Do You Really Need Brand Guidelines for Your Small Business?
Howdy cowgirl! Naomi here, ready to chat all things branding and brand guidelines with you. Today, we're deep diving into a question I get asked all the time: "Do I really need brand guidelines for my small business?" Let's saddle up and get into it!
What Are Brand Guidelines?
First things first, before we get too heavy, what exactly are brand guidelines?
Simply put, brand guidelines are a set of rules that define how your brand looks, feels, and communicates. They help you and/or your team create consistent, relevant and on-brand graphics and marketing assets across a range of marketing channels.
They cover everything from your logo and colour palette to your tone of voice and typography. Without a clear set of brand guidelines, you can’t guarantee consistency of colour (one of the biggest brand signifiers in the online space) and typography, and you may find it takes you far longer to create assets when you’re starting from scratch each time.
Essentially, we can think of brand guidelines as the ultimate cheat sheet for keeping your visuals and marketing assets consistent and recognisable to your audience. This consistency is the key to building an unforgettable brand!
How Do Brand Guidelines Support Small Business Goals?
A great set of brand guidelines should be your business’s right hand woman. They ensure that everything you put out into the world, from your website to your Instagram posts, looks and sounds like it’s coming from the same place. This consistency builds trust with your audience, making your small business unforgettable.
When your brand is strategic and consistent, it’s way easier to create a memorable impression - especially in the crowded space of social media. Potential customers will be able to instantly recognise your business from your colour palette, font choices and tone of voice.
This familiarity and consistency makes them more likely to choose your small business over a competitor - your branding has done a lot of the hard work to build that relationship.
Plus, in case you needed any more convincing, brand guidelines make your life easier by providing a clear roadmap for all your marketing efforts. No more using the Canva eyedropper to guesstimate which shade of pink matches your logo!
different types of brand guidelines & how they work
When you imagine brand guidelines, you may be thinking about 400-page documents full of macro-graphics, complex grid systems and non-negotiable rules that can never be bent or broken. It’s easy to see why many freelancers and small business owners shy away from these mammoth, overstuffed documents!
Relax though, a Coca-Cola style brand bible isn’t the only way to achieve a successful set of brand guidelines. Let’s break down the more common types of brand guideline document available to smaller businesses.
Logo page of a brand guidelines document
intensive brand guideline document
A full brand identity as outlined in an extensive brand guideline document goes way beyond ‘just a logo’. It’s a complete visual and strategic package that includes:
Logo and Variations: A uniquely designed logo for your business plus a suite of different versions for different uses (website header, printed business card, social media profile picture etc)
Colour Palette: A carefully curated selection of colours that appeal to your target audience and showcase the values of your brand. This should be a selection of primary, secondary, and accent colours (including guidance on where & how to use them)
Typography: Strategically selected font styles and pairings that match the visuals and mood of your brand identity (including guidance on where & how to use them)
Brand Photography & Imagery Style: Types of images and graphics that represent your brand - this can include brand & stock photography, custom illustrations and graphics and even patterns
Tone of Voice: Extensive brand guidelines are about more than just how your business looks. They should also include guidance and clarity around how your brand speaks and the language it uses
Brand Values and Mission: What you stand for and why you do what you do - this is key to creating consistent, unforgettable marketing assets and should be the cornerstone of your brand
A full brand identity will usually come as an extensive selection of logos, graphics and assets along with a multiple page book or PDF. For example, the brand identities services I offer include a 60ish page book of usage and guidance.
These more in depth branding services are perfect for businesses which are scaling and showing up across multiple platforms. If you’re creating for print, social media, online ads, television etc it’s imperative that you have clarity around your visuals and mission. Not only will this save you and your team time when designing using these assets, it allows your business to grow in a consistent way without losing any of that unforgettable brand power and trust.
With a full brand identity, you have a detailed map of how to present your business in every context. This is crucial for maintaining a cohesive brand presence.
lighter easy-reference branding board
The full Coca-Cola shebang got your head spinning? That’s okay! A light branding board is a fantastic option for smaller businesses and might be just what you need. These usually include:
Logo and Variations: A primary logo and a few alternates - usually the same as an extensive brand guidelines document, just presented and organised in a much more simplified way
Colour Palette: A simplified set of colours. I like to create these brand boards in Canva so you can have access to the codes and to that oh-so-handy eyedropper tool
Typography: A couple of font choices displayed in an easy to use and reference way
Simple Graphics: Simple elements like patterns, branded graphics should also be included on this condensed brand guidelines board
A light branding board is a great starting point, offering enough direction to keep your brand looking sharp without overwhelming you with too many details. They’re ideal for small businesses or solopreneurs just starting out. If you’re a freelancer, a local service provider, or a hobbyist turning your passion into a business, this streamlined approach gives you the essentials without the extra fluff.
For instance, if you’re a photographer who wants a cohesive look for your website and social media, but you’re not ready to invest in a full brand identity, a light branding board provides the guidance you need to keep things looking professional and polished.
You can even access this level of unforgettable brand clarity in just one day through my Design Party Day service!
making the right brand guidelines choice for your business
So, do you really need brand guidelines for your small business? The answer depends on your goals and where you are in your business journey. Whether you choose a full brand identity or a light branding board, having clear brand guidelines helps you present a consistent and professional image to your audience.
Ready to create the brand of your dreams? Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refine what you’ve got, I’m here to help you shine. Let’s make some branding magic together!
You can check out my range of branding services here. If you’re ready to get started on your journey towards and unforgettable brand, fill in my enquiry form using the link below.
