Brand guidelines are the blueprint to your brand. They lay out your brand look and feel and how you communicate with your customers. They are usually compiled in a document or online allowing everyone in your business to access them.

We have a post on why brand guidelines are important for your small business here. This article will go over what they are, and how you can put your own together.

What should I include in my brand guidelines?

Brand guidelines are often seen as a design document, but they are much more than that. Your brand guides will hold everything that grounds your brand such as your core brand values.

Some brands will have lengthy documents laying out exactly how each brand asset should be used. These sometimes include templates and sub-guides for individual channels such as the website, app or social media.

For a small business though, a document with a few pages will be enough. You can then add to it as your business grows.

Your brand guide should be made up of these areas:

Mission and Values
These are the core values of your brand.

Logo

Make sure your logo is clear, and legible at different sizes. It is common for brands to have a few variations of their logo.

Typography

The fonts and typefaces you use in all of your branded items.

Colours

The core colours you use throughout your brand. Remember to add white and black to this line up.

Image style

The consistent way you take or edit images to give a more on brand feel.

Tone of Voice

The way you speak to your customers.

These are the key building blocks of your brand, if you would like a worksheet walking you through the process of finding and deciding these for your brand we have one available for download below.