You already have the vision of your business down on paper. You know what you want to offer to your customers or clients. You even know how you are going to market your services and/or products. All that’s left is picking the business logo that will represent your small business.
If you’re looking for advice on how to pick a small business logo that best encompasses everything you and your brand is about, keep reading.
Decide what your message will be
The most salient aspect choosing a small business logo is to figure out how you want your business to come across. Your logo should convey this idea within seconds. Do you want to come across as formal? Active? Trendy? Casual? Write down what the personality of your brand will be, and use that as a jumping off point for your logo design.
Refer to color psychology
Believe it or not, color plays a pivotal role in marketing and customer engagement. The use of color, or even the lack thereof, invokes multiple meanings. As a business owner, it is critical that you keep the basics of color psychology in mind when picking a small business logo. Every color has implications when incorporated into a logo, so you want to ensure these implications line up with the message you want to convey. This is why it’s important to go with a designer who understands how to carefully pick colors that will enhance specific elements of your logo, and make sure your message is adequately conveyed.
While there are exceptions, there are some general guidelines that you may want to keep in mind. Some of these include the fact that muted tones bring out a sense of sophistication, while bright colors are more attention-grabbing. While the muted colors bring about sophistication, they may not be noticed as quickly. Bright colors grab attention, but those that are too bright run the risk of being obnoxious or coming across too strong.
Each color has its own meanings, as well:
- Red often gets associated with passion and energy, though it can also be seen as aggressive. It can stimulate appetite, so is great for something food-related.
- Orange denotes youthful fun, approachability, and affordability. It also gives a sense of innovation. This can be a great color choice for a hip brand that is marketed to a younger demographic.
- Yellow can stimulate appetite and be seen as happy, but it is also associated with caution and warnings. It’s best to use color in moderation, though a skilled designer will know how to maximize its advantages.
- Green is associated with growth and freshness. It’s great for financial services, but also for produce.
- Blue is one of the most common colors people go with when picking a small business logo. Blue gives a sense of professionalism, authority, integrity, sincerity, and serenity. It gives a feeling of success, which is why it’s used in financial institution logos and for logos associated with government bodies.
While there are myriad other colors out there, these are some of the big ones. They are certainly worth keeping in mind as you decide on the color of your small business logo.
Strive for something different
When you pick a small business logo, you have the chance to set your brand apart from everyone else. One of the best ways to do this is to pick one that is sure to be one-of-a-kind. While it’s okay to draw inspiration from something that has already had great success, you will want to strive for a logo that is different, distinct, and easy to recognize.
Achieving a well-designed logo requires hours upon hours of hard work, as well as being up-to-date on the latest trends in graphic design. Your logo establishes your brand identity, and sends out a message to the world when there are no words backing it up. Make sure your logo stands out, so customers and clients will remember your site and keep coming back to take advantage of your services and expertise.
If you opt for a logo design company, be sure to go with one that keeps abreast of the latest trends and has a solid portfolio for you to look through. Let them know what sort of message you wish to convey, and make sure they work with you until you are completely satisfied. After all, this logo will be the silent voice of your business. Make sure it says what you want it to.
Select your fonts with care
Each font carries a message of its own. Some are strong, some are bold, and some have been turned into memes (here’s looking at you, Comic Sans). The fonts you choose when picking a small business logo will play a huge role in how well your business does. First impressions are crucial, so make sure your business gets a good one. Instead of going with a generic font for your logo, one that anyone could find online and use, switch things up. Find a typeface you like, then alter and adapt it to give it a new look. This will give it character that is parallel to that of your business. It will also give a unique, distinct look that will make your business stand out among the crowd. Remember to keep the number of fonts down to two, though. Using several fonts in one logo can make things look jumbled, confusing, and unprofessional.
Conclusion
When you are picking a small business logo to represent your business, you want one that conveys the message and vision of your brand. Your logo serves as the signature of your brand, which makes it one of the most valuable assets that your company has. It reflects your business, shows who you are as a business owner, and communicates the message of your brand. It needs to be simple, effective, and pack a punch.
When picking a small business logo, the aforementioned tips are critical for selecting the best logo possible for both you and your business. Opting for a logo design company or graphic designer will ensure that you have a logo encompassing everything you need it to.
Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.imgix.net
