How Can I Use Color to Create Better Marketing?

Have you ever purchased a product solely based on the way it looks? Well, you are not alone! Color in marketing is the biggest way companies and businesses catch buyer’s attention and persuade them to buy their product. Color is known to have a psychological impact buyer’s decisions and behaviors and many marketers take this information and utilize it to help boost sales. And if you’re not, read on to help you build your brand and following!

Researchers have found that up to 90% of people make their judgments about products based on color alone and up to 93% of buyers focus solely on visual appearance. That’s a lot of people! If you’re not utilizing color tactics, you’re not optimizing your sales.

So how can you use colors to help your marketing efforts? Take a look at what colors influence in your mind subconsciously.

Red is the color of excitement! One of the boldest colors you can choose, red incites youthfulness, a sense of urgency, your appetite, and passion. Have you ever wondered why red is the color of choice when stores are having a sale? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that they want to capture the attention of people and convey the sense of urgency that these deals are not going to last long. Also, red is frequently used by fast-food chains. This is perfect because it stimulates your appetite and will catch your attention as you drive or walk by.

Orange is the color of cheerfulness, confidence, enthusiasm and warmth. Often, orange is also used to capture attention and lowers inhibitions, making people more impulsive. Like the color red, orange also stimulates the appetite, so this color may be a great idea to use in your marketing if you are in the food industry.

Yellow is the color of optimism, clarity and like orange, warmth. It promotes fun and entertainment and stimulates the mind and creativity. It is most used to promote the entertainment businesses, but also in business where you want to keep people moving, such as fast food restaurants. Yellow isn’t great to sell expensive and luxurious items, as it is seen as cheap, unsophisticated and unstable.

Green is the color of life, vitality, growth and renewal. In terms of speaking to your emotions, it is soothing and promotes a sense of calm. Since green is associated with nature, the environment, health and healing, the color encourages soothing feelings of sympathy and kindness. Green is also the color of money and inspires ideas of wealth and esteem. On the flip side, sometimes green evokes feelings of envy and negativity, unless used in conjunction with the environment. Since green is such a renewing color, it is best used for companies promoting health and nature.

Blue is universally the most popular and appealing colors to both men and women alike. It stirs feelings of dependability and honesty, which inspire people to have trust in your product or company. This in turn, can help build a solid base of followers and customer loyalty. Calming and soothing, this color is therapeutic yet also conservative, which makes it perfect for corporate businesses such as banks and financial companies.

Purple provokes feelings of royalty, luxury, wealth and extravagance. Purple appeals more to women, so it is often used for cosmetic products. High end companies also often use purple in their marketing schemes because purple reminds people of sophistication or superiority. It is also popular to use among designers, writers and other creatives.

Black, like purple, is ideal to use when promoting luxury and elegance. Black is sophisticated as well as modern and makes products look heavy and more expensive. Black also invokes feelings of authority. Many youths are attracted to the color black (usually in the 16-25 year range) because it also is psychologically connected to rebelliousness. Car companies, high end jewelry companies, and also music companies use black to attract customers. When combined with other colors, black can be dramatic and eye catching.

Grey is a neutral color that when it stands alone, it imparts feelings of indifference, reserve, and also depression. To give the color some energy, it must be combined with other colors. The color grey is also connected to feelings of intellect, knowledge and wisdom and also lends a sleek, contemporary and professional feel. Grey is a great color to use for legal or financial companies because like black, it invokes feelings of authority and control. It can even suggest a sense of power, especially when combined with other neutral colors.

Last but not least, we have white. White symbolizes new beginnings and open mindedness. White may not be a stimulating color but it offers a blank slate for creativity. It is an impartial color that invokes feelings of organization, fairness, and proficiency. White is a great color to use for backgrounds, because it allows other colors to pop. It makes websites, business cards, and promotional mailings look clean and uncluttered, which makes it easier on the eyes. A lot of home improvement companies, such as ones that promote kitchen appliances, bathroom items as well as technology companies use white as a main component to their marketing.

So, as you can see, colors, like fonts, can make a huge impact in your marketing! Obviously, this is only a quick and basic overview of the psychology and use of color in marketing, and there is so much more to explore. But, for the sake of boring you, I tried to keep it short and sweet! We hope you can take some of these tips and use them for your marketing projects. Check out our colored business cards, paper and cardstock, labels, and envelopes to see if any of our colors will work with your company!