How to create a brand style guide

Written by Lynsey Campbell

Creating a strong and consistent brand identity is essential for success, and a brand style guide is a powerful tool to achieve this.

This simple and easy guide acts as a comprehensive reference, outlining all the visual and verbal elements that form your brand’s core identity.

Brand identity vs. brand image

Firstly, understanding the difference between brand identity and brand image is crucial.

Brand identity is how you perceive your brand, while brand image is how your customers see it.

Aligning these aspects is vital for building a trustworthy and successful brand that resonates with the target audience in a competitive market.

Define you brand identity

To define your brand identity, gain a clear understanding of your core values, mission statement, target audience, and unique selling point (USP). These foundational elements will guide the creation of your style guide.

Your brand identity should underpin everything your business says or does – from how you greet customers on the phone, to how you present your message on social media. It should encompass every brand touchpoint customers will engage with.

Establish visual guidelines

Visual elements play a significant role in shaping your brand’s identity. Your brand style guide should include precise guidelines for logo usage, typography, colour palette, and imagery.

Your guidelines should provide visual examples of proper brand usage, along with real-life demonstrations to enhance clarity for anyone who will be working with your brand.

Tone of voice

Crafting a consistent tone of voice for communication is equally important.

Define the style, language and personality that should be reflected in your content. Establish messaging pillars, preferred vocabulary, and grammar guidelines to maintain consistency and reinforce your brand identity.

Don’t forget that emojis can play a big part in creative expression, and having a set that your brand uses regularly is helpful in keeping your content consistent and fresh.

Flexibility

Whilst consistency is key, flexibility and adaptability are also necessary. Your brand style guide should accommodate future updates and trends. Include guidelines for introducing new visual elements or adapting existing ones to stay relevant and current.

Don’t rush it

A well-crafted brand style guide serves as a roadmap for your digital marketing efforts, empowering your team to consistently represent your brand’s visual and verbal identity across platforms. By defining and documenting your brand’s core elements, you establish a solid foundation for building a cohesive and impactful brand identity.