Why You Need A Brand Styling Guide
A brand style guide is a one-page blueprint that shows the visual elements of a brand. This is a very simple tool that gives so much power to your business when used well. A brand style guide or a branding board, is a file that is usually provided by your designer once they’ve completed your branding. Most designers provide this as part of their package, but if yours didn’t, you can make your own on Canva or grab my super affordable template here.
What is a Brand Styling Guide?
Basically, it is a PDF document where you have your logo(s), fonts, color palette, and other crucial elements of your brand’s image all in one place.
However, I have learned through my experience that it is so much more than this.
A Brand Styling Guide is the foundation of a brand. It will save you time, ensure immediate recognition of your brand by creating a visual consistency.
By constantly sticking to the visual rules of your style guide, you create consistency which creates memorability, trust, and a loyal community of followers.
People are more likely to purchase a product or a servicê from a business that appears legitimate and has a polished look. Just think about it, would you purchase a $200 pair of shoes from a website that has a logo that looks like a little kid created in on MS Paint? I sure wouldn’t. Keep in mind that a Premium Brand can charge Premium Prices. So having a consistent, polished look throughout your website, printed materials and across your Social Media Platforms is crucial for your business to grow in revenue!
Let’s be practical now!! Why does having a brand style guide REALLY matter?
Let’s think of the practical side of things now. Imagine, you are just starting your business. Creating that beautiful website and Brand right now seem to be the biggest financial hurdles ahead? I’ve been there! At this stage, A branding Board will help you keep a cohesive look throughout your social media and website! Great! But now, let’s look at one or two years down the line! Your business has grown! You have a consistent stream of clients. People know who you are! You want to grow your team. Maybe you want to hire a virtual assistant, a content designer or a Marketing Team. Keeping a consistent look might have been easy when it was just you, but now your team needs to grasp who you and your business are and they need to do it FAST!
As a content designer, I have worked with many clients who need me to create some social media graphics or an opt-in and let me tell you, sometimes getting those hex codes and fonts from a client can be quite a challenge! You don’t want to be “that business owner” who has to go finding your notebook in your desk where you wrote your hex codes 2 years ago!! Instead, keep your Brand Styling Guide along with your PNG logos and font files on a google drive folder. A quick copy and paste and your team now knows who you are and what you’re all about! BOOM!!
Here is a quick summary of the benefits of having a Brand Styling Guide:
- Ensure your branding is consistently used
- Ensure use of the brand name & logo is always high quality
- Look professional and ‘bigger than you really are’
- Become easily recognizable to customers on all platforms
- Give an authentic & trust-worthy feeling to customers
- Have a useful reference for internal team members
- Easily packaged information for contractors/new team members all in one place
There you have it! Keeping your identity cohesive and on-brand at all times is super important for the success of your business.
Do you need help designing your brand? Have a look at my team’s portofolio & get in touch today!
Are you looking to DIY your branding board? Here is a super affordable template I created for you!
Having trouble with your brand style? Ask me any questions you have below!