What Every Small Business Needs in a Brand Guide
May 15, 2025
When you're running a small business, you're juggling a hundred things — sales, operations, customer service, and (of course) marketing. But one of the most overlooked tools that can streamline your marketing and help your business look instantly more professional is a brand guide.
Think of it as a playbook for your brand — something that ensures every touchpoint (ads, website, social posts, business cards) is saying the same thing in the same voice. It’s not just for big companies. In fact, small businesses benefit even more because it eliminates guesswork, speeds up content creation, and builds trust faster.
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Here’s what every small business should include in their brand guide:
1. Your Brand Mission
These statements define why your business exists and where you're headed.
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Mission: What you do and who you do it for.
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Vision: What change or impact you're working toward long-term.
Example: “Our mission is to help small businesses grow with affordable, modern marketing.”
2. Brand Personality & Voice
Your brand isn’t just a logo — it has a personality. Are you casual and friendly? Confident and professional? Fun and quirky? Define:
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Tone of voice (e.g., conversational, motivational)
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Adjectives that describe your brand (e.g., honest, approachable, energetic)
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How you communicate (short and punchy vs. detailed and informative)
3. Logo Usage Guidelines
Your logo is often the first impression. A brand guide should show:
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The primary logo and alternate versions (stacked, icon-only, etc.)
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Where and how it should (and shouldn’t) be used
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Minimum sizes and required spacing
4. Color Palette
Consistent use of color makes your brand instantly recognizable. Include:
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Primary brand colors (with hex, RGB, CMYK values)
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Accent/secondary colors
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Rules on when and where to use each
5. Typography (Fonts)
Your fonts speak volumes before a single word is read. List:
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Primary font(s) for headers and body text
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Web-safe alternatives (in case your fonts aren’t universally available)
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Guidelines for sizes, weights, and hierarchy
6. Imagery Style
Photos and graphics should feel like they come from the same family. Define:
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What kind of imagery fits your brand (e.g., lifestyle shots, clean product photos, candid team pics)
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Image filters, saturation, lighting style
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What to avoid
7. Messaging & Taglines
Your messaging should reinforce your values and positioning.
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Your elevator pitch
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Key phrases you want repeated (e.g., “Built for local businesses”)
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Tagline(s) or value proposition statements
Why It Matters
Creating a brand guide may feel like extra work now — but it pays off every time you create content, hire a freelancer, or launch a campaign. It helps you look polished, stay consistent, and build a brand that people remember and trust.
