Your logo is the face of your business. People see your design when they land on your webpage, visit your social media walls and buy something under your label. You may have spent years tweaking your symbol to make it stand out. Now, how do you use it to your advantage to build your name recognition?
According to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 31.7 million small businesses in America. The number fluctuates wildly from month to month, but you’re facing at least some competition in your niche.
Your logo can help people remember you. You can use it to build consistency and help people better understand your brand personality. Here are some of the smart ways to use logo design, where to place your logos and what to do when sales increase as a result of your marketing efforts.
1. Place Your Logo Here
You already know you should use your logo often and in as many places as possible. It is the thing users see no matter how they interact with your brand. The more times consumers see your logo, the more likely they’ll remember you and mention you to others.
Just a few of the places you should add your logo include:
- Website: Upper left corner is standard
- Social Media: Profile photo as logo
- Newsletter: Logo near the top of the page
- Storefront: Logo on the outside of your store on your sign
- Bags: Place the logo so it is visible when the bag is full
- Advertising: Placement will vary, depending on the type and size of ad
Essentially, you’ll place your logo everywhere possible. You want it to be the first thing users see, but not interfere with the purpose of the page or ad.
2. Pay Attention to Packaging
Since the pandemic, people’s priorities have shifted. Business is much more competitive in some sectors than ever before. One of the top elements of success is speed to market. Anything you can do to ramp up your branding and automate processes will help your bottom line.
Make sure your packaging features your logo. If you use a third-party processor, they are adept at design placement and can help ensure you keep costs low while still making an impact.
3. Use the Same Image
Even though you might have slightly different looks between mediums, keep your logo consistent. If you use your brand’s color palette in your logo, then use the same shades everywhere you place the image if at all possible.
Ideally, your logo will be in SVG format and you can scale it up and down for different purposes. You want it as crisp and clear on a billboard as on your social media profile.
4. Consider Mobile
According to Statista, about 4.28 billion people use their mobile devices to access the internet. How does your logo translate on a smaller screen? Do the sections run together and become muddy?
Check your logo on an actual mobile device to see how it responds. Does it appear clear on your web page? What is the sizing on social media? You may find you need to make adjustments to your logo design to ensure the message comes through the way you want.
Get an opinion from some others. You may not notice issues they will. You want to present your logo as consistently as possible, but you also don’t want to lose the shape or letters due to sizing issues.
5. Create a Style Guide
According to Edeman’s Trust Barometer, 81% of consumers say they must trust a brand before buying from it. Ways to gain trust include presenting a consistent image, being transparent and authentic, sharing reviews and making contact information easy to find.
When it comes to your logo, presenting it consistently gives you an edge. People begin to recognize your brand based on your symbol and expect to see it a certain way and even in a certain location.
Outline when to use the logo, where, sizing, colors and even different images for different backgrounds. Think about every scenario where it might be used and set rules to keep things consistent.
6. Ramp Up For More Demand
If you get the word out about your brand and use your logo consistently, your business should grow over time. What happens when there is suddenly more demand for your product or service?
Look at your processes and refine them so you can easily scale up. For example, you might invest in an inventory control system alerting you to a sudden surge in sales for a specific product. You can then order before running out and fulfill orders in a timely manner.
Another thing to look at is your shipping and how you might scale it up with a sudden increase in orders. Would you need to hire additional employees, farm out work to a fulfillment center or bring in temporary workers?
Every six months, take a look at how well your procedures work and make any adjustments to meet the needs of your clients.
Do You Love Your Logo?
Don’t be afraid of a rebrand, especially if your company is still growing. While you should probably keep the look similar, it’s okay to redo your logo and tweak the colors to meet the emotional demands and personality of your target audience.
If you don’t love your logo or it doesn’t scale up and down, go ahead and rework it into something you can use long-term. With a little extra effort, you’ll soon become a local household name.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a prominent digital marketing agency prior to becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philadelphia with her husband and pup, Bear.
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