A brand style guide is like a blueprint for the visual aspects of your brand. It’s a simple tool that will ensure your branding remains consistent across all platforms, creating a memorable and trustworthy brand.
One of the things I like to do for the entrepreneurs and small businesses I build custom websites and brands for is to create a brand style guide for both their website and their marketing.
Depending on your business type and needs, you may have some different elements to consider for your own brand style guide, but here’s what I recommend including as a basic starting point for your brand guidelines:
Your main logo is the main identifying factor of your brand. This is usually the most detailed logo. The main logo will be used the most and is the one that should be featured in the header of your website.
Alternate logos are variations of your main logo. It uses elements from your main logo, arranged is a different way, allowing more flexibility to use your logo in different settings. There will be situations where spacing or color is limited for your logo, so it’s great to have an alternative version to use.
Submarks (also known as icons or favicons) are the most simplified, compact version of your logo. It usually consists of a symbol or initials that can stand alone and still represent your main logo. These are great to use on images to mark the image as yours. Submarks are also used for the icon on your website! This icon will show up next to your website name on an open tab of the browser.
These are the colors that represent your brand. Each color should play a certain role in the palette and should evoke certain emotions within your audience. I have an entire post walking you through how to choose your color palette for your brand, which you can view here.
A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 6 brand colors. However, you can also have lighter and/or darker options for each main color.
Each color has a color code attached to it. The Hex code (which will look something like #5jab7) is the one you’ll want to save and add into your brand style guide. Pinterest is also a great place to find color inspiration!
Fonts are a key element of your branding. The fonts you choose to represent your brand should be intentionally selected to reflect your brand identity and how you’d like to be perceived by your clients. You’ll typically have about 3 core fonts:
1. Main font – typically used for headings
2. Alternative font – typically used for subheadings and emphasis
3. Body font – used for large bodies of text, like paragraphs
Remember, these are not hard and fast rules. Use what works for your brand, just try to keep it simple and cohesive. Don’t go overboard with too many different fonts and styles.
These are different textures and patterns that work well to represent your brand and keep your branding from feeling flat. You can use patterns and textures in your brand collateral, on your website, and on your social media profiles! These are usually fun elements that allow you to further visually display your brand and incorporate some of your brands accent colors. Think, background patterns, icons, etc.
Mood boards are a collage of images that create a visual representation of the moods and tones that your brand is trying to encompass. Your mood board should reflect the look and feel that your trying to create for your brand and business. This also helps create consistency by being able to refer back to what inspired the visual side of your brand.
Another item to include on your brand style guide is your brand voice – words and phrases that your audience will recognize as you. When creating your brand, establishing the tone of voice used in your branding can be one of the more complicated and lengthy processes. Keeping your brand voice consistent is key to creating a memorable, trustworthy brand and to keep your Ideal Clients from being confused. I recommend picking out 3-5 key words that represent your brand.
One last thing to add to your brand style guide is your mission statement. You always need to keep checking in with why you do what you do and who you do it for. If you notice that these have changed, then the rest of your branding may not be working to attract the right people.
Are you ready to create consistency across your brand? Click the button below to download your FREE Brand Style Guide!
With your brand style guide in hand, your brand should remain consistent, allowing you to make that meaningful connection with your Ideal Client.
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