Using the Right Colors for Your Small Business Marketing

Using the Psychology of Colors for Effective Marketing

Color has been long known to have a powerful impact on how we think and feel not to mention it is also a profound contributor to how we behave and make decisions every day. Great business owners and marketing gurus have been utilizing the power of color for years to evoke certain emotions and reactions from their consumers. When over 90% of buyers purchase a product based on its appearance and over 80% claim they purchase products based on color it is no surprise that color choices can be a powerful tool when effectively marketing a small business.

Major Brands Use Color to Boost Sales

Many big name companies use color psychology as part of their marketing campaigns. Two corporations that use this tactic very well are Starbucks and McDonald’s. Starbucks’ branding includes green in a lot of their marketing and branding – this color is used to promote a correlation between their brand image and relaxation. McDonald’s uses colors that have the opposite effect – their bright red and yellow color scheme evokes feelings of energy and urgency while also appealing to the visual pallets of younger consumers. These colors promote speed and quick customer turnover to help boost sales.

Which Colors Influence Consumers in Which Ways?

Although there are many different shades of all major colors, the general feelings they evoke in consumers are the same. Greens, like those used by Starbucks, are associated with relaxation and harmony, as well as promoting tranquility, health, power, money and nature. Blues often evoke similar feelings as green – peacefulness, tranquility and relaxation – but is also a color that generally appeals to men and helps to promote feelings of security, reliability and productivity. Purple also falls into the cool color category and can have consumers experiencing feelings of respect, wisdom and royalty.

Warmer colors, such as yellow, orange and red, will have the opposite effect on consumers as those they feel with cooler colors. Red grabs consumers’ attention and promotes a sense of urgency and need – this is why red tag sales are so effective for retail markets. Orange and yellow evoke much of the same emotions and feelings in consumers. These colors are optimistic and cheerful but can also trigger feelings of caution and anxiety depending on their application. While these colors are used as cautionary road signs, they can also be used to attract compulsive buyers into a store in a positive way.

How to Properly Use Color Psychology in Marketing

While there is a color to evoke any feeling a business is looking for, slapping that color all over your marketing will not make the impact that is expected. When incorporating color into a branding design, make sure to use contrasting colors where possible to reduce strain on the eyes – if your branding is hard for consumers to look at, it will not promote the feelings and buying power the business desires. Additionally, use contrast to move the consumer’s eye to the product or message you want them to focus on. Colors are powerful and using them properly can help boost any business’s image.

Do you have a home business and need more advice on how you can become more successful? Did you know Stacy O'Quinn started deep in debt and turned his home business into a six figure income? Learn more...

*Photo Courtesy of Incase via Creative Commons License