Business Tip #2: Photoshop To The Top [An Owners Guide To Not Screwing Everything Up]

Lessons I've learned along the way, so you don't have to.

Hello Steemers,

Welcome to my second post. If you are looking for the BEST business content, how to read and analyze your market, write the perfect business plan and steps to properly make your first million, YOU HAVE COME TO THE WRONG PLACE. Instead, I will teach you things I've learned along my way to get where I am now. Things that if I would have done right the first time or would have known, would have shaved days, months, or even years off my journey. Along with a ton of headaches!

Tip #2: Photoshop To The Top

You can have the best product or service ever invented, but if your graphics don't match the quality of your product, or their price point, you have a BIG PROBLEM. Perception is everything in business. From product packaging to what you post on your social media channels, people will be paying attention. What you post and what you create is now your image, or your brand, so what better way to invest in your company than learning how to design, particularly with Photoshop and illustrator.

Tips to get you going.

Currently, we are paying monthly for a program called Adobe Creative Suite, with cloud programs Photoshop and Illustrator. You will pay more for this service in the long haul since you will never own it per say, but its a convenient way to go without having to fork up a ton of money up front for the programs, so highly recommended if you're on a budget.

(Image pulled from KelvinDesigns on Youtube)

Photoshop and Illustrator both have their strengths and weaknesses, but I wont get into all of them. Instead Ill just tell you what we currently use them for at the intermediate level.

Photoshop:
Use for: Editing pictures. Ie. resizing, cropping images or backgrounds, color adjustments, web banners, etc.

Illustrator:
Use for: Hi resolution vector images. Ie. for logos, text or graphics that you need to look crisp no matter what size you make them.

Specific lessons on how to use both can be found on social platforms such as Youtube and of course here on Steemit.

What to stay away from while youre designing.

Take a magazine and tear out five full page ads from that magazine. If it's a reputable magazine and has large companies advertising, you will notice they all have something in common (besides the obvious crisp design). If you were to take each full page ad, and place them on the wall in the other room adjacent to you, you will notice that even though the ad is 50 feet away from you, you still can tell what the ad is trying to promote and portray. This is what you want to accomplish in every ad you create. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but 95% of your designs should try to accomplish this. Moral of the story, DO NOT CLUTTER YOUR DESIGNS! The less busy the better. And remember, the attention span of your customer is very small, so concentrate on one of two things in your designs and get to the rest later.

Here's an example of a BAD advertisement design. Who designed this crap? Me! Well, little me about 12 years ago fresh out of highschool with no marketing or business experience. Cluttered, bad colors, and no focal point. Basically do don't do this.

Here's an example of a BETTER advertisemnt I designed. Noticed it's clean, good colors and with a focal point. Still not the best, but a lot better none the less.

Moral of the story.

If you don't have the money to hire an expensive designer, odds are you will be designing and creating content yourself. This is a great way to save money, however use caution. Remember, whatever you create and promote WILL become your brands image, so get good at it right away!

Comment below with Topics you'd like hear next!

Hope you enjoyed!!

Bryan

About The Author:
*Bryan F., 33 years old, CEO of Lip RipperZ inc (Brands Lip RipperZ and Bass Dynasty).
*Fishing tackle products sold to 1200+ locations around the USA.
*Sole Proprietorship 2004-2008. Incorporated 2008-Current
*Instagram: @BassDynasty @LipRipperZinc @wolves_of_fishstreet (personal)
*Facebook: @BassDynasty @LipRipperZinc
*Youtube: @LipRipperZinc