There’s a knack to getting social media marketing right. Have you ever wondered why the big three social media networking sites – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all use the colour blue in their logos?
Is it a coincidence or clever branding?
Actually, they’re following basic principles of colour branding psychology.
The psychology of colour as it relates to persuasion is one of the most interesting—and most controversial aspects of marketing. Proponents say that colour holds enormous sway over our attitudes and emotions.
When our eyes take in a colour, they communicate with a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which sends a cascade of signals to the pituitary gland, the endocrine system, and the thyroid glands.
The thyroid glands signal the release of hormones, which causes fluctuations in our mood and behaviour.
Colour psychology
Back to the big three social media sites. So why do they use the colour blue in their branding?
Well, according to colour psychology, blue is the colour of intellect and the mind – making it the colour of communication – what social media is all about.
Moreover, blue is associated with feelings of trustworthiness, strength and dependability – all of which are highly critical to the success of a social media site.
In addition, a survey carried out last year found blue to be the most popular colour in the world.
The importance of colour for social media sites
Blue is a very neutral colour when designing social media pages. It’s a safe colour. We are more comfortable interacting with it, than say a red or a green. These colours carry more meaning and can interfere with the natural flow of text or visuals on a page.
Social media sites have to offer something balanced because they aren’t places to catch your attention long enough to shop, and then leave until next time. Social media sites are a place for continued use and communication, where people spend hours each week.
Design choices are as important for social sites as physical hangout locations, as they have to give off a certain feel. The colours used are a part of the process, as is the general design, features and incentives.
Given that blue is the world’s favourite colour; it isn’t going to fall out of favour anytime soon. So, if you want to design something that the majority of people can see clearly, openly and positively associate their goals with, but that also affects their consumer behaviour for the better – start with the colour blue.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.
