How to Create Your Brand Style Guide

What is a Brand Style Guide?

A brand style guide is a document that clearly defines your brand style and gives examples for people to follow. It tells you what colors, fonts, logos, imagery, and voice you should use across all forms of marketing, including your website, various social media accounts, print materials, and digital ads.

Why do You Need a Brand Style Guide?

The brand style guide is crucial for brand consistency! It gives a clear vision to execute on so that everyone in your company is on the same page, no matter what department they’re in. Potential customers will see the same brand style in all their interactions with you, whether they’re seeing a social media post, receiving a flyer, or exchanging emails with customer support. All parts of the customer journey are consistent.

How to Create Your Brand Style Guide:

A brand style guide should include information about:

·      Brand colors

·      Brand fonts

·      Brand logo use

·      Brand imagery

·      Brand voice

To help you create your own guide, let’s look at each aspect!

Brand Colors:

This is a group of colors that you use for every brand asset, digital or print. Most brands have one or two primary colors paired with some supporting secondary and accent colors. Your colors should reflect who you are as a company and who you want to appeal to.

Your style guide should show these colors as well as listing their RGB or HEX values so that people can easily replicate the exact color.

Brand Fonts:

Most brands pick a primary font and a secondary font, at minimum. Some pick 3 or 4 fonts. Pick a mix of serifs and font weights so that you can use them for different purposes. It’s important that all these fonts are easy to read for a good user experience. Sticking to your chosen fonts helps keep your look professional and consistent while allowing some variety for interest!

Brand Logo Use:

You can show your primary logo and any variations, like a black and white version. It’s helpful to include some examples of what not to do, like rotating the logo or displaying it at too small a size. Make sure others outside of your company have this information when necessary, too—for example, any partner organizations who might post your logo with a link.

Brand Imagery:

Describe the feel you want for your brand imagery. Do you want photos to look more polished or casual? Bright or muted? Add examples of the look and feel your brand is going for. You may even want to hire a photographer to start your own collection of photos!

Brand Voice:

This is your brand’s written personality and tone. Are you a casual and fun brand? Are you serious and formal? If your brand has a lot of content, you may want to include writing conventions surrounding capitalization, punctuation, and more. Some AI marketing tools can even help you write with a consistent brand voice—but first you need to define that voice on your own.

Get Started Today:

It may seem like a lot of work to define and record your brand colors, fonts, logo use, imagery, and voice. But once you have your brand style guide, you won’t regret the investment! Your brand style guide will help you present a consistent, appealing style at all times—so that people can recognize, trust, and then seek out your brand.

If you need help with any aspect of your brand style, 2XM is here! Contact us for a FREE 60 minute consultation today.