So, you just got your hands on your brand new Salsa Photobooth and you're excited to unveil your photobooth business, right? Or maybe you haven't quite made the decision to purchase a photobooth, but you're definitely thinking about it. Either way, the first and most crucial part to setting up your business is developing your brand identity.

Brand identity is more than just a logo, or what you call your company name - it’s how you make people feel when they encounter your brand.

Your brand should encompass everything from your colors, your logo, and it should all be cohesive in your website, your email, and any type of print material you have.

Trying to figure out your brand identity can be overwhelming, but here are a few steps that will make it a little bit easier!

Step One: How Do People Feel?

What kind of feeling do you want to present to your customers when they encounter your business? Is it a feeling of fun? A feeling of professionalism? Maybe a feeling of dark and moody? Think about it and when a word or two come to mind, write them down. 

Step Two: What Kind of Company Are You?

What kind of company do you want to be? Are you a specialty company that uses a photobooth inside of a Volkswagen camper? Perhaps you have a more vintage-vibe? How about ultra modern? Whatever it is that you would like to be as a company, think about it for a minute and write down a word or two. (I promise this will all make sense, stick with me here!)

Step Three: What Kind of Events Will You Do?

The final question that you need to ask yourself is what kind of events you're going to do. I know, I know, you want to maximize your photobooth business and take that fancy new Salsa everywhere - I totally get it. But one of the most important steps in creating a brand identity is to really hone in on one or two specific events that best suit you. Will it be weddings? Corporate events? Bat Mitzvahs or Bar Mitzvahs? Think about it for a minute and, again, write it down.

Pinterest or Instagram

Now that you have a couple of words written down from each step, open up Pinterest or Instagram. If you chose Pinterest, create a board and if you chose Instagram, create a new album on your phone.

Using the words that you wrote down previously, I want you to choose one word from each step, for example: fun, modern, wedding. Now here's the fun part - start searching using those words! When you come across something that you like pin it or screenshot it if you're using Instagram, but also write down why it caught your eye and what it was that attracted you to that picture. Keep doing this with all of the combinations that you have for your words and you should have a really nice collage of images.

 

This is my sample Pinterest board

 

Pull Out Your Primary Color and Send It to a Designer

Once you feel your collage is complete, take a look at it. I'm sure you see some consistent themes, right? Perhaps it's the color or the aesthetic, maybe the overall feel of the image. Look through your collage of photos and pull out the primary color that you see.

 

Once you have chosen the primary color that you would like to use for your business you should send both the color and your Pinterest board or Instagram collage over to a designer to help create your brand identity. Don't worry, if you can't afford a professional designer there are a ton of very affordable options on 99Designs or Fiverr. 

Naming Your Company

Naming your company is one of the most fun, but also challenging parts of brand identity because there are so many options! You could call it SnapClick Photobooth... but you probably shouldn't. In general, you should try to avoid words like snap, click, smile, cheese, etc. These words have been overused by many other companies and when potential clients try to find your business online it can prove to be challenging. 

You want to keep your name extremely original. Maybe you have a dog you want to use, or there is something specifically from your brand identity exercise that is consistent in your board.

In general, keep your name unique, but memorable. This way people are able to remember your company's name, but your also able to be found easily online when someone searches for you on Google. Regardless, this is your company so have fun!

---

Ready for the next step of Starting a Photobooth Business? Check out this article here where we go into detail about the importance of having a website and online presence. Alternatively, download our free eBook and read about these steps on the go!