Your business’s logo screams a message about your brand. It tells your audience if you’re legitimate, demonstrates that you’re in touch with your customers, and hints at the level of professionalism buyers can expect when interacting with your brand. It can even make your customer base feel welcomed or rejected without ever visiting your site, browsing your store, or connecting with your team.
Because your logo holds so much power, you need to invest time—and perhaps a small amount of money—to get it right. This guide will show you how.
What makes for a great brand logo?
Great logos include color and a clear design style. Sometimes, the design features imagery, but more often, typography comes into play. Each of these elements can play a powerful role in conveying the identity you’ve worked hard to build.
How do I make the right choices?
Start by studying your competitors. What are they doing to capture their brand identity in a single icon?
In your study, pay attention to three factors:
Their color stories
Do your competitors share a similar color palette? Is that palette is meaningful in your industry and worth emulating?
Their overall style
Are the brands are trying for a modern look, a traditional feel, a fun or quirky vibe, or an industrial image to convey who they are?
Their typography
Look at the font choices other brands make. How are their choices representing their brands?
Competitor studies can help you understand what exists today, and they can be a great resource to help you find some direction. However, your goal shouldn’t be to create a logo that blends seamlessly with what already exists in the market. Instead, you’ll want to stand out, draw your audience’s attention, and make them confident in who you are and what you can do to help them with their goals.
What steps should I take to create a logo for my brand?
First, think about who you want to be for your customers: Do you want to be the reliable choice, the innovator, the crowd-pleaser, or the low-cost leader?
Your options are limitless, but it’s important to home in on the one that makes sense for what you stand for, what you do for your customers, and how your business and offerings differ from others in the market.
This resource on brand differentiation can help you think through your options.
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Next, read up on color theory. Marketing researchers have proven that color plays a psychological role in how people feel across many different scenarios. For instance, the color blue tends to convey calmness and tranquility. This makes it a great choice for assuring customers of your abilities. Red has the opposite effect, conveying that you have energy and passion and, in some cases, may be more of a dangerous choice.
This resource is excellent for helping you navigate the meaning of colors.
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After that, you’ll need to decide whether you want to use fonts or typography to build brand recognition. Many businesses do both, blending an icon with the name of their business. This can be a great solution to creating a one-of-a-kind logo, especially if your business’s name doesn’t give a clear description of the products, services, or solutions you offer.
If you choose a font-only style, you can experiment with serif fonts that give a timeless look, sans-serif fonts that provide a more modern image, script that provides a personalized look, or a stylized font that will be totally unique to your business.
This resource can help you visualize your options.
How do I put these pieces together?
There are two approaches you can take to assemble your logo for your brand.
First, you might work with an online logo design tool to create your icon. Here are two popular choices that can help you build a professional, print-worthy logo in minutes:
You could also work with a professional designer to ensure your logo has a strong market appeal and will be effective on both print and virtual platforms. Our preferred solutions include Smashing Logo, Logo Nerds, and Branding Compass, but you may find others who serve your industry or have design styles that are a great fit for your project.
What’s next?
For more articles and advice on branding, check out our branding library. Then, log into your owner’s portal for a step-by-step guide to taking on tasks that will help you build your business.
