The colors that you choose to represent your brand can affect how people feel about the brand. If you want to make a good impression, then selecting the right colors is an important step. In this blog post, we will discuss some psychological aspects of color and how they relate to personal branding.
What is your personal brand?
“A personal brand is a collection of aspects that define you. These aspects are what make you unique and set you apart from others.”
Many people don’t fully understand what it means to have a personal brand. Simply put, your personal brand is the sum of all that you are. It determines how easily people remember and reference you and helps define who you are as a person.
It includes how you style yourself, what words and images to use in marketing materials, social media profiles, etc., the tone of voice when speaking, and any topics you champion. All these things comprise who you are professionally, which means it’s essential to identify and manage this aspect if you want success both now AND in the future!
How do you want to be perceived by others?
You’ve heard the saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” right? Well, this is no different in your professional life. Your personal brand can make or break you, and it all starts with the way you present yourself.
The reason colors play such an essential role in your personal brand is that they are the first things someone sees when they first encounter you. Whether consciously or subconsciously, people judge who we really “are” based on the colors we wear, use, or are associated with.
Choosing the right colors
The colors you choose for your personal brand should tie to the personality behind them and speak to your target audience. It reflects who you want people to see when they think about your business or brand!
If you have a favorite color, that can be an excellent starting point when considering a brand color. However, colors can carry your brand’s meaning and say more than you might think they do. Before choosing your brand color, consider the importance of those colors and whether they will connect with your customer.
Consider the meaning behind each color
Just like you use words to express yourself, colors can be used as an expression as well and have a language all on their own.
Colors can evoke different emotions in people. Here’s a list of some colors with their corresponding psychological feeling is below:
RED is associated with love, passion, energy, power, strength, heat, desire, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure (Negative: anger, danger, warning)
BLUE is associated with trust, success, security, integrity, peace, loyalty, intelligence, seriousness, power, professionalism, masculinity (Negative: coldness, fear)
GREEN is associated with money, freshness, environment, new, money, nature, health, earth, life, harmony (Negative: envy, jealousy, guilt.)
ORANGE is associated with comfort, courage, confidence, friendliness, creativity, celebration, fun, youth, affordability (Negative: ignorance, sluggishness.)
PURPLE is associated with royalty, nobility, spirituality, justice, luxury, ambition, wealth, fantasy, dreams (Negative: ambiguity, uncertainty, moodiness.)
WHITE is associated with purity, innocence, cleanliness,
simplicity, goodness, purity, freshness, easy (Negative: isolation, pristine, emptiness)
YELLOW is associated with curiosity, playfulness, brightness, sunny, energy, warmth, happiness, joy, intellect, cheerfulness, amusement (Negative: irresponsible, unstable.)
PINK is associated with softness, sweetness, innocence,
youthfulness, tenderness, femininity, happiness, compassion, playful (Negative: weak, immaturity.)
BROWN is associated with earth, nature, tribal, primitive,
simplicity, friendly, longevity, conservative (Negative: dogmatic, dull.)
GREY is associated with neutrality, reserved, security, reliability, intelligence, solid (Negative: gloomy, sad, conservative.)
GOLD is associated with riches, wealth, fame, valuable, wisdom, prosperity, tradition, the sun (Negative: selfish, conservative, dated.)
SILVER is associated with mystery, intuition, glamorous, high tech, graceful, sleek, the moon (Negative: indifference, indecisive, non-committal.)
BLACK is associated with seriousness, darkness, mystery,
secrecy, protection, elegance, drama, classy, formality (Negative: death, evil, mystery.)
So remember, your choice of colors can have a significant effect on how people perceive you. By understanding how colors make people feel, you can use that knowledge to your advantage when deciding what colors to incorporate into your personal brand image.