How can you effectively market your brand by using colors? Today, it’s a well-known fact that colors can evoke emotions and even influence people’s purchasing behavior. In fact, color psychology is a growing area of interest for businesses.
This is why it’s so important to choose the right colors when you’re trying to market your brand. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at some tips for using color in marketing, as well as a few best practices for using color in your marketing materials.
1. Use color to create a focal point
Create a focal point in your design by using color to guide the viewer’s eyes to where you want them to look. This is a great way to draw attention to important elements in your design like a headline, call-to-action button, or featured product.
In the example below, the bright red color of the call-to-action button immediately draws the viewer’s eyes to the button. This is a great way to encourage the viewer to take action and click on the button.
Pro Tip: Make sure to use color sparingly to create a focal point. If you use too many colors in your design, it can be overwhelming and confusing for the viewer.
2. Use color to create contrast
Contrast is a powerful design principle that can help you make certain elements of your website or ad stand out.
It’s also a great way to use color to drive action and engage customers. For instance, selecting an effective eCommerce color palette with contrasting hues can make product listings or call-to-action buttons pop, ensuring they capture attention instantly.
When you use contrasting colors, it makes the design more dynamic and helps to draw the viewer’s eye to certain elements.
For example, you could use a bright, bold color for your call-to-action button to make it stand out from the rest of your design.
Or, you could use a contrasting color for your headline text to make it more eye-catching.
In this example, the designer used a bright, bold yellow color for the call-to-action button to make it stand out from the rest of the design and draw the viewer’s eye.
3. Use color to create a comfortable environment
The colors you use in your marketing can have a big effect on how your customers feel. In fact, studies have shown that color can affect our mood, emotions and physical well-being.
For example, warm colors like red, orange and yellow can make people feel more energetic and excited, while cool colors like blue, green and purple can make people feel more relaxed and calm.
Think about the mood you want to create in your marketing, and use color to help you achieve that. For example, if you want to create a sense of urgency, you might use red or orange in your call-to-action buttons. If you want to create a sense of calm, you might use blue or green in your background colors.
4. Use color to create a sense of urgency
The color red is often associated with urgency, which is why it’s the most popular choice for calls-to-action (CTAs) that want to drive a sense of urgency.
If you’re running a sale, promoting a time-sensitive offer, or hoping to get people to act quickly, use red or orange to create a sense of urgency and encourage action.
5. Use color to create a calming effect
If you want to create a calming, relaxing effect on your website or landing page, use color to your advantage.
Cool colors like blue, green, and lavender are known for their calming properties. These colors are often used in healthcare and wellness marketing to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
If you’re in the healthcare or wellness industry, you might also consider using cool colors to create a calming effect in your marketing materials.
For example, you could use a soft blue background with white text and green accents to create a calming effect on your website. Or, you could use a soft green background with white text and blue accents in your email marketing campaigns.
6. Use color to create a sense of security
Some colors are known to be more calming than others. For example, blue is the most popular color in the world, and it’s often associated with feelings of trust, security, and stability. This makes blue an excellent choice for branding an online marketplace platform, where building trust between buyers and sellers is critical.
That’s why you’ll often see blue used by banks and financial institutions. It can help create a sense of security and trust in their customers.
If you want to make your audience feel safe and secure, use blue in your designs. You can also pair it with other calming colors, like white and light gray, to create a sense of balance and harmony.
7. Use color to create a sense of trust
In the world of marketing, trust is everything. If a potential customer doesn’t trust your brand, they’re not going to buy from you.
Fortunately, color can help you build trust with your audience. Studies have shown that people are more likely to trust a website if it uses colors that are associated with trust, like blue and green.
If you want to create a sense of trust with your audience, use these colors in your marketing materials. You can also use colors that are associated with specific industries, like black and gold for luxury brands, or green and white for eco-friendly products.
8. Use color to create a sense of happiness
When you think of happiness, what color comes to mind? For many people, it’s yellow. That’s why so many brands use yellow in their logos and marketing materials.
Color psychology tells us that yellow is associated with happiness, joy, and energy. It’s also the color of sunshine, which can make people feel warm and optimistic. Starting a lemonade stand can be a great way to bring a sunny and optimistic vibe to your community.
If you want to create a sense of happiness with your color choices, consider using yellow as your main color. You can also pair it with other bright, warm colors like orange or pink. These colors can help you create a sense of joy and excitement in your marketing materials.
9. Use color to create a sense of excitement
The color red is often associated with excitement, which is why it’s often used in marketing. Red can be a great way to draw attention to a specific area of your ad or website.
In this example, the red in the background and the call to action button help to create a sense of urgency and excitement. The rest of the colors are more muted, which helps the red to really stand out.
10. Use color to create a sense of sophistication
Finally, color can help you create a sense of sophistication in your brand or design. Certain colors are often associated with luxury and elegance, and using them in your designs can help you convey those qualities about your brand.
Colors like black, gold, and purple are often used to create a sense of sophistication in design. Using these colors in the right way can help you elevate your brand and make it more appealing to your target audience.
You can also use color to create a sense of sophistication in other ways, such as by using a monochromatic color scheme or a high-contrast color scheme. These design techniques can help you create a more refined, polished look in your designs.
11. Use color to create a sense of exclusivity
Do you have a special offer, event, or product launch that you want to promote with your marketing? Use color to create a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
In marketing, the color red is often associated with urgency and is used to encourage quick decisions. But you can also use other colors, like gold and black, to create a sense of exclusivity and luxury.
For example, if you’re promoting a limited-time offer, you could use gold and black in your social media graphics to let people know that this offer is exclusive and won’t last long.
Conclusion
What colors are you using in your next project? Whether you’re designing a website, creating an infographic, or building out a content offer, it’s important to think about the emotions and actions you want to drive — and choose the right colors to make it happen.