3 Critical Things Every Brand Guide Should Include

When it comes to effectively marketing your insurance agency, consistency is key. But how can you be consistent if everything is using a different set of guidelines to create your marketing materials – or worse, no guidelines at all.

When used properly, a brand guide will ensure that your agency’s message remains consistent and uniquely you.

A good brand guide should provide creative direction to drive any and all marketing materials – and they should always include these three things.

What Should a Brand Guide Include?

A brand guide should include the following elements:

• • Information on your insurance agency’s history. When it comes to marketing your agency, it’s always helpful to know where you’ve come from. As the owner of your agency, I’m sure that you know all about your roots, but remember — not everyone on your team will know all of the details. Having a centralized resource that outlines the history of your insurance agency is a great way to make sure that everyone is starting from the same frame of reference.
  • Communication Guidelines. Words matter, and how you use them is extremely important. A good brand guide will keep your entire time on the same page when it comes to voice, tone. and language styles. These guidelines are critical to making sure that your insurance agency’s marketing materials all have a consistent voice and that everything you produce sounds like “you.”
  • Visual Guidelines. Color palettes, photography styles, accent pieces, fonts – they’re all tools that you can use to help your brand create unique and easily identifiable marketing collateral. Use them properly, and your audience will begin to recognize your materials and come to trust your consistent messaging. Use it incorrectly, and you’ll just be adding to the noise that is already filling up the average consumers email inbox and social media newsfeed.

Whether your insurance agency is just getting off the ground or you’re about to open your 11th office, a brand guide can help unify your team and your message.