The ultimate goal of every brand is to encourage its customers to buy its communication and make purchase at the end. But unfortunately, most of the online businesses today rely on advertising to accomplish it. They fail to understand that today engaging your customer is more strategic than just conveying message.

Therefore, you need to understand that implementing a strong, unified and coherent approach requires a strong brand communication at all levels.

This is where a powerful brand guide comes into play. Brand guidelines are simply the set of rules that defines your brand identity and explains how it should be used internally and externally. It connects with the audience in a unified way.

Why are brand guidelines important?

Sets Standards: Brand guidelines defines the tonality of a brand and its interaction with the audience base. It keeps a similar tone and ensure that your online business is more recognizable with set standards in place.

Defines Specific Rules: At its core, brand guidelines sets and elaborate specific rules for running a brand. It defines what and how your business interacts with users, at the same time focusing on the needs of customers.

For example, your brand guidelines will guide on different logo variations, but will also include the examples of how you cannot use those logos. Even the spacing in the logo will be defined strategically by your brand guidelines.

Provides Tools: Apart from defining and setting rules, your brand guidelines provide tools which are consistent and unified across channels. The elements defined in your brand guidelines work together to spread a cohesive message. Set elements makes it easy to plan your marketing across various channels.

Brand guidelines stands for:                                       

Visual Identity: These are elements which defines what your brand expresses and what it stands for. It is one of the primary elements which you need to define through your brand guidelines. Visual identity helps you to maintain consistency.

Brand Tone: Brand tone includes the set of communication circulated across channels- internally and externally. It includes content which expresses your brand tonality. Having a strong brand guidelines in the written format must coincide with all the visual elements.

Strategy: Visual identity and the communication can’t interact without knowing the intent of your brand. You need to define your brand’s vision in order to incorporate belief in your employees and the segment in which you are operating. Your brand’s strategy sets your position in the market and differentiate you with the competition.

What should be included in your brand guidelines?

You need to make your brand guidelines inclusive such that it defines all the primary and secondary elements.

Business Overview: Vision, Mission and Values

Color Palette: Colors to be used across channels

Brand Tone: Tonality of your brand

Type Style: The Fonts, Headers and Footers

Templates: Specific templates for internal & external communication

Today, your company interacts and market its communication across various channels, online as well offline. Thus, brand guidelines play an important role to keep your visuals and communication consistent across all platforms of communication. This explains that having a brand guide makes it easy for everyone to work and interact with your brand in an easy, simple and hassle free manner.

Also read our blog on, “How to make your brand communication powerful”. Follow PayUmoney Knowledge platform and keep your branding consistent.

 

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