What are brand guidelines and do you really need them?
Brand guidelines might sound like one of those things only big corporations worry about, the kind of document buried in a Dropbox folder that only the marketing team touches. But here’s the truth: if you have a business, you need brand guidelines.
Whether you’re a solo operator or a growing team, brand guidelines help you present your business consistently, confidently, and professionally across everything you do.
So, what are brand guidelines?
Brand guidelines (sometimes called a brand style guide) are a set of rules that explain how your brand should look and feel. Think of them as your brand’s instruction manual.
They usually include:
Your logo variations — and when to use each one
Colour palette — including HEX, CMYK, RGB codes for consistency across print and digital
Typography — what fonts to use, where and how to use them
Imagery style — photography, illustration, iconography or any other visuals
Usage do’s and don’ts — what not to do with your logo, colours, fonts, etc.
It’s your brand’s bible — a resource you (and anyone working with you) can refer back to again and again.
But my brand isn’t that big… do I really need guidelines?
Yes, especially if:
You work with freelancers (designers, marketers, web developers, etc.)
You create your own marketing materials and want to stop reinventing the wheel each time
You’re building a team and want consistency across platforms
You’re constantly tweaking your Canva templates, fonts, or colours because “something feels off”
Brand guidelines aren’t just for “big” brands. They’re what make a small business look polished, reliable, and trustworthy. They save time, reduce decision fatigue, and help you show up with confidence.
What happens without brand guidelines?
Without guidelines, you end up with:
A slightly different logo on every platform
Five fonts and none of them match your website
Instagram posts that don’t look like they belong to the same brand
That vague feeling that your business doesn’t “look the part” even though your service is top-tier
This kind of inconsistency creates confusion for your audience, and hesitation. Even if they can’t pinpoint what’s off, they feel it. And that little bit of friction can be the difference between a customer clicking “book now” or scrolling past.
What happens with brand guidelines?
With clear brand guidelines in place, you’ll:
Create visuals and content faster (no more second-guessing your colours, fonts or style)
Build trust through consistency
Empower your team or collaborators to design on-brand without constant input
Make future growth easier, whether it’s a new website, a social media manager, or a print campaign
It’s the difference between guessing and knowing what your brand should look like, every time.
Even if you’re just starting out, laying the foundation now means you’re building something that can grow without losing its identity along the way.