As your company grows and changes, it’s important to make sure that your branding and marketing style guides reflect those changes. This can be a challenge, but it’s necessary to maintain a consistent brand image across all of your marketing materials. This doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By following the tips in this blog post, you can make sure that your style guides accurately reflect the current state of your company while still being easy to update as needed. So let’s get started!
What is a branding style guide, and why do you need one?
A branding style guide is a document that outlines the specific elements of your company’s brand, such as your logo, colors, fonts, and tone. It also includes guidelines for how to use these elements in your marketing materials.
Having a branding style guide is important because it helps to ensure that all of your marketing materials are consistent with each other and with your overall brand image. This is important for both your customers and your employees. Customers should be able to easily recognize your company’s materials, even if they see them in different places or at different times. And employees should be able to quickly and easily create new marketing materials that are consistent with the rest of your brand.
Take an Inventory of Your Branding Materials
The first step is to take inventory of all of the branding and marketing materials that your company currently uses. This includes everything from your website and social media accounts to printed materials like business cards and brochures. Once you have a complete list of all of the materials that need to be updated, you can start going through them one by one.
For each item on your list, take a close look at the current branding and see if it accurately reflects your company’s current message and image. If not, make the necessary changes. This could involve anything from updating the colors or fonts that you use to changing the overall tone of your materials. Once you’ve made changes to each item, be sure to update your style guide accordingly.
Create a New Branding and Marketing Style Guide
If you don’t already have a branding and marketing style guide, now is the time to create one. Having a style guide will keep your materials consistent with each other and with your overall brand image.
When creating your style guide, be sure to include all of the elements of your brand that you want to keep consistent. This should include your logo, colors, fonts, and tone. Also, include specific guidelines for how to use these elements in your marketing materials. For example, you might want to specify that your logo should always be used with a certain color scheme or that certain fonts should only be used for certain types of materials.
Elements of a Good Branding and Marketing Style Guide
The elements of your branding style guide should include:
- Your company’s logo
- A color scheme
- Specific fonts
- Tone of voice
- Guidelines for using each element in marketing materials
Creating a style guide doesn’t have to be complicated.
How to create your own branding and marketing style guide
If you’re not sure how to create a branding and marketing style guide, don’t worry! There are plenty of online resources available to help you.
One great resource is The Branding and Marketing Style Guide Template from HubSpot. This template includes everything you need to create a complete style guide for your company. It includes sections for your logo, colors, fonts, and tone. It also includes guidelines for using each element in your marketing materials.
Another great resource is The Ultimate Guide to Branding from Entrepreneur. This guide includes a section on creating a branding style guide, as well as tips on how to use your style guide to create consistent branding across all of your marketing materials.
Create Guidelines for Using Your Brand’s Logo and Other Trademarks
Trademarks are a valuable part of your brand, and it’s important to use them correctly in order to protect them.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating guidelines for using your company’s logo and other trademarks:
- Your company’s logo should only be used in the colors that are specified in your style guide.
- Your company’s logo should never be altered or modified in any way.
- When using your company’s logo on social media, always use the official versions of the logo that are provided by your company.
- When using your company’s logo on your website, always link it back to your home page.
- Your company’s trademarks should be used only in relation to products or services that are offered by your company.
- When using your company’s trademarks in marketing materials, always use the ® or ™ symbols to indicate that they are registered trademarks.
By including all of the elements of your brand and providing clear guidelines for how to use them, you can create a style guide that will help to keep all of your materials consistent. And by following the guidelines for using your company’s logo and other trademarks, you can help to protect your company’s valuable assets. So if you’re looking for a way to update your branding, consider creating or updating your style guide. It’s a simple and effective way to keep your materials looking their best.
Do you need help updating your branding? ViviScape can help.
Our team of marketing experts at ViviScape can help you create a brand that’s consistent with your vision and unique to your company. We’ll work with you to create a style guide that keeps all of your materials looking their best. And we’ll provide guidance for using your company’s logo and other trademarks. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you update your branding.
