Creating a logo is an important part of branding your business. However, there are some Singapore business owners who don’t give much consideration to the colour scheme. They don’t realise that the choice between blue and red could mean the difference between something that’s memorable and something that people easily forget. In part 1 of our Facebook marketing series, we’ll talk about how colour psychology can affect your Facebook marketing plan.
So what is colour psychology and why is it so important?
The term colour psychology refers to the exploration of how colours have an effect on perceptions, emotions, and reactions. And in marketing, this concept is used to create certain feelings and reactions towards companies and their products and services. You see, colour has the ability to tap into our unconscious. For instance, whenever we see the colour red, we automatically get more excited and our heart rate speeds up. When we see green, we tend to feel reassured.
When you consider how long Facebook users look at their News Feeds before their eyes naturally move to more appealing images or another tab, it only takes a matter of seconds. And experts understand that it’s this type of reaction that can affect how people respond to a call-to-action, or CTA. When creating a CTA, it’s the small details that count. For example, changing the colour of your site’s CTA button from green to yellow can increase your conversions by more than 14%. And adding a coloured border around Facebook Ad images can double your click-through-rate, or CTR. Research shows that 23% of women prefer the colour as opposed to 0% of men.
If you would like to increase conversions by at least 60%, you can contrast the colours of two links within one image. Technically, there are no best colours for conversions, however, there are colours that are preferred–ones that elicit an emotional response in most people. These responses are often influenced by the person’s location, so keep this in mind.
The Colours
Blue:
No matter the age group or gender, blue is a favourite colour for most people. This particular colour inspires feelings of trust and security. Lighter shades of blue tend to be calming while darker shades of blue tend to show signs of professionalism and sincerity.
How to use it: If you’re using yellow, orange, or red accents, then try using blue as your primary colour. There are many large computing companies that use this colour and it’s meant to symbolise logic, intelligence, and efficiency. However, if you want to make sure that your ad stands out on Facebook, then you should avoid solely using blue and white as it may blend in with this social media platform’s colour scheme. Also, you should avoid using this colour if your business sells food as people could associate it with mold and illness.
Green:
Green is one of the easiest colours for the eyes to process. It’s associated with the environment and wealth. This colour also represents affirmation and positive action. People tend to associate it with the word, ‘go.’ And when shoppers see it, that tend to think about saving money. Green is the second and third most popular colour among women and men respectively.
How to use it: In advertising green drives emotion and attracts the eye. Avoid using pale green as it does not inspire urgency. Darker, more vibrant shades tend to contrast well and are less pushy than orange and red. Test the colour teal in your social offers, coupons, and discount codes.
Purple:
Purple is often associated with femininity, calm, and wealth. It’s the second most popular colour among women. However, as women age, they tend to like the colour less and less. However, very few men, if any, like purple.
How to use it: You should only use purple if your target audience is composed of mostly women, as this colour is men’s second to least favourite just behind only brown. If your Ad addresses increasing profits then use purple or green to communicate wealth. If the target audience is 60+ years of age, then use only purple, blue, or white.
Red:
This colour denotes, urgency, passion, and excitement. And it’s a risky colour choice in advertising, because there are many people who associate red with mistakes and negativity. However, red tends to attracts the eye better than any other colour and can give people the impression that time is moving faster than it actually is since it affects the heart rate and inspires action.
How to use it: You should avoid using red as the primary colour in your Facebook Ad. It can come across as intimidating and pushy. However, it’s a great colour for your ad’s CTA, a border, or value proposition. Use it in contrast with professional colours like green, dark grey, and blue.
Black:
Black signifies power, sleekness, intelligence, permanence, sophistication, and sincerity. However, black can be a bit risky if used too much. It works best when used in conjunction with clear white. Avoid using it with tans, and greys as it will wash out the colour of your message.
How to use it: If you want to create a sincere brand, then use the colour black. However, if your business is known for being engaging and fun, then you should avoid using it as your primary colour. In this case, you would use hues of red, orange, black, or green with black text.
Orange:
Many Singapore businesses use orange for their landing page because it’s bright, eye-catching, and sunny. However, though this colour can be inviting and warm, if it’s used too much then it can come across as unprofessional and naive.
How to use it: Combining three bright colour can certainly catch your audience’s attention. You can use it in your CTA. You can also use it as a border around a product that’s easy to miss.
Contrast
When creating Facebook Ads you need to focus on contrast. This is because the human eye is often drawn to contrasting colours. However, it can work for you or against you. For example, we tend to associate black and yellow with poison. So you need to be careful which colours you combine.
Shade and Tint
There are studies that indicate that men tend to prefer bright colours more than women. Women tend to prefer soft colours. So keep this in mind when you’re creating your Facebook Ad. Shades and tints can be a little tricky because there are so many. Which will be more aggressive and negative? Which will be more warm and exciting? It’s a good idea to internally test your colours with your staff and colleagues.
Conclusion
As you can see, when it comes to colour, there are several things that you should consider when creating your Facebook ad. Colours have a huge impact on the way customers see your brand and will often respond according to the combinations you choose. The key to creating a winning colour scheme is to think about what emotions each colour elicits. Does it make the person want to take action? Does it make your brand seem warm and inviting? Who is your target audience composed of and how do they view colours? These are the things you should consider when creating your Facebook ad.
