Heather DeVine, Author at Transcend Ideas

How to Give Back to Nonprofits During the Holidays: A Guide for Businesses

Posted on September 26, 2024 - 2:38 pm by Heather DeVine

Give Back to Nonprofits During the Holidays - A Guide for Small Businesses

As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving is in the air. Businesses have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities during this time of year.

At Transcend Ideas, supporting local nonprofits is a core value of ours. This year, we were a sponsor for GAP!’s Annual Luncheon and helped support some of our favorite organizations, ABC – Above and Beyond the Classroom and Valley of Tetons Library & Teton Arts, through the Community Foundation of Teton Valley’s Tin Cup Challenge.

Here’s why businesses should consider donating to nonprofits during the holidays and throughout the year:

Benefits of Giving Back

Build a positive reputation and create impact in your community
Boost employee morale and engagement
Allow your business to engage with the community in a meaningful way
Enjoy potential tax benefits

Identifying the Right Nonprofits

When deciding how to give back, consider the following:

Which nonprofits align with the values and mission of your business or you personally?
What causes do your employees care about?
Remember that local giving can have an even greater impact on your community.

Donation Strategies to Give Back

There are several ways businesses can support nonprofits:

Direct Monetary Donations: Write a check and donate directly to a cause or nonprofit.
Donate a Portion of Sales: For example, local coffee shops in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley donate a portion of Pumpkin Spice Latte sales to People Spread Love each fall.
Year-Round Giving: Consistent support throughout the year can create a greater impact. Consider setting up a recurring monthly donation.
Fundraising Events: Organize or co-organize a fundraising event for a nonprofit like “Pilates and Puppies” where Core Studio, a pilates studio in Teton Valley invites patrons to enjoy a pilates class with adorable puppies from Aska’s Animals Foundation.
In-Kind Donations: Contribute non-monetary goods, services, time, or expertise.
Volunteer Time: Offer paid time off for employees to volunteer.
Discounted Rates: Offer discounted services to nonprofit clients. For example at Transcend Ideas we offer non-profits 20% off our services!
Participate in #GivingTuesday: Join the global giving movement on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 and give in a way that best aligns with you.

Spreading the Word and Setting an Example

In addition to direct giving, businesses can support nonprofits by:

Sharing information about the nonprofits you support on your business’s social media channels
Encouraging your employees to get involved and support the causes they care about
Providing a community board in your brick-and-mortar location for nonprofits to share their messaging

Remember, while holiday giving is commendable, consistent support throughout the year can create an even greater impact. By incorporating these strategies, your business can make a meaningful difference while strengthening its community ties.

Do you want to increase your holiday giving in the Tetons and aren’t sure where to start? Reach out to our team and we’re happy to share community resources and non-profits we work with in our every day work to channel your charitable giving to where it can make the biggest impact.

Running a Successful Fundraising Campaign

Posted on August 29, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

How to Run a Successful Fundraising Campaign

Old Bill’s Fun Run is a local philanthropic fundraising race in Jackson Hole that is quickly setting the standard for what community wellness can look like in rural areas. The mission of Old Bill’s is to highlight the critical work and increase funding to local non-profits. This includes funding to support public health, reach marginalized populations, and support emergency service work in Teton County. Bringing the community together over shared philanthropy creates stability in a mountain community that can often be in motion. Strategic messaging can bolster and increase the credibility of your non-profit mission. The Old Bill’s fundraiser and community race every Fall is the perfect platform for you to raise awareness and tell the story of your non-profit.

Old Bill's Fun Run race. Via: Old Bills Fun Run — via Old Bill’s Fun Run

Old Bill’s Fun Run has poured funding into nonprofits in the community since 1997. Philanthropic events like Old Bill’s Fun Run center their mission around the community. Did you know that there are more than 200 non-profits that serve Teton County, WY! This community, like most all over the country, has its setbacks, challenges, and barriers. We also know that when we amplify non-profits they pour back into the community.

This guide will hopefully help you tackle a fundraising campaign, similar to Old Bill’s Fun Run. It can be a daunting task to stand out among the rest, but it is possible!

Preparing Your Marketing and Fundraising Campaign:

1. Target Market Audience

Who is your audience and where do they spend their time? Your donors may be a bit older and may not be a social media like your younger audience may like to spend their time. Plan to add targeted ads to your strategy for an impactful campaign and explore more platform like radio, newspaper, and digital ads on popular community websites.

2. Set a Clear Budget for Fundraising

There is a fine balance between making an impact with your ad spend versus unintentionally wasting marketing funds that could’ve been used strategically on other goals in your campaign. Having a clearly defined marketing budget, that includes an advertising budget for print and digital media, will help your organization to move more efficiently through the length of your marketing campaign.

3. Get Real and Tell the Story

Tell your impact story in the campaign. A non-profit’s mission is only as effective as the lives that it elevates. Empowering people and enriching the lives of the locals who serve a community is the goal of any non-profit. It becomes critical to make your brand story authentic and believable with your marketing to build trust with viewers.

Building a strong narrative that is supported by high-quality imagery, testimonials, consistent brand identity, compelling storytelling, and messaging lends itself to an authentic and honest story. If you can pierce your audience emotionally with the impact you are creating for real people – you can fund the mission of a non-profit servicing Teton County.

4. Pacing Your Campaign

Prepare your media and scheduling (for the most optimal time) can be a critical part of your campaign visibility. Do you have a plan for preparing, organizing, and scheduling the media for your campaign? Whether you are utilizing supportive graphics, photos or videos, having them prepared and ready to go will help keep the rhythm of your campaign steady and consistent.

Rising Together with Strategic Fundraising Campaigns

Intentional preparation and attending to the 4 key steps listed above can help your campaign run successfully. We rise together by funding service industry work and supporting every non-profit’s success. Consider donating to support the livelihood of the individual stories that hold up the economy in Jackson Hole. Together, we can make a difference!

Donate via Old Bill’s

Interested in working with Transcend Ideas for your non-profit campaign in 2025? Reach out to our team and let’s get coffee!

Meet Heather Rodgers

Posted on August 23, 2024 - 5:08 pm by Heather DeVine

Heather Rodgers is the newest member to the Transcend Ideas team! She will offer support with her design and copywriting skills. She shares a little about herself in this Q&A below.

Heather Rodgers Q & A

1. What are your favorite projects to work on and how do you want to grow professionally?

I would say my favorite projects all focus on helping small brands grow through my designs, especially when I have lots of creative freedom. I love using vibrant colors and organic elements in my designs. Branding and logo design are among my top favorites. Professionally, I want to grow by expanding my skill set. As a self-taught graphic designer, it’s incredibly exciting for me to keep learning and evolving in my craft.

2. Where do you pull inspiration from for creative work?

I am consistently inspired by nature and spending time in the mountains. There’s something about being outside that sparks my creativity. I also love checking out the work of other talented designers and artists. They really motivate me to keep pushing my own boundaries.

3. What’s a bucket list item you’ve held off on completing for years and when do you hope to complete it?

l’ve always wanted to learn how to surf, but I’ve never lived close to the ocean or anywhere good for surfing. Maybe one day soon, I’ll finally get to go to a surfing camp or something like that!

4. What small object in your house means the most to you and why?

I have two small paintings from my grandmother that mean the world to me. She’s an incredibly talented artist, and her work has always inspired me. I treasure these paintings and look at them every single day.

5. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to amplify their messaging and brand?

My advice is to really get to know your ideal audience. Make sure every image, graphic, and bit of copy you put out there resonates with how your target audience will perceive it. It’s easy to lose sight of your core message when you’re so close to it, which is why getting some outside support, like from a team like Transcend Ideas, can make a huge difference. They can help you nail down and communicate what makes your brand unique. And remember, consistency is key—keeping your branding clear and recognizable across the board will help your message stick.

6. How do you like to spend your free time?

I love spending my free time outdoors, with my boyfriend and pup, Zeus. We are always planning weekend adventures.

7. Who keeps you inspired and why?

I’ve been fortunate to meet many creative and talented people throughout my life. My grandmother, as mentioned, is a huge inspiration to me. I also admire the work and entrepreneurship of many of my friends and family. I feel really lucky to connect with so many driven and amazing individuals.

8. What’s your favorite life lesson you’ve ever learned and held on to?

One of my favorite life lessons is to trust the process. Not everything falls into place right away, and that’s okay. It’s important to stay patient and keep moving forward, even when things don’t go as planned.

9. What are you grateful for? What are you hopeful for?

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work creatively and for the support of my family and friends. I’m hopeful for continued growth, both personally and professionally, and to keep finding new opportunities that challenge and inspire me.

10. What are you proud of right now?

Right now, I’m proud of how much I’ve grown as a designer, especially being self-taught. I’ve been able to work on projects that I love and help small brands grow, which is really rewarding.

Would you like to work with Heather Rodgers? Reach out to our team to get in contact with Heather and discuss a future project for you! Find more of Heather’s work at her site https://kinddesignco.com and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinddesignco_/.

Make Your Content Stand Out in 2024

Posted on August 14, 2024 - 2:43 pm by Heather DeVine

The internet evolves at lightning speed. ⚡️

Trends from a decade ago are long forgotten, and even last year’s sensations have faded. With countless accounts competing for attention across numerous platforms, standing out in this saturated digital landscape demands a more strategic approach than ever before.

When looking at social media forecasts and predicted trends, it’s important to remember that anticipating future trends is always a challenge. For example, today I created a meme for a client based on Olympic pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik’s bronze medal-winning routine—a twist I never would have predicted last week.

However, we can do our best to observe where momentum is shifting. Staying ahead of trends and paying close attention to emerging patterns is crucial for success in content marketing. Effective content serves as a powerful tool for small businesses to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive sales. So, what might be in store for 2024?

A Few Ways to Make Your Content Stand Out in 2024:

1. Videos are King

In the visual-centric world of social media, video content continues to reign supreme. Short-form videos, live streams, and interactive videos are all particularly effective at capturing audience attention.

2. Embrace the Power of Authenticity

Audiences in 2024 crave genuine content that feels real and relatable. Don’t shy away from showing the human side of your brand. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, customer success stories, or even the occasional blooper to build trust and foster deeper connections.

3. Optimize for Short Attention Spans

With the rise of platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, short-form content is more popular than ever. Get to the point quickly with a strong hook, break complex ideas into bite-sized chunks, and use visually appealing graphics. Apply this to written content too by breaking up blogs and newsletters into lists and highlighting key points.

4. Provide Value-Driven Content

Your audience is looking for solutions to their problems. Focus on a strategy that educates your audience on industry-related topics, offers practical tips and actionable advice, and addresses common customer pain points.

5. Leverage the Power of Storytelling

Humans are wired to respond to stories. Use narrative techniques to share your brand’s journey and values, highlight customer experiences and testimonials, and create emotional connections with your audience.

6. Experiment with Interactive Content

Engage your audience by encouraging participation. Try incorporating polls, quizzes, user-generated content challenges, and live Q&A sessions or AMAs (Ask Me Anything) to boost engagement.

7. Diversify Your Content Formats

While video may reign supreme, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Mix it up with engaging blog posts, eye-catching infographics, podcast episodes, and interactive webinars or workshops.

8. Stay Platform-Savvy

Each social media platform has its own quirks and best practices. For Instagram, focus on creating visually stunning Reels and Stories. On LinkedIn, share industry insights and thought leadership content. For TikTok, tap into trends and create entertaining, snackable content.

9. Embrace AI-Assisted Creativity

While maintaining that human touch, consider using AI tools to generate ideas, optimize your posting schedule, and analyze performance data to refine your strategy.

10. Don’t Forget the Basics

In the rush to stay trendy, remember these timeless principles: consistently post high-quality content, engage with your audience through comments and messages, and use relevant hashtags to increase discoverability.

Remember, the key to standing out in 2024 isn’t just about following trends—it’s about understanding your unique audience and delivering content that resonates with them. Keep experimenting, analyzing your results, and refining your approach. With persistence and creativity, your content will shine bright in the crowded digital landscape.

At Transcend Ideas, we’re passionate about helping brands create messaging that truly connects. Whether you’re looking to revamp your content strategy or need a fresh perspective on your brand’s voice, we’re here to help you transcend the ordinary and make your mark in 2024 and beyond.

Ready to elevate your content game? Let’s chat about how we can bring your brand’s unique story to life!

From Burnout to Balance: Rebuild Empathy When Faced with Compassion Fatigue

Posted on June 18, 2024 - 3:41 pm by Heather DeVine

How are you doing managing the stresses in your life and with maintaining compassion? There are 3 key indicators for you to do a self-assessment to see where you reside on your empathy health, also called the 3 A’s of Compassion Fatigue. The ABCs of Compassion Fatigue are Awareness, Balance, and Connection.

Non-profit and service-industry work is exhilarating when you feel like you are making a tangible difference in your community. Compassion fatigue results when there is a loss in your ability to nurture effectively when catering to others’ physical and emotional pain. Often, the demands of service-oriented industries can take a hit on our energy levels and the risk of burnout is real. Executive Directors and limited staff members have to wear the hat of many different roles in an organization and run on limited funds and time to make critical services available. The work is meaningful but the pressure can be intense if not effectively managed. If the distinction between another person and yourself becomes blurred and the emotional pain of the other is taken on as one’s own, you could be at risk for fatigue. If not effectively managed, compassion fatigue can have negative physical, mental, and emotional repercussions.

Many service providers and caretakers don’t realize when they are facing compassion fatigue. The condition can be surrounded by feelings of helplessness and powerlessness with patients or family, reduced feelings of empathy and sensitivity, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by work demands, feeling detached or numb, and loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy.

Rebuilding Empathy: Combatting Compassion Fatigue. Image of therapist and a client.

Do You Know How to Manage Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue affects everyone. The trick is finding a meaningful way to anticipate and work with the fatigue that will enhance your ability to combat it. We’re here to bring awareness to the most important step in any position is to take care of yourself. To heal the healer reinforces the fortitude needed to get back to the demands of work by incorporating the ABC’s of compassion fatigue: Awareness, Balance, and Connection into our regular routines.

Awareness

Building awareness of and taking action is the first step needed when recentering yourself in responsibilities. Your ability to attune to when you are out of sync is key to knowing when to take action and make a needed change. Your awareness skills will grow the more you recognize when your compassion is waning thin. ****Take a moment to step back and breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Is there any tension in your body? Taking intentional moments throughout your work day, on days off, or when with others – take your minds off of the demands and find where sources of stress may lie; whether they be physically with tension throughout your body or mentally with distractions and disruptive thoughts and get curious with the sources of stress.

Balance

Is your day a never-ending list of demands? Effective planning can help you find a balance between what can stay and what needs to go from your priorities in a day. Write out a list of everything that requires your presence in a day and write a secondary list alongside this to how you will ‘balance’ out the responsibilities on your plate to stay grounded through your every day. Finding balance can be as simple as stepping outside in the middle of your work day and taking a moment to be present with beautiful surroundings.

Connection

Isolation has started to dominate our existence in the past few years. From the pandemic to streaming subscriptions, it has become more convenient to enjoy the comforts of home. Rather than venturing out and forging meaningful connections with people in your community, people often opt out. The discomfort it takes to find a routine outside of your home is well worth the relationships you gain. There are so many people to meet with different backgrounds and views on the world. Even from the comforts of home, we often remain disconnected and distracted. Spending meaningful time with the ones we love is where we can find the most empowering healing.

Rebuilding Empathy: Combatting Compassion Fatigue. Image of tired doctor sitting on the floor in a hospital hallway.

Live Empowered in Your Compassionate Roles

Keep the 3 ABC’s of Compassion Fatigue front of mind as we roll into the busy summer months. Remember to foster awareness, find balance, and build connections in your life to stay above overwhelm. Your ability to find a manageable pace of working with stressors will impact how you show up in your community. Sharing the tools to combat compassion fatigue will help us build more resilient communities and empower our non-profits to thrive!

Need an effective management plan for your non-profit marketing? Transcend Ideas would love to support your organization. Let’s get coffee and discuss the compassionate messaging goals for your organization.

Creating a Fundraising Game Plan For Your Non-Profit

Posted on April 19, 2024 - 11:26 am by Heather DeVine

Fundraising for nonprofits is exciting when the money is rolling in, but more often than not, it can feel like a tireless and thankless job. To aid the campaign process, we appreciate the content that Donorbox, a fundraising platform, presented in a recent webinar, helping to simplify the steps for nonprofit employees to regain joy in community work.

Send Tax Donation Receipts

The end of the year often ends in a blur of business tasking to wrap up the quarter’s work. One crucial addition to that list is remembering to send tax donation receipts. Remember a short thank you note, as well, to every donor who supported your organization via mail or email goes a very long way.

Goal Setting for Your Non-Profit

Non-profit work can feel like it pulls your attention and time in a hundred different places. Goal-setting can help determine the direction and impact you hope to make. Does your organization tune everything back to the mission statement?

Here are some goal related questions you should be asking:

What kind of impact does your organization hope to make?
Are you working on a small scale or large scale?
Do you hope to increase donor retention or start generating donations this year?

After determining the organization’s goals, the types of fundraising needed and the tactics to be used will become apparent. This can help save time in the long-run as you can make decisions clearly and efficiently regarding budgets and tasking. Outline a budget and financial items that need to be accomplished within a given timeframe and follow through with delegating tasks to volunteers or board members of your non-profit to find the success you are looking for.

Organizational Goal Planning For Non-Profit

Fundraising

There are a variety of ways that a non-profit can receive funding. Fundraising tactics include peer-to-peer, crowdfunding, events, corporate donations, and more. Always keep track of all the moving parts when running non-profit operations and managing donation money. Start with what are the steps when dealing with fundraising for a non-profit.

Donorbox has 5 key steps they call the 5 A’s of Ask:
attract, ask, acknowledge, account, again.

It’s important to put effort into attracting donors, but equally crucial to continually seek donations, publicly acknowledge donors, account for funds in financial records, and consistently maintain these practices to nurture meaningful donor relationships.

In your fundraising efforts, creating fundraising goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) helps to focus on real ways planning can make a difference with your organization. These smart goals can also be called KPIs or key performance indicators. KPI’s are quantitative measurements of donor retention, average money raised from a donor, monthly donors, new donors, etc.

Volunteer getting fundraising signatures

Communication Touch Points With Donors

Fundraising Trends:

Maintaining a positive relationship with donors is crucial for maximizing your non-profit’s impact. Achieve this by consistently demonstrating the value your organization offers in stewardship and the lives it impacts. This will attract more individuals whose personal values align with your mission.

Some of the trends that are emerging in the non-profit fundraising world include a focus on donor trust and experience. CharityWater had a brilliant idea to use VR headsets to allow donors to be immersed in a virtual reality showing African women walking buckets of water to the river and back, showcasing what the value a monetary donation would hold.

As we delve into a new generation of digital technology, using AI for fundraising will prove to be a smart pivot in your organization strategy. Other smart trends include cashless giving, alternative currencies, and experience-based fundraising.

Community Fundraisers in Jackson Hole

Locally in the Jackson Hole region, there are two events that bring non-profit fundraising to the next level with community engagement and involvement that makes for memorable experiences.

Transcend Ideas is a proud challenger of The Tin Cup Challenge, a local philanthropic fundraising event in Teton Valley, Idaho. Join us on July 20, 2024 to participate in the local fun run and donate to a favorite community non-profit!

The Community Foundation of Teton Valley works to elevate lives through the power of generosity by championing the nonprofit sector, empowering donors, promoting a culture of giving, and serving as a catalyst in addressing critical community needs. The Tin Cup Challenge is a proud sponsor of community programming by sponsoring matching donations from local businesses, giving grant awards, leadership training, and more.

We also proudly support Old Bill’s Fun Run, another community and philanthropic race event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Old Bill’s is one of the most successful fundraisers in the nation. The race brings the community of Jackson together over a shared goal of altruism. Kindness for others and community and a singular drive to make a difference. Since Old Bill’s has started, it has brought more than $256 million dollars to Jackson.

We hope you’ll join us on September 7, 2024 as we’ll be out supporting this event that celebrates the local nonprofits that support our community!

Thank you for reading our summary of the great content put out by Donorbox! Can Transcend Ideas support your work to increase your non-profit fundraising and strategy? We’d love to support your work and enhance your digital marketing strategy.

Watch the Donorbox webinar in full here:

Canva AI Apps: Canva Bulk Create

Posted on March 11, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

Our team is blown away at all the new apps that have come available in the past year on their site. Canva has unleashed the potential of artificial intelligence with content creation and it is a blast to work with! Enjoy this simple tutorial we’ve put together to show how you can increase your efficiency as a marketer and create content at a rapid pace by mass-creating bulk posts with the Canva AI Tool “Bulk Create” + ChatGPT.

Bulk Create Tutorial

1. Make your request to ChatGPT for how many posts / tips you’re needing.

I requested a list of 25 Nordic ski tips to enhance performance on the snow.

2. Ask ChatGPT to please arrange tips in a table.

Organize the table where [SAMPLE] as column 1, [SAMPLE 2] as column 2 as instructions for ChatGPT, etc. Copy and download the content as CSV or Copy/Paste it directly into Canva. (I used this query to return table for Nordic tips – Can you arrange the tips in a table where [TIP] is the tip number and first column, [Description] is the tip and second column, and [SUMMARY] is the longer description of the tip from above?)

3. Open Canva, navigate to Apps, Search “Bulk Create.”

It asks to upload a CSV or manual upload. I just copy and paste the columns I’m using right into the wizard. Scroll to bottom of table and hit OKAY. Hit Purple ‘Continue’ button on Bulk Create pane of Canva. (Bottom left screen once you’ve added your excel columns).

4. Now we are going to connect each of your columns to a different area of your Canva template/design.

The columns Canva recognized from my excel columns were “Tips” (Tip #), “Description”, and “Summary”. Now, right click on the element on your canva design you want a certain column to show up in. I wanted the tip number to be at the top – so I clicked/created the text box at the top, right click, and hit “Connect to Data”. This will show one of your recognized columns. Once you select your preferred column, it will show the textbox as a variable. Connect the other two columns to your data by right clicking on each of those text box elements.

5. Generate tips within the template.

Hit continue. You can choose which of the tips to create now from your excel or to create all pages. Once you click generate, all pages will generate in a different window. You can adjust sizing of text/other small adjustments for each before or after you generate the bulk pages.

6. You can schedule posts to connected apps

Schedule posts for FB or Instagram directly from Canva. Since we (Transcend Ideas) manages multiple client accounts we export the files either on our desktop or phone and schedule within our scheduling platform.

Bonus: An extra interesting use of Bulk Create is that can run this AI tool with multiple pages within one design file. That allows you to choose from your favorite formats. I recommend using different variations so your feed isn’t so redundant.

Bulk Create is made for everyone and any small business! Are you a fan of the new Bulk Create capability on Canva? Let us know! Contact Transcend Ideas today if you’d like to learn about Canva doing some heavy lifting for your business!

Why Your Brand Needs a ‘Brand Book’

Posted on February 20, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

In today’s competitive business landscape, establishing a strong and consistent brand identity is crucial for success. One effective tool that can help you achieve this is a ‘Brand Book.’ If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many brands and businesses have yet to create one. However, investing time and effort into developing a Brand Book can save you valuable resources in the long run and significantly boost your organizational efficiency.

As we enter 2024, it’s the perfect time to prioritize organization and streamline your brand.

What is a Brand Book?

A Brand Book is a document or file that concisely captures and visually presents the key characteristics of your brand. It serves as a centralized resource containing essential elements such as logos, alternative logo versions, brand icons, fonts, color palettes, taglines, and other distinctive traits specific to your brand. These resources are valuable references when creating various materials for your business, acting as a personal recipe book for maintaining brand consistency.

Why Does Your Business Need to Define Brand Guidelines?

Brand consistency is key to building a strong and recognizable brand. A Brand Book plays a vital role in achieving this.

By having one, you can ensure that all branded materials created throughout your business’s lifespan adhere to a consistent visual and tonal identity. It also facilitates collaboration with external partners, such as graphic designers and writers, by providing them with a clear framework to work from. This not only saves time but can also reduce costs. Additionally, having all the components of your brand compiled in one place fosters a shared understanding of your brand’s essence among everyone involved.

How to Make a Brand Book

If you have a professional designer working on your logo and branding, you can request a Brand Book as part of their deliverables. However, if you haven’t done so, don’t worry. Creating your own is entirely feasible, regardless of your brand’s stage of development.

The preferred format for a Brand Book is a portfolio-style packaged PDF. The length will depend on the unique characteristics of your brand. It could be as concise as a single page or extend to dozens of pages. Consider including the following brand information:

Cover
Table of Contents (for larger organizations)
Brand History
Who we are
What we do
Mission
Values
Logo and its different variations (refer to this helpful resource for guidance on what to include in your logo package)
Icon
Color palette (include swatches of each brand color along with their RGB and Hex codes)
Typography (primary and secondary fonts, including style variations like bold and italic)
Photos that encapsulate your brand (could be presented in a mood board)
Voice (tone of voice for written deliverables concerning your brand)
Taglines
Website (including address)
Social media handles, platforms used, and potentially some information on your brand’s social media strategy

By investing time and effort into creating a comprehensive Brand Book, you’ll be equipping your business with a powerful tool for maintaining brand consistency and ensuring a strong and recognizable brand presence in the market.

Looking for support as you pull in items for brand identity? Reach out to our team for support today in creating a brand book!

Canva AI Apps: All You Need for Rapid Content Creation

Posted on February 16, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

Canva AI - Rapid Content Creation graphic

Are you looking to have a more efficient workflow? Well, so are we! Having a one-stop shop like Canva is a lifesaver. We have all been there; there are many photos, videos, logos, and colors to work from. Canva allows you to craft the kind of professionalism that you want to see throughout your marketing. Canva saves the day again! Here is another geek-out over how great Canva is. Yeah, we are sold.

Canva has AI technology to help you get things done efficiently. Follow along and see what it has in store, and consider utilizing it or at least giving it a spin and seeing if it suits your business.

Navigate to Canva AI apps mentioned in this article by visiting Canva.com (duh), choose a Template or a Project, click into Apps (grid icon), and search for the following Apps below that may help your business.

Top 8 Canva AI Apps

1. Bulk Create

Bulk Create has its own blog post here we’ve written on previously because of how much we love it. Generate dozens of social media posts within minutes with the power of ChatGPT and Canva AI and Canva templates.

2. Text to image

Allows users to generate photos/components with just text to use on canva templates. The different filter styles create a drastically different image, cartoon styles/emo/minimalistic, and more.)

3. Magic Eraser

Operates just like the Magic Lasso tool to erase in Photoshop – This is within the image editor to help remove a distracting element. Select this tool within a template, edit the photo, and select Magic Eraser from the options.

4. Magic Edit

Replace a specific element on an image with something new. This only works on actual images, not branded material. Select your image. Right-click, set an image as the background. Click edit photo. Click Magic Edit (Beta). Select your brush size, and brush over what item you’d like to replace in the image, type what to replace the item with. Choose the AI-generated options it comes up with.

5. Magic Design

Magic Design is currently in the Beta version, but still available for use. Users can access it from the main templates search on Canva. Upload a photo and tell it a prompt for the template style you need. It will generate a list of potential templates you can use with your content. (The placement will be slightly off, you can click into the template and make adjustments on the one you choose. Like uploading a palm tree picture and saying I need a set of minimalistic templates with ocean color palettes, etc.)

6. Magic Write

This AI tool to come up with content quickly for social posts, etc. with a simple prompt.

7. Translate

Canva app, Translate your content to another language. This is a great option for quick short form writing when you need to generate items both in Spanish and English for a classroom, government agency, and more.

Chrome Extensions using Canva AI Apps

Canva Automate Maker

Similar to Bulk Create, Canva Automate Maker is great for print-on-demand products found on e-commerce sites like Amazon, Shopify, Redbubble, etc.

We hope this article helps you to get inspired and explore some of the AI capabilities that are available on Canva. Do you have a marketing project that you’d like to utilize Canva AI Apps on? Transcend Ideas would love to help you work through the strategy to figure out what would best suit the needs of your business size and audience to reach the goals of your small business. Contact our team today!

Meet Heather Devine, Principal

Posted on February 12, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

Meet Heather Devine, the principal and visionary behind Transcend Ideas. Heather brings over 15 years of expertise in digital media to all the clients she serves in the Jackson Hole community. She loves supporting small businesses and national and local non-profits in their goals of strategic messaging, website layouts, and marketing solutions. Heather helps propel these businesses forward with thoughtful design strategy and compelling storytelling. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A.

Meet Heather

1. What prompted you to start Transcend Ideas and what are your hopes for the future with the company?

I started Transcend Ideas with the desire to help small businesses and nonprofits amplify their meaningful messages through marketing and branding services. I’ve worked with businesses and nonprofits now for 16 years and with every year that passes I feel pride and excitement to help them succeed.

2. What company is a dream client or what would be a dream marketing campaign to work on?

A dream client to me is one that trusts in us, willing to try new things, and is passionate and excited about their mission and vision.

3. What’s a bucket list item you’ve held off on completing for years and when do you hope to complete it?

A bucket list item of mine would be to speak on a TEDx stage. I have a real passion for connection. I think one day sharing my story will be deeply satisfying and hopefully help a young person on their path some day.

4. What small object in your house means the most to you and why?

A journal that my husband and I have together. We write in it to express our love and appreciation for one another. And another journal that at the end of each year, as a family we tape in memories we’ve collected throughout that year. We reflect on memories together and look back with love and gratitude.

5. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to amplify their messaging and brand?

Keep at it if your heart is in it.

6. What hobby or skill do you have that has influenced your career the most and how?

My greatest skill is working with people. I love listening and I also love helping.

7. Where do you go to pull inspiration for work and your personal life?

I gather information in the form of podcasts, conversations with people, movies, webinars or workshops, and books.

8. What’s your favorite life lesson you’ve ever learned and held on to?

My greatest life lesson is to “give yourself grace.” You won’t get it right all the time, in fact the misteps are when you learn the most about yourself and your journey forward. That applies to any path you walk, whether it be parenthood, marriage, friendships, business, everything.

9. What are you grateful for? What are you hopeful for?

I’m grateful for the team I have at work and at home. We are nothing without the people there to support you a long the way. Thank you to my husband, Mike and my son, Elliott and our dog, Sadie for loving me, my flaws and all. Thank you to Brennan and Rachael for making my life easier.

10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

I’m proud of how far I have come to step into my power. I am 40 now, woo-hoo! With this new stage in my life I can honestly look back and show compassion and love to myself. I’m grateful for every day I get to wake up and live.

Want to meet with Heather and get insight on your small business or non-profit project? Reach out now to schedule a time to meet up and discuss over coffee.

Heather’s other great love is her nonprofit, People Spread Love. Give a listen to these two podcast interviews where she talk about why this community/heart-centered work is so important to her.

Nov 7, 2023
From Pain to Purpose: Heather DeVine’s Vision for People Spread Love
You Only Go Once Podcast

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