How to Make a Logo for your New Business:
The sad fact is that more than half of the startups always fail within the first two or three years of their existence. One of the major culprits of this grim figure is the lack of effective marketing strategies. We understand that many startups work on limited resources, and might get tempted putting off a logo or branding themselves until they “get established” or “get a few clients.”
It’s not uncommon to see many of the new businesses always heading to copy store for a copy and pasted logos or opt for Microsoft suite. Instead do what I did use logo designers and crowdsourcing for a great logo at a good price. Check out my 99 designs review to read about my experience.
Worse still, some decide to create their logos. While it`s recommendable to brand yourself, we only endorse using this method, when you’re completely aware and adept at getting logos made and have adequate marketing skills.
Unfortunately, most of the branding DIYers do not have the skills or knowledge of creating appealing logos, and this could create more problems for their fledgling business.
Fortunately, in the article below, we have rounded up some important tips that you need to take if you`re going to make a logo for your new business.
1. Conduct Some Research
Before you even decide what type of logo you`re going to have, you first need to conduct some research. Here you need to evaluate your target audience, your product, and even your competitors.
2. Check your Competitors
Here, we recommend that you first look for inspiration from your competitors, after all, you need to start somewhere. If your competitor`s logo is driving results, it means it`s effective and good.
See, marketing is not about reinventing the wheel; do not think you`ll come up with the “next big ad/logo,” you just need to see what your competitors are using, and then tweak it just a little to suit your needs.
However, you should always be aware that they`re your competitors and should never be influenced too much.
3. Evaluate your Product/Audience
The next step is to evaluate your audience and product. Remember that your logo is not just an image but rather a brand. Here, you need to make a list of words that can accurately describe your business. It’s always recommended that you think like the target demographic while keeping in mind what would be most important to them.
You can also create a mood brand that reminds you of the brand’s ideology/mission. For instance, you should design a logo that will automatically sell your brand even without the audience having to read the logo.
Ensure that your logo is utility-driven, and depending on your product, it can either be focused towards evoking emotions, contemporary or quirky.
However, you should be wary of getting too attached to aesthetics at the cost of deeper meaning. You should always focus on striking a balance between what the target audience will think about your brand, and what your brand aspires to be.
4. Get Everyone Involved
Variety is the spice of life. While a one-man brainstorm is sure to design a killer logo, diversity will bring magic to the logo. Therefore, it’s always recommended that you bring various people onboard to get your perfect logo.
5. Designing Your Logo
Now that you have a rough sketch of what you want, it`s time to design the logo. There are plenty of design elements that come into play when selecting the ideal logo. Some of the elements include color, shapes, graphics, and typography.
There’s no perfect combination, as each business model has its unique target audience and needs.
However, for the perfect logo, it’s recommendable that you tackle each design aspect independently, rather than taking the whole project.
As a rule of thumb, however, your final logo should be;
-Simple
-Focus on the message
-Functional and clean
-Illustrate your business
-Timeless
6. Hiring a Designer
From the above description, it’s evident that designing your logo or rather branding is a tedious and challenging task.
However, you do not have to do all that. Why expend your limited resources, when you can hire a professional designer and channel your resources to more productive tasks?
Yes, a professional website design company can design an attractive and effective logo that is sure to attract potential clients to your business.
And even if you still have an eye for color schemes or graphic, you still need a professional. See, as we`ve seen above, logos are more than just colors and shape. You`ll need someone to evaluate your overall brand and provide you with suggestions.
7. Using and Protecting your Logo
Once you have a finished logo, it’s important that you trademark it to avoid it being used by other companies. Here in the US, you can register your logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Bio:
Marsha Kelly is a serial entrepreneur who has done time in corporate America, selling her first business for more than a million dollars. She has learned what products and services work in business today, and she shares her experiences on her best4Business blog at https://best4businesses.com/. You can learn from her experiences from shopping the internet for tools, supplies, and information to build your business and improve your finances.