which is why I offer clients my Brand Deep Dive package - a chance to review their marketing & branding to point out what works well and any potential areas for improvement. Whether it's ensuring that your copy and branding tallies up with your target audience, checking for basics like typos or broken links, or making recommendations for ensuring the best user experience possible, it's a chance to get a fresh set of eyes across all of your key touchpoints to ensure they're working for you and your clients.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Normally priced at £450, this month I'm offering *5* new clients a mini Brand Deep Dive priced at just £250 if booked this month - helping make it accessible to more of you and helping more of you get the new quarter started off on the right foot.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So, what does my new mini Brand Deep Dive package involve?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1) A detailed review of all of your marketing materials (inc website, social channels etc) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2) A written report breaking down what works well (and to do more of!) and any tweaks and areas to focus on in terms of improvement⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3) The option to add on a 1-to-1 call to discuss in more detail ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Want to know more about what's covered? Each report is entirely bespoke, but I'll typically make recommendations on:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Consistency - does everything look and feel the same to your end client?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Content - is your content engaging? Is it relevant? Is your copy correctly targeting your audience?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Branding - does your branding align with your audience? if not, how can we tweak to make it appeal more? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ User experience - any broken links, things to add/remove, etc⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To find out more or to book, email me at [email protected]. What are you waiting for?!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Working with and empowering other women has been something I've long been passionate about. Back in my 9-5, managing a large team of 20+ amazing people, I loved nothing more than coaching and leading women and helping them unlock their confidence, fight for the pay they deserved, and navigate the corporate world of glass ceilings to show off their full potential. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It was this passion that paved the way for me setting up as my own coach and consultant, and now I get to specialise in working with amazing female business owners day in, day out - not only empowering them with the knowledge to grow their brand, but with the confidence to really shine and unlock their full potential. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Across both of my businesses, I'm lucky to be surrounded by so many incredibly talented and wonderful women who continue to inspire and push me every day. Whether it's the brilliant clients I work with who've dared to quit the 9-5 and follow their dreams, or the amazing female photographers, brand designers, tech gurus and copywriters who I collaborate with each day to give my clients the full package required to grow their brand. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I also know that my businesses wouldn't be where they are today without the help and support of other amazing women. After all, whilst setting up a business can at times feel lonely, in reality, it takes a team effort and surrounding yourself by other, like-minded experts is key. Whether it's outsourcing various parts of your business, closely collaborating on projects, or having some close allies who you can go to for help and advice, building yourself a strong support network is the most important thing you can do to succeed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So, this International Women's Day, I want to thank all of the amazing women who've helped me on my journey so far - from my amazing clients to the incredible fellow small business owners who've helped me to create a business I love⚡️

Whilst much of my coaching and consultancy focuses on the 'behind the scenes' of a brand (your brand messaging, your target audience, your marketing plans, your pricing strategy etc), with my Content services I love to help business with the aesthetic side of their brand too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The content you put out is key to attracting more clients (and, most importantly, the *right* clients). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Last year I planned and coordinated a wonderful shoot for a brand new wedding venue to help them create a range of brand assets for use across all of their marketing materials. From concept to ex*****on, it was all about focusing on the little details and building a strong visual identity that would resonate with their audience and drive both enquiries and bookings. These beautiful stationery details were the icing on the cake - hand-drawn illustrations by the talented .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Need help creating content for your brand? Whether it's building a concept for a tailored shoot to create you beautiful brand assets, or helping you to map out a detailed content strategy to get the most from your assets, I love helping small businesses to create strong visual identities.

This question comes up A LOT so I wanted to share some pointers.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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First things first though - 'overnight success' is not a thing (well, very rarely). Growing a brand takes time, effort and patience. But, the good news is there are some key things you can do:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Take the time to do the leg-work up front. Really spend time honing and refining your brand until absolutely you're ready to show it off to the world. Investing the time doing the work here now will always pay off.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Prioritise one or two key channels and do them well. Don't try to do all things at once or get distracted by shiny new things. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Be clear on your purpose - what you want to tell your audience and where you then want them to go/what you want them to go and do.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Show up, every single day. Stick at it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Be consistent. Everything you put out needs to be cohesive - visually, and also in terms of your brand values. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ You may want to consider boosting with paid ads. But, there are plenty of free tips too - like using your contacts or clients to share and refer you. Leverage your existing relationships!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ Be clear on your goals and map out a clear plan on how you want to get there.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Want more help getting a solid launch plan in place? Pop me a DM or an email to find out more about my one-to-one services and how I can help.

Often, when people say they have created a brand, what they really mean is that they've created a logo. But whilst a logo is an important part of your branding, it's so much more than that. So what else is there to think about when building your brand?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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➡️ The fonts you use⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your brand colours⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your language and tone of voice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your brand values - what you stand for⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Any slogans and straplines (think 'Just Do It')⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your content and imagery⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ The company culture⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your brand promise - what you deliver⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ Your brand story⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ The brand experience you give your clients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
➡️ You! (your personal brand)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So, have you created a brand or a logo? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Whilst I help brands work on the strategies and theory side to building a brand, I also love to help them with the visual side too. Building a visual brand identity and having strong brand assets is key to not only building a powerful brand which is easily recognisable and stands out from the crowd, but that also has the power to connect with your audience and reel them in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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From helping clients with choosing brand colours that will evoke the right emotions to creating styled setups and advising on content, it's all an integral part to helping clients build a unique and powerful visual brand identity 💫

Many start their own business because they hate their job. But for me, that was never the case - I actually used to really enjoy my job. I spent 10 years working as a media planner, climbing the corporate ladder. It was work hard, play hard - grafting long hours on creating digital marketing strategies for some of the world's top brands, and there were even times where we would work until the early hours of the morning for weeks on end on shiny new pitches.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The hard work paid off and I climbed the ladder quickly. Within a few years I was managing a large team of over 20 people & working on some of the biggest and best accounts in the company.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But whilst I loved the people side of managing a large team and invested so much time and effort into keeping everyone happy, training as a coach and always ensuring I listened and adapted my style to get the best from each of my team, I was increasingly left to deal with the fall-out of corporate politics, and the feeling that, ultimately, the bosses above me cared about nothing other than profits and squeezing every last drop from their staff.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Each pay rise and promotion, no matter how deserved, had to be fought for tooth and nail. Each late night was expected of you, not appreciated. And with no support from my bosses, I was left feeling devoid of motivation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Whilst I'd always had a pipe dream of one day being my own boss, watching others do a rather terrible job of being bosses only expedited my quest. I loved my job but hated the corporate culture. So I quit.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I made the decision that if I was going to work hard, I wanted to be the one gaining from that. I no longer wanted to have to justify why I should be paid more or feel guilty for wanting work/life balance. So, I stuck two fingers up to the 9-5 & now love helping others do the same.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What was the trigger for you making the leap to set up your own business?

I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions and this year is no different. That being said, I do find the new year a great opportunity to reflect back on what has worked well, and think about what I can do differently. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This year, more than ever, I've recognised the importance of setting clear boundaries - and being stricter with myself in enforcing them. So, to keep myself accountable, here's my plan of action:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Being really clear on my purpose - sticking to what I love, and not deviating. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Outsourcing the rest - conserving my time and energy for the things I do best and that bring me most fulfilment.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Realigning the work/life balance. Making time for what matters and the things that bring me joy, no matter how small.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Working smarter, not harder. Sometimes, less is more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Saying no to people/things that don't serve me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✨ Blocking out the noise, getting my head down and focusing on what really matters.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What are your focuses for the year ahead?