Why should you worry about your business logo? Why is it important for your business? The reason for this is that your logo has a major role to play in how potential customers and clients will view your business. Moreover, business logos often end up deciding the nature of potential customers’ expectations from a business. What this means is that you need to pay special attention when you create your business logo.
Consider the fact that most people utilise multiple sources of information today which means that they’re usually swamped with options. In such a scenario, every little bit helps in converting a lead. While most people don’t decide on a business on the basis of its logo, a professional looking business logo has been known to confirm a customer’s mind on the business.
However, a business logo does more than inform leads that the business is professional. You need to create your business logo carefully because it can tell people a lot about your business apart from its professionalism. For instance, your business logo can tell people which industry you operate in and what your business’s personality is. Moreover, logos often facilitate emotional attachment which can significantly improve your business’s chances of customer acquisition and subsequent retention.
So, the big question is how should you create your business logo? This instalment of the Startup Strategy series will help you discover just that.
Factors to Keep In Mind While Creating Your Business Logo
Your business name should ideally be tied in with your business logo. Not only will your business name affect the imagery in your logo but also the kind of fonts and styles being used. This means that, when you’re choosing your business name, it might be a good idea to remember that it will play a role when you create your business logo.
Another key factor you need to keep in mind when you create your business logo is your target audience. Different target audiences respond better to different styles of business logos. For example, your business logo can look youthful and creative or traditional and stable.
One thing you cannot do without when it comes to your business logo is its scalability and reproducibility. You need to remember that you’ll be using your business logo in various situations. You will begin with visiting cards and letterheads but if you do well then you may progress to trucks and billboards as well.
This is why it is important to create your business logo to be inherently scalable and reproducible. For this reason, you should try to avoid using photographs in your logos.
It’s also important to remember to create your business logo to be distinctive and east to remember. In many cases, your business logo will be all that a potential customer or client can see and remember. So, if you make it memorable, then it will only help your business grow.
What Are The Different Types Of Business Logos?
Now that you know what variables to keep in mind while you create your business logo, you can actually start considering the exact nature of your business logo. There are basically three different types of business logos you can consider.
The first type of business logo is font, letter, or type based. These types of logos usually revolve around the business name when the name is written in a unique way. As an example of these types of business logos consider Brother and Panasonic.
The second type of business logo is image based. As is obvious, these types of logos revolve around an image. For most small to medium scale businesses, the images used are fairly obvious such as a painting company using a paint brush, a cleaning company using a wiper, or even a home service company using a home. Some of the best examples of these types of business logos, however, are Apple, Starbucks, and Twitter.
The third type of business logo is abstract wherein an abstract image is used. These types of logos are such that they won’t mean much without an elaborate marketing campaign. Since the images are so abstract, these types of business logos require marketing campaigns to draw the connection in the target audience’s eyes. Good examples of these types of business logos include the Nike swoosh and the McDonald’s golden arches.
Since most businesses start small and in a geographically limited region, basic image based business logos are the most ideal for them. So, how can you create your business logo in the simplest way possible? Consider the following.
Define Your Message, Business Personality, & USP
You can’t create your business logo, if you don’t understand your business. You need to know your business like your own baby to be able to create your business logo in a way that it reflects it. There are three things you should know about your business so that you can incorporate as many of them as possible when you create your business logo.
The first of these is the message you want your customers to get regarding your business. One of the simplest messages used in business logos is your products or services. As mentioned earlier, whatever product you manufacture or service you provide can be used as an image on your business logo.
The second is your business personality which can range from innovative, contemporary, traditional, stable, or anything else that may be relevant in your industry. The last is your business’s Unique Selling Point (USP). Your business’s USP will be what sets you apart from your competitors and compels your target audience to turn into customers.
Avoid Fads and Trends
It can be very tempting to get swayed by trends when you make your business logo. You could even rationalise it in your head by thinking that it would allow you to reach your audience better.
However, if you think long term, you’ll know why it isn’t such a good idea to incorporate fads and trends when trying to create your business logo. By definition, fads and trends are transitory in nature, which means that whichever fad or trend you incorporate into your business logo will soon become out of date.
As a result, after a few months or years, your business logo will also become passé. In fact, it’s even possible that it will convey the wrong meaning to your audience if enough time has passed.
Don’t Use Too Many Colours
Another temptation you would need to resist while you create your business logo is using too many colours. There are many reasons for this. First and foremost, using too many colours in your business logo can make it seem cluttered and too complicated.
This will make it less memorable and more difficult to understand. Furthermore, using too many colours when you create your business logo is also counterproductive with respect to its reproducibility.
The more colours you use, the more shades need to be matched at every new reproduction. This can lead to mistakes and mismatches which will reflect poorly on your business’s professionalism. Finally, using more colours will also mean more expenses.
A visiting card with a two to three colour logo will be much cheaper to print than a visiting card that has a five to six colour logo. The same is true for any other piece of stationary that will carry your business logo including your letterhead.
Check Competitors’ Logos
When you create your business logo, you should also remember to refer to your competitors’ business logos. Checking your competitors’ business logos will not only spur your own creativity but also give you an idea on what works in the industry you’re about to step into.
It should also be mentioned that knowing what is already being used may prevent you from using something similar and creating a business reputation of an imitator in the process. Besides, this will dovetail well with competitor analysis which you’ll have to do sooner or later to truly take your business to the next level.
Hire a Professional to Create Your Business Logo
There are numerous ways through which you can create your business logo. However, three are most common. The first is to make your business logo yourself.
In fact, this is another pitfall associated with creating a business logo that can be very tempting. However, you need to avoid this because, no matter how adaptive and creative you are, you can never create a business logo that can be compared to a logo created by a professional.
Self-made business logos almost always look basic, childish, generic, and mundane and you don’t want to start doing business with a handicap. The second is to use a downloadable software programme or web based application to create your business logo. This results in business logos that are similar and extremely generic.
The last and most suitable method to create your business logo is to hire a professional to do it for you. Logo designers can charge anything between $15 and $5000. Their rates depend on their experience and the extent of their services. Whatever your budget, it is advisable that you hire a professional designer somewhere in the middle of the aforementioned rate bracket to get a unique business logo.
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