Month: May 2017

No ifs, ands, or buts — if your business does not have a brand style guide, stop what you’re doing, and start the process of creating one, now. Without one, your brand will lack consistency with every piece of collateral you make.

[clickToTweet tweet=”“Commit to your brand. Then, create a culture around it.” @thekacc” quote=”“Commit to your brand guide and use it as a reference tool. Then, create a culture around it.” – KICK-ASS CONTENT CREATOR” theme=”style1″]

Now, let’s start by giving you the lowdown on what exactly a brand style guide is.

A brand style guide (brand guide or style guide, for short) is a book filled with all the necessary information it takes to create anything your company needs, whether it’s a flyer, your website, a brochure…even a social post. Your brand guide acts as the “primary visual DNA of your company’s branding” and dictates your brand’s identity, ensuring anyone who touches it — a designer, copywriter, social media specialist, etc. — can create collateral that stays aligned and unified with your vision. A brand guide can include details such as tone, word usage, words and colors you want to associate with your brand, and so on. It defines who you are and how you want to be perceived by the public.

Note: Another thing to include in your brand guide is what NOT to do. Designers and copywriters are nicknamed “creatives” for a reason. Sometimes, they let their creative juices flow outside the lines. This way, they’ll know exactly how creative they’re allowed to get with your brand.

Here are some of the key components your brand style guide should include:

1. START WITH YOUR LOGO

   Define the size, placement, and color you’d like your logo to be displayed. Include spacing specifications and make sure to give examples, too.

2. PICK YOUR PALETTE
   

   When choosing a color palette, be sure to include primary and secondary colors. Primary colors are your main colors and secondary colors act as accent colors. Also dictate how those colors can be used when it comes to opacity (transparency).

3. TEXT AND TONE
   

   You should define the primary and secondary fonts and typefaces you’d like to use on both print and digital platforms. While useful, but not necessary, some brands use different primary and secondary fonts depending on the collateral. On print they may use Century Gothic, but for digital, they may want to go with Helvetica. Why? Who knows. It’s your brand, so do whatever you want with it (as long as it makes sense).In this section, I would also include words you want to see used more often than others, as well as the words you NEVER want to see associated with your brand. Do you want your copy to sound formal, or conversational? Provide a paragraph sample describing your brand, written in the tone you’d like your copywriter to mimic.

   Download the READY-MADE RESOURCE GUIDE TO FONT PAIRING.

4. IMAGERY
   

   Give clear examples of the types of photos that correspond with your brand. This helps the designer when choosing stock images or directing a photo shoot.

It’s important to work closely with a designer and copywriter when creating your brand style guide. They can contribute expert feedback and help you make decisions that ultimately make your brand look its best. Just remember to KEEP IT CONSISTENT. Because consistency builds trust with your consumer, and trust is what makes the sale.

I know. It’s all pretty confusing. So, here’s a list of 7 brand style guides you can use for reference.

1. Nike Fuel
   
2. Spotify
   
3. Urban Outfitters
   
4. PayPal
   
5. Scrimshaw Coffee
   
6. Love to Ride
   
7. Thousand Below
   

How upping your copy game will drastically grow your business and increase sales.

Let me start by letting you know this blog post is meant to give you a non-sugarcoated, straight up piece of advice about a tool you’re probably using incorrectly (or not at all). Here it is:

Small business owners often rely too heavily on images to make the sale.

Well-written copy leads to more conversions.

Beautiful designs reel your customers in, but copy is instrumental to closing the deal. Think about it. How often do you see an advertisement that solely rides on an image? Rarely. Does it happen? Yes, but only under certain circumstances (this approach only really works for highly distinguished fashion brands).

Whether you want the reader to make a reservation, visit your website, or simply generate brand awareness, the only way you’ll get them there is through well-written copy. Really, copy is your most valuable weapon because it can be strategically used to guide the consumer on the path you want them to take.

Copy sets the tone of your brand and sets your business apart from the competition.

A kick-ass example of this is Groupon, who made their debut during the recession. How were they able profit in a time where the economy was going down the drain? You guessed it — great copy. They mastered a concept we had rejected as consumers, simply by making junk mail fun to receive. They kicked ass so hard the New York Times wrote an article specifically about how “Groupon’s Fate Hinges on Words.” Others have tried to imitate their model, but failed. Groupon’s success is greatly due to the fact that they used well-written, compelling copy to their advantage instead of squandering it. Years later, now that their brand is established, they can sit back and effortlessly watch the sales come in.

You’re probably not as good of a writer as you think.

Co-founder of Copy Hackers, Joanna Wiebe, said it best in a MailChimp article, “If you’re a copywriter, everybody thinks they can do your job, so everybody’s got a critique. Even if they can’t tell you exactly what the copy should say.”

There is a reason why people get paid to write. Words matter. Act like it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across an elegantly designed website or ad, sabotaged by ineffective, grammatically incorrect copy. It’s those careless mistakes that instantly deem your business amateur or unprofessional. Worse, it diminishes the quality of your brand.

We’re both experts in our respective fields, so let’s stick to what we’re good at.

To sum it up, while images and design act as an awesome purchasing incentive, great copy describes the benefit of your product to your perspective clients, and sets the tone for how your brand will be represented to those clients.

So, what message do you want to leave them with?

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