A Guide To Colour Usage For Social Media

By Joel Nekooie

Remember being a kid and getting excited whenever a rainbow appeared in the sky? Colours catch the eye and have the power to evoke certain emotions, so can we apply that to social media? Absolutely.

It’s important to understand colour psychology if you really want to maximise your online reach, because the colour palette you use across your channels will have a particular psychological impact on a user, even if they don’t realise it. Since studies show that certain moods can call certain colours to mind, then the opposite is also true, certain colours trigger emotional changes in users and can heighten interactions or sales. The most success comes from the colours that reinforce your brand personality, which strongly affect your overall presence.

Here’s a basic guide to the most effective colours to use and what they mean:

Red

Red is the most potent colour according to researchers, because it triggers action. It is an incredibly bold and energetic colour which is heavily associated with urgency and power, even danger. This is why we see it on road signs (notably the ‘stop’ sign) or in clearance sales.

Now, just because it’s a powerful colour that doesn’t mean paint all of your designs completely red, however you should absolutely try to incorporate it somewhere in your content. A good start could be your ‘Buy Now’ button, which can work brilliantly for sales if aided with solid copy.

For some statistics, HubSpot actually A/B tested two call-to-action button colours for Performable, where the dominant red colour outperformed green (which connotes ideas like relaxation or nature) by 21%.

Instagram / @cocacola

Yellow

Obviously one of our favourites! Yellow is another primary colour which is optimistic and youthful, evoking sunny days and feelings of happiness, and so it can easily be used to grab attention online.

This is an excellent colour to include in your content if you want to add some positive vibes or if one of your main goals is to have a positive impact on your clients, even as an accent colour it can give emphasis. Plus, it can be effective if you perhaps want to connect with users on a more personal level.

Some yellow-rich brands worth noting are McDonald’s, Nikon, Ferrari, and of course Uni4m.

Instagram / @uni4mbrand

Blue

Another classic colour which is the most widely used online is blue, representing trust, security, and tranquility. This makes it the perfect colour choice for banks and corporations.

Whilst blue is not as bold as the warmer colours on the spectrum, it can suggest harmony in an incredibly effective manner, whether it’s splashed on to a background or simply used to highlight something. Moreover, because of its association with being calm, using blue quells anxiety and causes users to take notice of your brand.

Blue is actually the #1 colour when it comes to social media; have you noticed that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Skype all use shades of blue in their branding? Well, now you know why.

Instagram / @linkedin

Purple

For a long time, the colour purple has been linked to royalty, wealth, and power. Not only that, but when users look at purple, they are often instilled with a sense of spirituality, wisdom, and can find it soothing.

Psychologically speaking, our minds tend to interpret darker shades with more elegance, so use that information to pick the right shade of purple for your brand. Purple is actually an interesting colour because it has that balance between the urgency of red and the seriousness of blue. 

The main thing is that purple stands out and is a good option if you want to show your brand’s creative flair or uniqueness. It’s common as a complimentary colour, perhaps as text or other smaller elements.

Note: Research indicates that purple appeals mainly to women as opposed to men, so remember to consider your audience.

Instagram / @cadburyuk

Black

Black might seem basic, but it can be very powerful on social media. It is an ominous yet sleek and sophisticated colour which is most popularly used for marketing luxury or high-end products.

Since the frequent usage of black is more aesthetically pleasing than over the top, you can incorporate it pretty much anywhere. It’s a good colour for logo creation, themes, plain text, or for creating contrast (particularly with white or pastel colours).

That being said, consider your industry before you go too crazy with black. Making everything black might work better for luxury cars, technology, or even alcohol brands like Jack Daniels, but it will likely be more effective when used as an element. This allows you to use a wider range of colours and hues to make the black stand out.

Instagram / @jackdaniels_us

Final Notes

So now that you know which colours can help your brand get noticed, you can go ahead and test them out. Consider these final notes before you do:

Watch out for colour clashes, for example, blue and purple may be too intense and could drive people away from your page. You need to allow some contrast in your brand colours; consider matching a vivid colour with a dark or muted colour.

Use bold colours sparingly, as heavy colour usage can be overwhelmingly bright and could change how your content is interpreted, having the opposite effect. Make sure you know the limit if you want to encourage users.

Pick colours that depict your brand. Colour usage should also depend on the product or service you are marketing, for example, black and white wouldn’t work for products aimed at children whereas bright and bold colours like yellow would. On the other hand, black and white would work effectively for clothing or a luxury brand.

Lastly, you can try experimenting with your chosen colours to make your content more unique; for example, using more than one shade of a colour or creating a gradient.

Need help making your content pop? Get in touch with us at info@uni4mbrand.com