Starting a business comes with big decisions. What am I going to sell? How am I going to price my services? Who is my target audience, and how do I communicate with them effectively? With so many big decisions on your plate, it may be easy to skip the smaller details like which fonts to use and how to pick the right fonts for your brand.
While choosing fonts may seem like an insignificant step, your font choices make an impact on how your brand is perceived by your clients which can impact how your business succeeds. As we look at different brands, we can see how font choice reflects the tone of the business. From clean and professional to quirky and fun, fonts communicate subtle yet important non-verbal messages.
You may be wondering – how do I choose the right fonts for my business? As you already know, there are endless free fonts available on various platforms (Canva, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.), and it can be overwhelming to know which ones to choose.
In this article I will give you some tips to help you pick the right fonts for your business.
Serif Vs Sans Serif fonts
A handy rule of thumb is knowing the difference between Serif and Sans Serif fonts.
Serif Fonts
Serifs are the extra strokes on the typeface characters which add a “fancy” or “formal” style to letters. A common example of Serif typography is the Times New Roman font option available in Microsoft Word.
This font communicates tones of professionalism, trust, reliability, and tradition. The additional flourishes of Serif fonts make it easy for the eye to follow, so this type of font is a good choice for longer forms of text such as books, terms and conditions, or other publications.
Sans Serif Fonts
Sans serif fonts are basically fonts without serifs. In other words, these fonts do not have the extra flourishes on the ends of letters.
This gives sans serif fonts a clean, minimal look and feel which communicates tones of clarity, simplicity, and confidence. While serif fonts have a more elegant style, sans serif fonts have a more modern style. This gives text an easy readability and is a great choice for digital platforms like websites or mobile apps.
7 tips to help you choose the fonts for your business
When selecting your fonts, consider various factors that will come into play.
1. Consider the Tone of your Brand
Just like you have a personality, so can your business! Your fonts will reflect the personality of your business, so it is helpful to understand what exactly you want represented.
A good place to start is finding keywords to describe your brand. For example, is your brand playful and fun? Or is it professional and confident? Brainstorm the different descriptors that best fit your business to help you choose a font that will match.
2. What are Other Brands Doing?
This is a great opportunity for benchmarking! Are there any brands out there you follow and admire? Take note of how they use certain typefaces to market their products/services through marketing by paying attention to their tone and messaging.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel, so feel free to look around for inspiration from businesses who are successfully using fonts to promote their brand.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: What makes your business unique? Identify your unique selling point
3. Fonts to Avoid
There are so many great ways to use typography, but there are some slip ups to avoid. You will save yourself a lot of confusion and potential legal issues by making sure your fonts are not identical to other well-known brands.
Also, avoid fonts that are too elaborate or difficult for your audience to understand. Your fonts should be reasonably easy to read and understand which will help you reach a wider audience with ease.
4. Study, Study, Study!
It wouldn’t hurt to do some research on typography to understand the history and meaning behind fonts. This could be a great way to equip you to better understand fonts at an academic level and how they play an important role even beyond marketing. The more you know, the more power to you!
5. Consider All of Your Platforms
Choosing fonts is a commitment! Make sure you think about every touchpoint in your business where typography will be needed. Do you have a website, brochures, and an email newsletter? And if so, how will your selected fonts look in those channels?
It is important to map out the end-to-end possibilities of how your fonts will be shown to your audience to avoid any awkward displays. If your chosen fonts flow with ease and are fitting for all your channels, you are on the right track.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to start a business while working full-time.
6. Building a Typographic Hierarchy
It is very common to have more than one font to use across your marketing channels.
Different fonts can be used for headers, sub-headers, body copy, and other types. Make sure to include all the different types of fonts you will need for your business and implement them as a guide for all your digital and print marketing materials.
This will help you maintain consistency in your tone across all platforms. Feel free to play around with how your typography hierarchy should look by pairing a couple fonts at a time.
Test your pairings until you find the right structure and layout for you.
7. Gather Feedback
A great way to know if you are on the right track is by getting feedback from people you trust. Whether it is a good friend, a colleague, or a family member, showcasing your typography structure to a third party is a good way of getting constructive advice. Just like any part of your project, it is always helpful to put more heads together for collaborative ideas.
In Conclusion: Choosing the right fonts for your business
It’s time to get started! Now that you have some ideas for picking out fonts for your brand, you can start building a brand guide tailored to your brand’s personality and your target audience.
Start testing out different fonts to coordinate with your logo, your color scheme, and your other design elements. With the right fonts in your business toolkit, you can put your best foot forward and connect with your clients with the right tone and aesthetic.
Want more tips and resources to help you launch your biz? Check these out:
