Knowing how to make your brand stand out is so important when building a side hustle that you not only want to be successful but also sustainable.

Although building a memorable brand doesn’t happen overnight, as I’ve written about before, the ROI is totally worth it — not only does a unique brand help you differentiate your side hustle, but it also gives your business credibility, value and an overall competitive edge. It’s a win-win!

But with so many people now embracing the multi-hyphenate life and starting their own side hustles, let’s be honest:

Knowing how to stand out in an often crowded market has become the ultimate challenge.

And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years through my own experience building a brand that stands apart from other designers’, it’s this:

Creating a memorable brand online is one thing, but knowing how to make your brand stand out offline…Well, that’s something else entirely.

While I’ll never say that digital brand-building is a walk in the park — because it isn’t — it definitely has opportunities that can make it easier than trying to market your brand offline. The reality is that there are just so many advantages to digital marketing that you just don’t have in the non-virtual world, including:

Search engine optimization (SEO)

With the right back-end setup, optimized content and bit of strategy, you have the potential to get your brand in front of millions of people around the world — all without having to leave the comfort of your home or office.

Social media

Like SEO, social media is a powerful tool that you can use to raise awareness of your brand and reach a large audience online. Not to mention, when you have the right strategy and content to support it, social media is also a great way to make your brand stand out from your competitors’.

Data and analytics

The more you build your digital footprint, the more opportunities there will be to use real-time data to better understand your audience, their behaviours, pain points, needs, buying trends and more. Just about every online platform, from social media to email marketing to a website, includes some sort of built-in analytics, and you can always use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to dive even deeper into the numbers. This is an instant benefit that, unfortunately, you just can’t get when marketing your business offline.

Real-time engagement

One of the best things about online marketing is the opportunity you have to connect and engage with your audience, both directly and instantly. While social media is probably the best-known platform for this, you can also engage with your target audience through email marketing, blog post writing and influencer marketing, just to name a few.

Paid advertising

Contrary to popular belief, paid advertising isn’t as quick and easy as it sounds. Not only does it take some trial and error, but you also need to have a general understanding of algorithms and keywords. That said, when done properly, paid advertising can give your side hustle immediate visibility and measurable results, while helping you boost brand awareness, drive traffic to your online channels and increase overall conversions.

These are just some of the advantages that come with digital marketing. But of course, none of this is to say that you can’t still find ways to make your brand stand out offline.

If you want to make your brand stand out offline, there are three types of print marketing collateral that are sure to do the trick.

As a brand designer, with every project, one of my goals is to dig deep into my clients’ brands to identify their unique value proposition (UVP) — that is, the “secret sauce” that sets them apart from their competitors and peers. For some clients, this might be a unique service they offer, while for others, it could be a memorable experience they create. Whatever it is, once I find my clients’ UVP, my next goal is to find a way to visually express it in the brand’s visual identity.

Over the years (and several projects later!), what I’ve found is that, through print marketing collateral, there are many opportunities to communicate a brand’s UVP creatively and memorably — here are three of them:

Branded Stickers

Depending on your brand, stickers might be a type of print marketing collateral that you want to consider.

Branded stickers are a fun and versatile way to make your brand stand out. You can think of them as mini billboards, in the sense that they help spread your brand’s message wherever they’re placed. When well-designed, stickers can capture your brand’s personality and appeal to your target audience, which makes them more likely to be used on everyday things like laptops, water bottles or notebooks.

A great thing about branded stickers is that they’re generally cost-effective, which makes them a great option for side hustles that are just starting out. For example, I worked with the team at StickerCanada to order my own set of custom-branded stickers, and for $79, I got 100 standard vinyl stickers. I wasted no time placing them on my MacBook, iPad and notebook, and I also shared them with family and friends (aka my brand ambassadors!) to do the same.

On-Brand Business Cards

Business cards are probably the most popular type of print marketing collateral, but I’ll be the first to say that they aren’t necessary for every side hustle. For example, if you’re an online business that delivers its services completely remotely, you probably don’t do a lot of in-person networking and therefore don’t need business cards.

But that said, there’s still value in business cards; not only are they professional, but they’re also a super convenient way to share your contact information (without awkwardly having to ask the person pull out their phone!). But on top of being professional and convenient, business cards also signal to potential customers that you’re serious about your side hustle. And for side hustles that are just starting out and don’t have an established online presence, they’re a great way to get your name out there!

But with so many business cards changing hands, it’s important that yours be well-designed and reflect your brand’s UVP. This can be done through elements such as colour, texture, copy or even the shape of your card (No, not all business cards have to be rectangular!).

The most important thing to remember is that, your business card will often be the first intro to your side hustle, so not only do you want it to make a lasting first impression, but you also want to make your brand stand out.

When creating these business cards for Meticulous Touch Home Services Inc., it was important that the design be bright and feel fun and positive, in keeping with the brand’s values.

Brand Patterns

For side hustles that want to be memorable, a brand pattern is a great investment with strong ROI. While this design asset can go a long way in elevating your online presence, it’s also a great piece of print marketing collateral.

Brand patterns help create a cohesive and recognizable identity. They can be made up of shapes, colours or symbols, and can be used across many digital marketing channels, including websites and social media. But they’re also a strong addition to print marketing collateral like packaging, labels, postcards, business cards and more.

When you incorporate a unique pattern into your branding, not only can you enhance your brand’s professionalism, but you also create a distinct look that can make your brand stand out.

The Flaming Wick is a hand-poured candle brand that uses a distinct brand pattern to make its packaging and labels stand out.

Are you ready to make your brand stand out?

In today’s crowded and competitive side-hustle market, it’s important that your brand be able to stand apart from your competitors and peers. If you’re done with blending in and are ready to give your side hustle the recognition it deserves, you’ve come to the right website. Send me an email at hey@mightybean.co or fill out my contact form, and let’s chat about how we can elevate your side hustle with main-gig energy!