Say the word “style” ten times fast and it absolutely loses all meaning.
That’s partly because when we think about style, it can have so many meanings that it becomes a general placeholder for basically everything.
Even the definition of “style” is a concoction of words and ideas that, unless you already knew what the word meant, would be incredibly hard to parse out.
Here’s one internet dictionary’s def. of style:
a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.
Hmm… not vague at all.
To us, style is a set of principles that guide aesthetic choices.
Having style is akin to having a point of view. And as we’ve often said – having a point of view is one of the most important parts of standing out.
Unfortunately most people don’t have a developed visual or aesthetic point of view, but even if they don’t have style themselves, they recognize style.
That’s super important – because if you want to stand out, you absolutely MUST develop a style, or at the very least, understand how to use style to your benefit.
Celebrities who walk down the red carpet don’t always have a sense of style.
They may look like they have style, but often there are designers behind the scenes outfitting them for the big show.
Celebrities understand that they have to look like they have style if they’re going to get noticed by the paparazzi on the red carpet.
What does this have to do with you and your business?
As a business owner, you have to understand that having your own style is important to standing out.
As a business, having style means having principles that guide your decisions for your content, your website, your tone of voice in your marketing copy… every outgoing communication should have a style that’s unique to you.
So you might be asking, how do I get style?
Here are a few tips:
- First you have to decide that it’s important. Think about people you’ve met whose style you’ve admired. What sort of impression have they made on you? Do you believe that their style gets them noticed? Is getting noticed important to you?
- Then you have to begin noticing. Look at the businesses you encounter every day and begin to notice their style. Who’s actually investing in their look? Who’s putting the effort to make sure their style is consistent across all their communication? When you start to notice this you’ll also notice when it’s NOT happening.
- Hit the “go” button on your own style. If you have an “eye” for it – you can do it yourself by making decisions on what actually fits your style and what doesn’t. “We only ever do white text on a black background. That’s out style because it’s simple and bold”
- Get help. Lastly, you can take it to the next level and actually hire a designer or creative director who can bring their style to your business. Style is something that’s usually developed over time and it takes a bit of time to find. But once you do it makes a huge impact.
Want to check out some companies who have a unique, standout style?
- Olipop – https://drinkolipop.com/
- WeTransfer – https://about.wetransfer.com/company
- Figma – https://www.figma.com/about/
- The Strategist – https://nymag.com/strategist/
- Supermush – https://supermush.com/
- Joy World – https://www.joy.world/
- Hello Tushy – https://hellotushy.com/
- Harry’s – https://www.harrys.com/en/us
Ok – Go get yourself some style!
(We can also help! Duh 🙄)
