Introduction
Last week, you heard from my colleague and our Messaging Director, Amy Mertz. She shared many of the ways you can use messaging to make your brand more impactful with your audience, and how crucial it is to reach the clients you’re after. (Thanks, Amy!)
This week, I’m grabbing the torch—yoink!—to discuss the visual (read: fun) side of all things branding. Let’s get into it.
The Logo
Now that you’ve learned all about how using the right words can help you reach the right audience, it’s time to help deliver that message through proper visuals. Before you can “preach your gospel,” you need to pull them in and get their attention. We’ll start with the most obvious: the logo. Your logo helps pique the interest of your audience. It’s the symbol of your company; your mission; your raison d’etre. And like the homepage of your website, the logo is often the first thing they’re going to see, so it had better be good. No pressure, right?
Before you try and design something (or hire someone cool to do it for you), there are some things to first consider. What emotions do you want your audience to feel when they discover your company? How do you want them to react? Excited? Curious? Relieved? What impression should they have of you after seeing your logo for the first time? Does it match your expectations?
Developing the right logo is like trying to master a dance. Balance is key. You want it to reflect what you’re selling, but you don’t want it to look like every other logo of your competitors. You want to stand out, not stick out.
Do this: go online and search for competitors in your area. See what their branding looks like. Knowing your competitors is just as important as knowing your audience.
The Fonts
Just like with your logo, fonts can speak volumes. So it’s super important that the look and feel of your message are in sync with the content itself. (Would you hire a lawyer who wrote all his emails in bright green comic sans?)
Want to know one of the best ways to find a font that aligns with your message? Preview it! Take a chunk of your messaging—your tagline, your elevator pitch, etc—and copy it into a font preview tool online. There are a TON of options out there, but I recommend you start with Google Fonts. It’s fast and easy (and free!). From there, you can quickly get a sense for how your message feels when it’s typed out in a particular font. There’s no one right answer, either. Some companies are best suited for a no-nonsense font that is easy to read and gets the job done quickly. Others may find better results in flowy cursive, funky block lettering, or heck: dingbats (I’m sure SOMEONE has done it).
The Colors
It may seem like the easiest of all three components, but I guarantee that it’s harder than it looks. The theory/psychology behind color, and how it can influence our brains, our emotions, and—let’s be honest—our buying decisions, is wide and vast. Google “color theory” and you’ll quickly get an idea of what I mean. Some things are pretty obvious. For example, financial institutions often steer clear of “hot” colors like red or orange. It can evoke a feeling of volatility that you probably don’t want when you’re deciding who to trust with your money! But other considerations may not be so clear. (Did you know that mosquitos are drawn to dark colors, especially blue?)
The point is, color is highly influential to our brains, and in turn, can greatly affect (for better or worse) our decisions.
Conclusion
Visuals are key to setting the tone of your content. Your logo, the fonts you write with, and even the colors you use, all play a vital role in delivering your message. If you want to make an impact with your message, it’s time to step up your visuals game.
Want some guidance on how to make your messaging and branding more aligned? Contact us today.