The Color Psychology of Business

Wednesday’s Wisdom:  Colors are a part of our everyday life.  Use them to your advantage!

There is no question that when writing email marketing messages, blog posts or website articles that the written word, the content, is king.  However, there are other factors that play a part in how your reader reacts to your written word.  Color psychology for business should be taken into consideration when composing your marketing message.  Color, plays a large part in how involved your reader will become with your content and encourages how they will respond to your message.  Color creates a whole dialogue in addition to what you have written.  The following is a list of popular colors and how they affect the reader.

Color Psychology of Black

When considering color psychology for business black cannot be ignored.  Black is a dominate color used in most business correspondence.  It is usually not seen as an option because most of our written dialogue is written in black.  There is a reason for this.  Black is a color that is associated with authority and power.  Black is also associated with elegance, sophistication, strength and formality.  On the negative side of things black is associated with depression, illegality, morbidity, death and night.

Color Psychology of White

When considering color psychology for business, white has strong meanings.  White is associated with purity, innocence, completion and wholeness.    It is also associated with newness, virginity, simplicity and sterility.  On the downside white is associated with snow, ice and cold.

Color Psychology of Red

When considering color psychology for business red is a color that is often avoided in most business correspondence.  This is because red signifies a deficit.  If you are composing a marketing message, however, red could be used to signify other feelings such as passion, ambition, excitement, action and determination.  It could also cultivate feelings of warmth, love, courage, boldness and desire.  Be careful how you use the color red because it could also bring about feelings of anger and danger.

Color Psychology of Blue

When considering the color psychology of business blue could be used to bring about the exact opposite feelings that are cultivated by the color red.  Blue is a very popular color.  Blue causes tranquil and peaceful feelings.  It is a color that actually causes the body to produce calming chemicals.  Blue is a color that implies integrity and trust.  It is often suggested that you wear blue to interviews because blue symbolizes loyalty.  On the downside the color blue is associated with boredom, melancholia, coldness and winter.

Color Psychology of Green

When considering the color psychology of business green is a useful color.  Green is not only currently the most popular decorating color it can improve vision.  It is a color that symbolizes nature and it is a very calming color that refreshes.  It is a color that symbolizes growth, well-being, optimism, honesty, safety as well as luxury.  Green is a color that relaxes you.  It also symbolizes durability and reliability.

Color Psychology of Yellow

Things could get a little confusing when considering the color psychology of business and the color yellow.  Yellow can mean happiness and comfort.  However, yellow rooms tend to cause people to lose their temper more.  Also babies cry more in yellow rooms.  On the upside, yellow is known to enhance concentration.  It is an attention grabbing color that symbolizes optimism.  On the downside yellow symbolizes conflict, cowardice and can overwhelm.

Color Psychology of Purple

When considering the color psychology of business and the color purple one can easily find a place for this majestic color.  Purple symbolizes royalty and gives feelings of luxury, wealth and sophistication.  It is a very powerful color yet is a very feminine color and a very romantic color.  It is also sometimes associated with magic.

Color Psychology of Brown

The color brown might not come to mind too often when considering the color psychology of business.  Yet the color brown does have a place in our marketing.  The color brown is very relaxing and casual.  It is an earthy color.  The color brown symbolizes something that is genuine.  It symbolizes confidence, reliability and endurance.  It also symbolizes autumn.

Conclusion

This article is not meant to suggest that you should use a rainbow of colors in your next formal business letter because you want to invoke a particular feeling.  There are times when the conventional black on white should be used.  However, consider the psychology of color the next time you put together marketing correspondence.  When used properly, color can enhance the feelings of your reader and aid in getting them to feel and do what you want them to.

If you learned anything new from this article then please leave a comment.