How to choose your colors and how to incorporate them into your business
We’ve all heard it. Science has proven that colors have psychological affects on our moods and emotions. It’s not new news but it certainly is important when thinking about your business.
To start, think about a business you know; any business. How do you feel when you think about it? As an example, I’ll use Starbucks. Most people know what Starbucks is and have been in one at least once (or one thousand times). When I think of a Starbucks, i feel cozy. I feel relaxed and like I should be sitting in one, spending time with friends. Now, think about how Starbucks makes me feel this way. It starts with the simplicity of their logo and colors. We all know the Starbucks logo. White background with the green mermaid. Green is a natural color known for symbolizing nature, tranquility and health. Some research has even found that the color green can improve reading ability. (who has ever sat back and read while sitting in a Starbucks? This girl!)
For Starbucks though, it doesn’t just end at the logo. Every Starbucks creates the same feel with their dark wood tones and brown leather furniture. Every aspect of their business offers a warm and cozy feel.
Now, think about your own business? How do you want customers to feel when they think about you? Warm and cozy like Starbucks? Or maybe cool and confident? Do you want them to get a bit of FOMO when they think of your business? Or do you want everyone to feel like they are part of it? All of this starts with something as simple as color. Let’s take a look at a few colors and the emotions they evoke.
Blue. When you want calm and serenity, blue is a great way to go. Blue also shows wisdom, focus and professionalism. If you run a restaurant though, blue may not be the best option as it often gives a slightly unappetizing feeling.
Green. If you are looking for something more natural and serene, think about green. Looking back at our Starbucks example, green is a great way to promote a natural calm feeling. Along with these, it is also often used for health and wealth.
Yellow. What do McDonalds, Burger King and Arby’s all have in common? They all serve food and they all use yellow in their logo. Yellow is a go to for evoking hunger. Yellow is also a color that shows happiness and optimism so it can be a great option when you want to present a cheery feel.
Red. Do you know what else McDonalds, Burger King and Arby’s all have in common? They also all use red. Red combined with yellow is always a go to for the food industry. When by itself though, it is a great option for showing love, romance and warmth.
Orange. Similar to yellow, orange is a great option when you are wanting to evoke the feeling of happiness and cheerfulness. It also shows energy and excitement.
Purple. The big feelings for purple are wealth and royalty. Along with that, purple is great when trying to show wisdom and spirituality.
Black. Black and white is always a great option for a color palette. Not only is it easy to add other colors into but black is very much associated with strength, power and authority. Who doesn’t want that associated with their brand?
Neutrals. Neutrals are my jam. I’m talking about light grey, white, beige and anything in between. Neutrals can be so amazing and can be so easy to work with. They are great for showing innocence, timelessness and practicality.
So let’s say you’ve got your colors and feelings all figured out, but now how do you incorporate them? Maybe you don’t have a storefront where you can paint the rooms and add different art pieces. That’s where marketing comes in. You present your self to a customer in so many ways and you may not even know it. Let’s take a look at a few.
Business Cards. So this is kind of an easy one. You probably have a business card and it probably has your logo on it so you are already showing your brand in that way. But there are ways to get ahead on this. Did you know that many printers can print business cards with colored edges? This means when looking at a white card, you can just lightly see a bit of color around the outside. Then, when you have your cards in a stack, you can really see the color of those colored edges. You could do a fun bright color for a young, modern startup or a nice soothing neutral for a romantic wedding planning. The options here are endless.
Social Media. Maybe you post pictures on Instagram every once in a while and you post updates on Facebook when you remember, but don’t forget this can be a great place to hammer in your brand colors. One trick that I often use is to find photos that portray the color and tones you are looking for. If your colors are grey and blush, post mostly photos that use those tones. Then, my favorite trick is to be sure to post some color block text images. To break up your feed, create graphics with a background color of your choice and then an eye catching text. Maybe you are a photographer and you want to post some fun inspiring quotes. Just keep the background color the same for these and over time, you will have a really nice, natural color scheme.
Mailers. Going old school here. I know a lot of businesses still send their customers mailers and that is just fine. Maybe you are an accounting firm and you have all your client’s addresses. They expect things from you. When they get the occasional mailer with info all in the same color scheme and style, they know who it is from before they even see your name. It is a great way to remind them of who you are and evoke the feelings you are trying to accomplish on a regular basis. For those of you who are appalled that I would even suggest something as old fashioned as mailing, you can do this same thing with email marketing!
Newsletters. Also a bit old school, but also super helpful for many businesses! If you have a regular newsletter you send out, make sure you keep colors in mind. If you want your customers to get a calming feeling when they think of you, make sure that comes across in your newsletters so they get that feeling every time they come across one.
Colors are amazing and our brains are even more amazing. There is so much science behind the psychology of colors that we can’t just ignore it. Whether you are just creating a brand or you already have one and you just want to add some clarity to the feelings it evokes, think about color. Think about how different colors make you feel and then look around at how often you see them being used.
What are some brands that you can think of that have a very distinctive color that evokes a specific emotion? I’d love to hear of some others!