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It’s a common misconception that all you need is a logo and BAM — your ready to start marketing your business. The thing is, your logo alone is not your brand and by moving forward with just a logo, you’ll be missing out on the full potential of what a brand can accomplish for your business. So what’s the difference and what else do you need when it comes to creating your brand visuals? Let’s go over the 6 must-have elements

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6 Must-have brand elements

It’s a common misconception that all you need is a logo and BAM — your ready to start marketing your business.

The thing is, your logo alone is not your brand and by moving forward with just a logo, you’ll be missing out on the full potential of what a brand can accomplish for your business.

So what’s Branding?

Branding is what your audience feels when they see your marketing materials, when they interact with you, and how they respond when someone mentions your business. It’s every interaction they’ve had with you and your products or services that forms their opinion and feelings toward your business.

1. Personality

A great place to start with branding is by defining your business’ personality — or the key adjectives that best describe your business as if it were a person.

When you pinpoint 3-4 adjectives to personify your business and use them to guide the voice and tone that you use, you’ll show up consistently. And like I always say — consistency equals trust — and people buy from those they trust.

So ask yourself, “Who is your brand as a person?” Is she helpful, witty, relaxed, glamorous, etc?

2. Logo

Your logo is how your business is identified in its simplest form through a memorable mark or symbol. It should be simple, straight-forward, and versatile.

When your logo is simple and straight-forward, it will be more easily recognized and when it’s versatile, it will look great everywhere — whether it be on a website, billboard, or on social media.

3. Typography

Third, is your brand typography or the selected fonts you’ll use across all of your content. By choosing key typefaces that complement one another, you’ll be able to communicate your brand personality and again, show up consistently.

A good rule of thumb is to limit your brand typography to 1-3 fonts because too many will look messy and will water down the look of your brand making it harder for your audience to easily recognize you when they see your content.

4. Color Palette

Your brand colors play a huge part in how your dream client will feel with they see your content. And because certain colors evoke certain emotions, it’s important to consider color psychology when choosing your palette.

I recommend having 5 colors designated for your brand — a primary color, a secondary color, an accent, a dark neutral and a light neutral.

5. Images

The photos that represent your business need to fit with your brand in their color, tone, and style.

You might have your logo, color palette, and fonts nailed down, but if your photography doesn’t match, your branding will fall apart. The goal is to use images that work together cohesively with all of the other elements in your brand visuals to trigger the specific emotions you want your dream client to feel when they see your brand.

6. Supporting Graphics

Supporting graphics are the flourishes of fun that can really help add even more personality to your brand. A few examples are icons, illustrations, swashes, and patterns.

Sometimes these are elements of the logo that can be separated and repurposed and other times graphics are created specifically for the purpose of functioning as a background element or a section divider for example. The goal is to add depth, break up your content, and add another layer of individuality to your brand.

So, there it is — the 6 elements your brand must have in its visual arsenal so you can show up cohesively and consistently across all of your marketing materials.

Now, if you’re ready to get started by pinpointing your brand personality, head on over to this post where I go over my simple 4-step process for doing just that.

Alli McAuley

Hi, I'm Alli McAuley.

I help passionate entrepreneurs, like you, create a strategic brand and website that stands out to your dream clients so you can run a successful business online.

My ultimate goal is to empower you with the tools you need to live your best life by doing the work your love.

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