No matter what size your business is, the number of responsibilities and tasks that need to be done, managed and maintained can be overwhelming. The thought of choosing a logo for your business on top of everything else, can seem intimidating at first.
A logo that is unique to your brand can give you that edge you need, to stand out from your competitors. One of the key pillars of a successful business brand and personal brand, the logo can be used on business cards, websites, social media posts, marketing materials - the list goes on…
Who knew such a small graphic could hold so much power?
Right now, you might be feeling how Penny from the Big Bang Theory looks - but don’t fret.
A logo can be an incredibly important addition to your business’s marketing strategy; to help existing and prospective customers identify your company with ease, and to create a lasting impact.
If you want to know the ins and outs of crafting a logo that is perfect for your brand then read on - let's do this!
Why is a logo important?
Let’s start with the basics.
According to Entrepreneur, logos are essentially the forefront of your business or company. Representing what you do, what you can offer and your company’s values, the logo is the single visual image that shapes crucial first impressions and opinions of viewers about your business.
The primary goal of a logo is to identify - Paul Rand
Jeff Bullas believes that having a high-quality logo is essential and should be considered just as important when used on your blog or your business website. Today, branding yourself authentically and uniquely will give you an advantage over others.
As well as this, striving for brand saturation – meaning that consumers within your target market can easily identify your logo on various locations and platforms – should be a top priority, to ensure your business’s growth and maximum engagement with your audience.
Why do I need a logo for my business and brand?
Neil Patel explains that your logo should be intrinsically linked to your brand. Your brand should tell a story to your audience, and a component of that story-telling process is your logo.
Additionally, Neil states that outsourcing this task to external graphic designers used to be the popular way to go, but this has changed. With an abundance of free and affordable online resources and tools, it has never been easier for small business owners to create and choose logos themselves.
Here are 4 benefits of having a good logo for your business:
✅ Boosts your professional image and reputation
✅ Brand recognition and identification
✅ Strengthens your brand
✅ Can provide that one-up over competitors!
It is also important to remember that logo designing is part of your business strategy – view it as a key visual representation that will help people to identify your business, rather than just art.
Of course, looks are still important, but each component of the design - colour, shape, size, words – must have a meaning behind it. So if you’re worried about not having artistic skills – this won’t be a cause for concern!
Here are some things to think about when crafting your perfect logo:
(Image from Ebaqdesign)
Research your competitors
It's worth taking time to find out what kind of logos your competitors have and get a feel for design types that your target audience might be seeing. This is a perfect opportunity for you to do some market research and analysis.
❓Do you find your competitor’s logos appealing or memorable❓
❓What kind of colours or shapes do they incorporate? Do they use words or phrases?❓
❓Can you get a sense of their brand from just the logo❓
Making a note of what you find will definitely contribute when it comes to evaluating and creating your brand logo and making it a great one. Speaking of market research – what’s trending right now? Keep track of what logos have become more popular recently and what has managed to stay relevant and timeless over the years.
Ana from TheSheApproach advises that designing a logo that appeals to your target demographic is key. Taking into account features you’re your target markets:
⭐ Gender
⭐ Age
⭐ Interests
⭐ Values
Should all weigh-in when brainstorming ideas for your logo. Ana also encourages us to put ourselves in the minds of our viewers and to think about what kinds of ideas or imagery would shape perceptions about your brand.
This is where deciding on using specific colours, shapes and fonts can make a real impact – what you choose can convey completely different perceptions to your audience.
Brand Identity
To become a market leader, your business must own its unique brand identity. Giving way to bigger, better opportunities, your brand should connect with your customers and their values. When designing your perfect logo, Wix advises making sure that the logo aligns with your brand identity – so that the final result closely represents your brand’s messages and values.
Amazon’s logo is a great example.
The design incorporates a curved line under the brand name, which can be interpreted as both a smile or an arrow.
The smile, communicating positive emotions and happiness of receiving something from them but also doubling up like an arrow which goes from letters 'A' to 'Z', representing the range of products the company offers.
(Image from Amazon)
Clever, eh? Neo from The Matrix seems to think so.
The power of imagery and using visuals are so important and often very overlooked! Using video is becoming increasingly popular as a marketing tool to boost branding and brand identity. Read our guide on 5 Ways to Effectively Use Video On Your Social Media Channels to find out more.
Storytelling
You’ll want to make sure your logo is distinct and one of a kind. Try to think about what might make your logo stick out from the rest, and not blend in. What would set you apart from everyone else?
Storytelling is at the centre of branding – so often, logos will have a hidden meaning behind them relating to the company’s story.
Introducing their logo as the Bélo, online accommodation marketplace Airbnb was inspired by the 4 things they believe make up their brand, and encompass feelings of belonging – a huge part of their brand identity - people, places, love and their company.
(Image from DesignStudio)
This is a fantastic visual that breaks down the elements that contributed to the logo, with each component representing a value important to the company.
Simplicity is key
With the abundance of brands out there today, it is easy for consumers to get distracted and forget about a company, among its competitors.
Did you know that for consumers to remember your brand, they need to have seen your logo a minimum of 5-7 times to actually recognise it and associate it with your company?
(Image from 42Works)
What do logos for Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonald's all have in common? Less is more! So, keep it simple. Don’t try to cram in too much. We don’t want to overload our audience – we want a clear design that will stay in their minds.
Colour psychology
The colours and shapes used in your logo should align with the products or services you offer. According to Forbes, 90% of a person’s assessment of any product is based on the colours associated with it. This is huge!
Canva explains the term colour psychology, which explores the relationship between certain colours and human responses. This concept can be useful in thinking about what feelings or emotions we want to trigger from customers when they see a logo.
(Image from Canva)
If you compare the logos of different Fortune 500 companies, one recurring trend is the choice of logo colour. Blue seems to be the most popular colour used, with companies like IBM, Facebook, Ford and Visa all donning the same colour choice. Remembering that every colour evokes emotion from viewers, the colour blue might be widely used because it often evokes a sense of professionalism, trust and intelligence.
Logo design
A logo design can reveal a huge amount about a company’s personality and core ideologies.
Hubspot recommends brainstorming and coming up with a list of words and phrases that accurately describe your brand. This will assist you to further refine the concepts and ideas you want to integrate into your logo design.
Logo designs fall into four general categories:
💡Brandmark, simple memorable designs without any text – usually large global corporations use this type of logo as consumers can instantly recognise it. Examples are Apple, Nike
💡Word or letter mark, companies names in a specific, memorable font – used then the name or initials of a business is extremely important to their brand. Examples are FedEx, Google, BBC, HBO
💡Combination – used to reflect a balanced, stable image, this type of logo can be very representative of a brand's personality and ideology. Examples are Addidas, Burger King
💡Emblem mark – some kind of text within the logo design itself – usually seen in industry-leading companies, presenting a powerful, strong image. Examples are BMW, Paramount
Digital tools
There are a plethora of online logo makers that are free and have been designed for an easy experience, for those who might not have any experience in logo design. This makes the whole process so much easier and less time-consuming, allowing you to focus your time on the bigger responsibilities of running your business.
2 examples of online logo makers are:
💻 Canva - there is a ‘drag and drop’ option which is fantastic for those with no graphic design or design skills. With over 100 free templates, you can choose a base and customize it to your preferred design
💻 Oberlo logo maker – free logo generator that allows you to customize your design and choose from a variety of fonts, colours and shapes until you come up with a star design that represents your brand perfectly.
(Screengrab from Oberlo)
Scalability
Logogeek advises that a successful logo should look compelling regardless of its size – to the viewer. In the digital world we live in today, creating an icon that can make an impact should be a main focus during the design process, whether it is shown on a social media page, a tab icon or on a billboard.
Create a few different versions of your ideal logo that are slightly different. Use this to play around with different colour combinations, layouts, shapes and words! Ask yourself these 4 questions:
⭐ What would your first thoughts be if you were looking at this for the first time?
⭐ Does it embody your brand identity, values and mission?
⭐ Does the logo stand out when compared to the logos of your competitors?
⭐ Could your target market easily identify it with your brand?
Have you designed a logo for your brand and business? What key things did you focus on?
Let me know in the comments below!
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About the Author
Katie is a Hong Kong-born journalist at High Profile Club. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts at King’s College London, with interests in global media, communications and sustainable development. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Katie speaks 3 languages and is well-attuned to working in an array of cultures and environments.
Find Katie on LinkedIn.
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