There are many so options when it comes to choosing a font for your brand, it becomes overwhelming. There are a plenty of choices out there, but how do you know the good between the bad? I outlined a few reasons why your font is totally wrong for your brand in a past post here, so make sure you don’t already fall into those four pitfalls. It’s so important to learn how to find the right font for you, your brand and everything you both embody. But how do you know if your font is doing all the right things for you and your brand? I’ll show you.
Let’s just call it typographic voice. Every font has it’s own voice—a distinct persona, mood, and attitude. A font sets the tone for your brand, and every brand is full of personality. It’s the reason you can look at a line of clothes from J.Crew and know that it’s not a line of clothing from Volcom. It’s all about style and character. The same thing applies to your font choice. Learning how to find the right font for your brand is all about the personality of that particular font. We learned exactly how to decipher personalities in fonts in my past blog post here. Before moving on, make sure you read that post to get the basics down.
But the right typographic voice goes much deeper than personalities or moods. Those are all surface level. Down to the roots, typographic voice affects how your audience or consumers feel and react toward you and your brand. It affects how your audience engages with you, if at all. And yep, it all stems from your font. Let me show you…
Which warning sign would you trust more?
Choosing the right font establishes trust.
There are very few differences in the two choices above, but I’d argue most people would trust the first font more than the second. The first font is Norwester (download free here), it’s bold (all caps) and plain (no curly scripts) while the second choice, Bree (download free here) is cheery and sweet — it’s too mild for something as serious as a warning sign.
Your font choice is the viewers first visual queue on whether or not you’re genuine and trustworthy. The wrong font makes them question legitimacy of you and your brand, and the right font earns the viewers trust. And trust will turn any bystander into a driven consumer, someone who is engaged in your work and stays part of your community. So, is your font presenting your brand or business as a mature establishment, filled with real people who know their stuff? Or is your font presenting your brand or business as underdeveloped and incapable of producing real honest work?
Which caution sign would you take seriously?
Choosing the right font helps your audience take you seriously.
The first font is Nevis Bold (download free here). Although it is lowercase (much more gentle than ALL CAPS), it’s clear, trustworthy. There isn’t room for confusion. The second font is Cooper Black (download free here), its letters are too bubbly and carefree to take seriously.
If you want to be taken seriously, dress the part. The same goes for your brand. Your font is a reflection of everything your brand stands for. Everything from services and products to your core values, mission and personality. And if a viewer can’t take you seriously, they won’t be part of your brand, they won’t become your consumer, and they won’t be engaged in your community. So when you’re choosing the right font (or evaluating your current font choice for your brand), there’s a wide spectrum of fonts to consider. Some fonts may look too inexperienced or playful for your brand while some might look too mature or sterile. Finding the right balance is key to letting your visitors know that you’re authentic and sincere, and you mean business.
Specific fonts attract certain personalities.
Which font are you attracted to the most? Neither of these fonts are incorrect choices, but each font attracts certain personalities and audiences. The first font is Grand Hotel (download free here). I’d imagine a feminine, small boutique looking for hirees that are compassionate, loving and warm. The second font is Theano Didot (download free here). I imagine this font attracting hirees that are professional, structured and trained/well-seasoned individuals.
Different fonts adhere to different personalities. People who are more structured and traditional might prefer a font that’s more straightforward, plain and simple while people who are unconventional may prefer loud, outlandish, eccentric fonts. Neither is right or wrong, but both attract certain people with specific personalities. For example, a soft sweet script would be my last choice for branding a welding company because it’s just not powerful, robust, and brawny enough to hold up to the standards of what a welding company stands for. So, when you’re choosing a font for your brand, think about your audience. Would one font speak to them more than another?
There you go! Knowing how to find the right font starts with knowing the typographic voice. A font has the power to earn trust from your audience and have them take you seriously as a blogger or a business. Choosing the right font can attract certain personalities, so make sure your font aligns with your ideal audience.
Have a question on whether your font is the right typographic voice for your brand?Comment below, I’d love to give some advice!
