If you’re wondering whether a brandbook is something for you – spoiler: yes, it is! And you don’t need to be a graphic designer or have a big budget.
It’s evening. I’m sitting in front of my computer with a cup of hot chocolate to warm me up after a walk with my dog. Ferdek – that’s Mr. Dog’s name. He is already sitting with a full belly in the chair next to me, carefully monitoring the movements on the screen.
I have only 2 things planned for tonight:
a blog article (the one you’re reading) and
a social media post. It shouldn’t take me more than 90 minutes, including scheduling the publication.
And then I remember that just a few months ago, I gave up on social media completely. It happened for two simple reasons – I wasn’t happy with how my posts looked, and it took way too much time. And Canva is such a simple tool…
What changed?
Definitely not the design software. And no, I didn’t take any Canva course.
I simply organized how I want to present myself to you and how I want to talk to you. And to wrap it all up in a nice, consistent package, I created (right in Canva!) my own brandbook – so I have everything at hand, even at midnight, as they say.
See how it happened, in 4 simple steps.
Step 1: Who are you creating a brand book for? (Know your target audience)
I heard one sentence that changed the way I think:
You’re building a business for people, not for yourself.
Who are these people? How do they live? What do they like? Are we similar?
I asked myself many questions, but they didn’t make me feel any closer to defining my target audience. Until these questions came up:
What do they need?
What’s bothering them?
What are they missing?
BINGO.
Once I know what you need and what your biggest frustration is day after day, I know what wish you make at the end of the week – then I know how to talk to you to build a connection.
And from there it’s all downhill. Because I have the solution to your problems (those related to online business). I just need to communicate it properly so you also understand who I am. And that we’re a perfect match 😉
Step 2: How to create a color palette and fonts for your brand book?
Seems obvious, but it’s not that simple.
When choosing colors, I mainly relied on coolors.co and colorhunt.com. I started by pressing the spacebar until some shade caught my attention and… somehow it worked.
Thanks to colourcontrast.cc, I checked how the colors matched in terms of contrast. I can also make some adjustments so that future graphics or websites would be readable and not strain the eyes.
I did the same with fonts, although simplicity always wins here – I like it when it’s simply readable and clear.
But for those who like decorations and flourishes in text, there’s plenty to choose from. I recommend: fontpair.co, fontjoy.com, and dafont.com.
Step 3: How and why organize your brand book in Canva?
Since we’re already working in Canva, let’s use it as a handy database for your brand’s appearance.
Ridiculously simple in the paid Canva Pro version. Just log in, from the main menu on the left side. Click on the folder icon labeled “Brand”, and then Create Brand kit.
Now it’s just a moment of fun adding selected colors, fonts, logo, etc. You can also describe your Brand Voice here – the way you want to communicate. It can be more personal, friendly, or expert-like. According to these guidelines, the built-in artificial intelligence will suggest texts for your projects.
Why add all this here? Because it allows you to, for example, preview the project in different color versions within your chosen palette. One click, and the program shuffles the colors itself. Oh, so much fun!
If you’re using the free version of Canva – no stress! You also have a chance to speed up your work.
Create your brandboard as one of the projects. Add from the elements colour palette, change colors, and add short texts with font names next to them so nothing gets lost.
If you use this project as a starting page (meaning creating an Instagram post you open not in a new project, but as a new page in the current one), the system will suggest colors already used on previous pages. Thanks to this, you don’t have to click through multiple projects.
Step 4: Brandbook for small business – create a ready file
For all the previous actions to really make sense and not disappear, you need to gather all this information, the results of trial and error, into one file.
It can be a PDF or a presentation saved in this format (we’re still creating in Canva). Keep this file handy – on your desktop in a frequently opened folder, on Google Drive. Don’t forget about it.
First, because the brand grows and changes with you. Very soon, you may feel the need to change something in the brand book.
Second – this is your first tool that will simplify and improve task delegation.
Think about it: you hire a Social Media Manager. Handing over the brand book. No more need to talk about the audience’s needs, send logo, HEX color codes, fonts, and so on…
It also reduces the number of corrections and errors, which is another time saver. Also in design – so SMM will definitely appreciate it 😉
To sum up, what do you get?
A brandbook isn’t just a “pretty file with colors”. It’s your mental rest.
Every social media post, every newsletter, every graphic is a series of micro-decisions:
- What background color?
- Which font?
- How to write – formally or casually?
- Does this pink match this blue?
Now multiply that by every project in a week. Exhausting, right?
With a brandbook? You open the file, look, and know. Done.
➡️ From 30 minutes per post, it becomes 5 minutes.
➡️ From “uh, which shade was it?” it becomes one click.
➡️ From “how should I write this?” it becomes “ah, that’s how I talk to my people”.
Your brain stops making the same decisions over and over – and can focus on what really matters. On content. In a conversation with people. On growing the business.
And trust me – when you have a post to publish at 10 PM and your brain barely works anymore, a brandbook is your best friend.
What should a good brand book include?
An effective brandbook for a small business should include:
- Target audience definition – who are you creating for?
- Color palette – 3-5 colors with HEX codes
- Fonts – 2-3 fonts (headings, body text, accent)
- Logo – in different versions (full, simplified, colors, black & white)
- Communication tone – how do you talk to your audience?
- Graphic elements – separators, icons, frames
Where can I download a free brandbook template?
Need more guidance? Check out my mini e-book, prepared to simplify creating a brand book for a small business on your own. You’ll also find an editable template in Canva there!
If you have questions or need support at any stage of your business development, contact me at hello@smartmonasolutions.com or visit my profile on Instagram.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
How to create a brand book yourself?
You can create an effective brand book for a small business in both – Canva free and Pro versions. It’s enough to define your target audience, choose colors and fonts, and gather everything into one PDF file.
How much does it cost to create a brand book?
A brandbook for a small business can be created completely free in Canva (basic version) or using free tools like Coolors.co or FontPair.co. Canva Pro (about €13/month) makes work easier, but it isn’t essential.
How long does it take to create a brandbook?
Creating a basic brand book for a small business takes 1-2 days. You don’t need to do everything at once – you can start with the basics (colors, fonts, logo) and build on it over time.
Do I need a brandbook if I’m just starting a business?
Yes! It’s at the beginning that a brand book is most important. Thanks to it, you immediately build a consistent image and save time on every post, graphic, or newsletter.
What should be in a brand book for a small business?
A good brand book should include: target audience definition, color palette (including HEX codes), fonts, logo in all its versions, and communication tone. This is the foundation; the rest can be added gradually.
Where can I download a free brandbook template?
You can download a free, editable brand book template in my e-book. The template is created in Canva and can be easily customized for your business. Just visit my landing page.