Visual branding is the term used to describe the visual elements that represent your business. This can include graphics, a colour palette, imagery, and even typography (fonts).
You may already know that it’s something you need to establish before launching your products or service. However, it’s understandable that you want to know why it’s so necessary. How will it help your business in the long run?
Well, in this article, we are going to take a look at seven of the main reasons why visual branding is so important.
Are you interested in learning more? Then keep on reading!
It makes you identifiable.
Obviously, one of the best advantages of strong visual branding is that it’s what makes you identifiable. Like the famous Nike tick or the big M for Mcdonald’s – we recognize brands based on their imagery.
If you’re having trouble knowing where to begin, sit down and have a go at making some different logos until you find something that you like. There are plenty of great tools which can help you get started, such as vista create.
It encourages more interest.
Besides the fact that existing customers will be able to identify your brand again, visual aesthetics also encourage new interest. Let’s face it, we like attractive things, and if something looks fantastic, we are much more likely to consider purchasing it.
It’s the same way we value branded products over generic versions. A colourful box with an exciting logo on the shelf will get bought more than a plain item, even if it is made from the exact same ingredients and materials.
It establishes trust and builds loyalty.
When branding is cohesive (the same across all platforms), it builds loyalty and establishes trust. As a result, customers know what to expect when they search for you and can enjoy a pleasant shopping experience.
As well as this, the right high-quality images and aesthetics can help improve your reputation. You’ll appear more trustworthy when compared to competitors who may not pay as much attention to design.
It can influence emotions.
It might sound strange, but visual elements can significantly impact your customers’ emotions, thoughts, and feelings. For example, patterns and colours are known to influence mood and can encourage your viewers to think and react in a specific way.
Just think of it like this – The colour yellow is seen as something that makes us feel happy and bright. Alternatively, muted and dark tones such as grey can be considered sad or clinical.
You can read more about how colour psychology here.
It improves social media presence.
Nowadays, social media is the most critical and practical form of marketing. Since platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are based on visuals, proper branding is vital for several reasons.
With relevant and compelling content, viewers are more likely to follow your page. The bigger your accounts can grow, the larger your audience reach and the more engagement you will receive.
It links back to brand personality.
Brand personality refers to a set of human characteristics that attribute to your brand. In a way, it’s how you would describe your business if it were a person and can include things such as traits, beliefs, and values.
While it’s considered its own element, it does link back to your visual imagery. For instance, a rugged personality would have a completely different appearance from a more sophisticated or elegant business.
You’ll need to ensure that everything works together when creating your overall plan. Otherwise, it won’t make any real sense to your viewers.
It’s valued more than words.
Lastly, while the words you use are still crucial to establishing your brand identity, generally speaking, visual branding is more critical. This is because it’s what people see first and is what will encourage them to look further into your values.
Of course, you should still spend time ensuring that your writing and content are of excellent quality, but don’t neglect one over the other. For example, your imaging should work perfectly alongside your tone of voice. This contributes to consistency, which we previously mentioned earlier.
Final thoughts.
As you can see from the above, there are many different reasons why visual branding is so crucial to your business. So, if you haven’t already, it might be time to sit down and fully assess how you want to showcase your brand. It really will make a big difference to your overall future success.