THE POWER OF COLOR PSYCHOLOGY: Choosing A Signature Brand Color That Attracts Your Ideal Client Subconsciously
Sep 23, 2019Is your brand color your favorite color?
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! It’s a completely natural gut-reaction to surround your online identity with the color you like the most.
The problem? Our audience gets confused.
They have no clue what we’re trying to communicate and, even though they can’t quite put their finger on it - they feel a bit off about us and move on.
This is the worst-case scenario.
After all the hundreds of hours of incredibly hard work on your site, content, social media copy and offers, the thing of nightmares is having our ideal client walk away {or click away} with an indifferent shrug.
But what if there was a way to grab your audience’s attention and sidestep the normal week, month or year it takes to normally convert them into a customer just from your brand color choice?
It seems crazy, but that’s exactly what I’m going to show you in this article.
In today’s post, you’re going to learn how to step into your perfect online identity - starting with your brand color.
You’re also going to learn how to subconsciously attract your ideal client, establish yourself as the go-to expert in your niche and book more publicity opportunities on autopilot.
Don’t have time to sit there and read the article?
Don’t worry, I go over all of this and more in my Color Class, so you can just put your phone on speaker and listen on your drive!
Who This Article Is For
You may feel like you’ve already done all the leg work of your branding.
I totally get it.
Even really established and successful entrepreneurs have felt this way at the beginning of our chats.
But then, they realize they can’t answer one simple question:
What does your brand color mean to your ideal client?
This can apply to you whether you’re first starting out or are a seasoned online entrepreneur.
This article is not for you if you feel 100% confident in answering the above question no sweat.
If you can’t, I highly recommend continuing your read.
And if you want a ridiculously easy way to stand out and pre-qualify your audience, then this is definitely the perfectly-timed article for you!
Now that you know you’re in the right place {high five}, let’s get this palette-party started!
I’ve broken this up into 6 sections for quick reference later. Or you can download this as a pdf right here to read on your upcoming flight :) {this pdf is provided by the Kajabi team - thanks friends!}
Section 1: Your Brand Color Has Nothing To Do With You
When someone tells me that their brand color is one of their favorite colors, I know immediately why there is a disconnect with either how they’re feeling about their business {whether they’re feeling completely aligned or really discouraged and stagnant}, the state of their sales or their ability to see big results with their visibility efforts.
If their brand color is their favorite color then that color choice means that their business, website, and branding are one hundred percent about them.
This is what we’re taught from most online business curriculum's and coaches, but the complete opposite is actually true!
Your brand color should have absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with your ideal client!
When we make our brand about us, we are positioning ourselves as the hero. And, as screenwriter Donald Miller will tell you in his brilliant book Building A Story Brand, we are supposed to be the guide, not the hero.
The leading role is for our customer and our customer only.
Our job is to impact them deeply when they first see us, build their trust and help them solve their problem.
And I felt like I won the lottery when I discovered that I could do all of this with color.
Section Two: The Backstory
Just a quick second to explain how I got to this powerful realization.
I look at color in two ways:
- How it emotionally affects an audience viewing the color on screen
- Where the color physically impacts the audience in their body when they see it
I came to this knowledge over twenty years of observation.
It started with following my Dad all around the world on movie sets.
He was the 1st assistant director to John Woo for over ten years, so I got to see locations, sets, and wardrobe for many blockbuster films.
My Dad would always tell me how filmmaking was like “painting on a moving canvas” and it blew me away how audiences would respond to dialogue, editing and color choices at every movie premiere.
I would study the production design and, just because I’m that kind of person, I’d even want to know why red carpets were red.
Why?!
{feel free to investigate this concept with the book, “If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gunna Die”}
After college, I worked in TV for over ten years but had to take a step back when I fell very ill.
Conventional medicine was not working on getting my organs functional, so I started to study more natural healing techniques.
I wanted to learn about energy centers, plants/herbs, and even essential oils.
Since my Mom was getting her degree as a naturopath, I started stealing her books.
Learning about the body’s voltage, the power of the mind, and the healing ability of plants.
I saw a huge connection with the body and how colors - especially the light spectrum from the sun - were resonating in specific places in the body.
Section 3: Bringing It Back To My Brand {and Yours}
It’s amazing how all of this life experience led to me starting my own business online.
And after having a totally failed brand that starred - you guessed it - my favorite color, I decided to take all of this information and inject it into my branding.
I literally hadn’t heard of any of this from the branding and “online business gurus” I’d studied, but I figured, why not give it a shot since nothing else was working!
And to do that, I had to find out what my ideal client needed, what I wanted them to feel, and shape my brand around them instead of myself.
Which is exactly what you need to do too!
I want you to create your signature brand color by focusing on the one thing you want your ideal client to feel when they first see your brand.
-hopeful
-motivated
-inspired
-creative
-passionate
These are just a few of the emotions you can dive into. And I know, you may want more than one, but just pick one that is the first thing you want them to feel.
The emotion will help you narrow down the color, as well as where they will be impacted physically when they see your brand.
For example, let’s look at the company Smile Direct Club.
You’ve seen the commercials on Hulu, right?
Smile Direct Club lets you correct your teeth from the comfort of home. But why on earth did they choose purple?
When we see purple onscreen, it’s a very transformational color.
You’ll usually see the lead of a film in this. Physically, purple works with the kidney/adrenal areas, which is the center of our relationships.
Hm.
So, could that mean that Smile Direct Club want their client to be the hero of their own smile transformation and improve their customer’s view of themselves and how they interact with their other relationships?
Whether or not Smile is aware of the meaning of their color — you betcha.
Ok.
Maybe that’s just a coincidence.
Let’s check out T-Mobile.
Why on earth did they choose Magenta?
Very strange for a cellular provider, right?
Well, if we look into the color itself, we can find the history of the color actually originated from a war called The Battle Of Magenta.
Fun fact. The color also is very symbolic of acceptance, being free-spirited and universal love.
Well, if we look into the mission of T-Mobile, it’s to empower being different, accepting who you are and social change.
They want to attract these people -- and they’re doing it with their signature brand color!
Let’s really drive this home.
What about 23andMe?
Their logo is magenta and green.
Well, we already covered magenta, but why green?
Green is seen as a split-personality color on screen.
Usually, when a character is in this, they have another side we haven’t seen yet that’s going to bring some drama to the story.
And in the body, green is highlighted in our thyroid area, which is where our voice and self-identity resonate the most.
Interesting.
So, by choosing these two colors, is it possible that 23andMe is subconsciously telling its ideal clients that they can help guide them in discovering their true identity?
Absolutely.
Color is one of the most powerful {and free} tools in our online business arsenal that no one is talking about.
And it’s the one thing that will impact our audience more than any amount of copy, photos or flash.
Section 4: Your Brand Color Subconsciously Attracts or Repels
When I first started studying color psychology, I found a study from 1942 by a Russian scientist named SV Krakov.
Krakov wanted to see if color actually caused a physical response in the body when it was looked at...and it did!
He found that red stimulated the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system {blood pressure and heart rate increasing, palms sweating, pupils dilating} and red stimulated the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system {blood pressure and heart rate decreasing, slower breaths, pupils returning to normal state}.
Every person he studied had a strong physical response to color.
So that means you are having a physical reaction every time you look at color, right? And if you are, wouldn’t that mean that others are too?
And if that’s true, what’s the difference between looking at a red rose -- or a red banner on a website?
I’ve found that there is no difference at all.
Which means your audience is having a strong physical reaction every time they visit your website.
The only dilemma is...are they having the reaction our messaging wants them to have?
Because if we’re using red instead of blue, green instead of yellow, and purple instead of gold... we could be leading them in the entirely wrong direction.
Or, even worse, make them click away because we’re impacting them incorrectly without realizing it.
Simply through our unintentional color choice.
I’m asked all the time what the #1 branding secret is out there. I’ve seen other entrepreneurs focus on photoshoots, messaging, “brand color themes”, etc...but any strategy other than color psychology is simply a waste of time.
Because, as beautiful as it may look, a brand that isn’t focused on what their audience feels when they see them is playing darts, just hoping to hit the bullseye.
And, to be honest, seeing themselves as the hero of the story -- not the guide.
So, if we’re putting ourselves in more of the passenger’s seat of our messaging and inviting one of our ideal clients to take the wheel, what are they concerned about?
- The biggest pain point in their current journey. Whether they’re a therapist, ads manager, horse trainer or car collector, they have a big pain point that’s keeping them from getting to the next level of their desire. For my ideal client, they have been working their buns off building their business, but they’re stuck in their visibility, sales and publicity. ←- pain point!
- The path point of where they want to go. Now that we’ve identified the pain point, where do they want to go? If that pain point was resolved, what would they start seeing instead? For me, my ideal client wants to start getting the recognition and increased revenue of a visible business. ←- path point!
This gives us everything we need to know and, if you had a little trouble identifying the #1 emotion from the previous section, helps us see exactly what they need to feel first when they see us.
Let’s take our therapist example.
Making up that this entrepreneur’s name is Leanne - who is a marriage counselor - she might have found that her client’s biggest pain point is communication.
That every time they, as a couple, try to talk - it ends in an argument.
Their biggest desire is a happy, passionate marriage.
Leanne could analyze this information and, having this couple in the driver's seat, see that the #1 emotion the couple needs to feel when they see Leanne’s profile online is hope.
Yes, they want a stronger relationship, but the first emotional response Leanne needs to elicit with her branding is hope.
Because, if the couple feels a small twinge of hope when they see her site, they may book a call.
Which might lead to a session.
Which might help them start communicating.
Which might lead to a happier marriage.
But it all starts with hope.
What’s interesting about this is that most therapists would point to purple {due to the research listed in the above section}, but if hope is the #1 emotion, then we’re getting much more into the yellow family.
Yellow resonates in the pineal gland and symbolizes hope for a new future.
It’s also a very joyful color on the screen.
For me, my clients needed motivation.
They’ve already put in thousands of hours of work.
They’re exhausted, burnt out and ready to throw in the towel.
I want them to feel that one last push of motivation to try my strategies because remember, they’re the driver.
To get up off the couch and give me their last shot of becoming visible.
I know it works because everyone who joins my Visibility Lounge says, “I just had a good feeling about you”, “I know you’re the right person to help me with my visibility strategy”, “I’m finally ready to make my visibility a priority”.
Because of the colors I use, they already know they’re in the right place when they sign up.
They’re the driver. I’m the guide.
And my color choice gives them that physical feeling of motivation and self-empowerment.
Section 5: What to do when you’ve nailed your signature brand color
Congrats - you’ve done the hardest part!
Deciding on the color is, in my book, 80% of the battle.
The rest is simply execution.
Do a photoshoot wearing your signature brand color.
Re-brand your website so this color shines through.
Inject the color into your social media, Facebook pages, and Instagram.
By doing this, you’re creating one big, beautiful lighthouse.
And the lighthouse’s job is to keep broadcasting your signal 24/7, no matter the weather {or if you just happen to be asleep} to the audience of the online world.
People will start responding. They’ll start hitting “follow”, “like” and exploring your website.
This happened to one of my favorite students, Tiffani Purdy.
Tiffani had a great business when we met. She was making sales and becoming more known in the online space.
But it was work.
She had some blue in her brand, but overall, her online identity wasn’t too cohesive.
Then she decided on yellow as her signature brand color after hearing me speak in San Diego.
After joining my membership, she started injecting it into her website, social media profiles, even her podcast!
And the results were staggering.
People started calling it, “Tiffani Yellow” and flocking to her.
She launched a membership, started a YouTube channel and her subscribers, customers and following started growing really quickly.
She felt more in alignment, and now she’s seeing more and more results from this one tiny change that affected everything else in her business.
She built the lighthouse and now it works for her 24/7.
She’ll be the first to tell you that she prioritizes family, alone time and her health.
And the cool thing is, she can afford to do that because of the work her branding is doing for her.
Then there’s my other student Rachel Symington.
When we met, she was feeling pretty all over the place with her branding and social media platforms.
She didn’t have a clear brand and honestly didn't feel like she really needed one because things were ‘working’.
But, she trusted me and rebranded to orange.
She instantly started standing out online -- getting more interaction on her posts and touching her ideal client in a more powerful way.
This led to her online following growing, but the best part?
She’s selling out her one on one coaching, group programs and launched her membership last month to massive success.
And, as if all this wasn’t enough, she’s now easily booking podcasts left and right, growing her audience and impact.
All because she’s now impacting her audience in the right way where they already know she’s the right coach for them when they first see her.
Section 6: Becoming the go-to expert + attracting publicity
It’s amazing what happens in the brain when it sees color.
I’ve seen over and over again how brands {and celebrities} are remembered because of their color choices.
It happens on the red carpet all of the time!
And, when you’re trying to get an audience’s attention, you actually make it easier to remember you when you’re wearing your signature brand color on your site, your social media, your YouTube channel, on stage, etc.
Just like you saw with Tiffani, it’s so much easier to be recognized when you come equipped with your color.
I remember walking into my first entrepreneur event after my rebrand.
Joanna Turner was someone I’d admired for a while, so to be going to her event in Los Angeles was so exciting! {In fact, when I was sitting in the audience, I actually changed my Instagram handle to @visibilityvixen! Rebranding can start anywhere, folks.}
So I walked up to her towards the end to introduce myself {soooo nervous, by the way}, and she exclaimed, “Oh, I recognize you from Facebook! Blue dress! What’s your name again?”.
I was floored!
How did this well-known entrepreneur recognize little ‘ol me?
Seriously?
Because of my brand color?
That’s when I knew I was really on to something.
And since I’ve had that same kind of experience, again and again, {guesting on EOFire, getting onto Good Morning La La Land, etc.}, and I know you can too.
Because you don’t have to fight to be seen.
People will start associating you immediately with your color from social media, ads, etc. and remember you.
And, because they remember you, you’ll start being seen as the go-to expert in your niche.
Of course, you’ll need to back up your brand color with your genius, but you won’t have to fight for the trust or credibility -- it will already be waiting for you.
And isn’t that a huge relief??
Because your brand color leads to a branded website.
Which leads to a branded video.
Which leads to branded social media.
Which leads to branded programs/offering.
Which leads to a branded press kit.
Which leads to a completely formed online identity people will understand, remember and trust.
And that effortlessly flows into podcast interviews, summit guesting, public speaking and all of the other visibility and publicity opportunities you’ve been dreaming about but may have felt just out of reach.
Section 7: Conclusion
We tend to self-blame when we’re not getting the visibility it seems like everyone else is, but trust me, it’s not your fault.
It’s just a tiny tweak as simple as a color that can change your entire visibility trajectory.
You’ve seen how your brand color being your favorite color could be the basis of any confusion with your audience.
And you’ve also learned how to dive into diagnosing your ideal client’s biggest pain point, desired path point, and key emotion so that you can decide on your new signature brand color.
This knowledge alone will give your audience so much more clarity and direction to how you can help them.
And, on top of that, you can rest easy knowing all of those hard-working hours on your website, social media and sales pages will actually start paying off!
Because, once they see that color on your site or profile and feel exactly what they need to feel, they will stay.
And they’ll stay awhile...as customers, fans and loyal supporters.
They’ll click “follow”, they’ll stay on our site, they’ll pretty much be ready to buy before they start reading your sales page.
All because of that little tweak with color that ricocheted into a powerful, meaningful brand.
I’m so excited to see you incorporate this knowledge into your own strategy...knowing that so much of branding is subconscious.
And how that can lead to not only into stronger sales but also stronger visibility and publicity.
Take action right now.
Start examining your brand and its relationship to your audience.
Even if it’s partially working, could it be stronger?
Is your client the driver?
Are you the guide?
Remember, you can dive even deeper into color strategy in my complimentary Color Class here.
And, we want to know your thoughts!
Please comment below with your biggest takeaways so we can support you and Kajabi can start seeing more color on your websites and pipelines!
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