There are lots of things you have to think about when developing your business; you’ve got to build a team, develop a product, figure out your target audience. But in today’s world, when there’s so many new business launching, it’ll make your head spin (there are tens of millions of small businesses on Facebook alone), it’s more important than ever to break through the clutter and connect with your audience. And the best way to do that? Through branding and logo design. In this article, we discuss How the right logo design gets your business going.
How the right logo design gets your business going
According to a recent report, a whopping 77% of marketers say branding is critical for business growth. And for good reason! Your branding and logo are like the DNA of your company; they show your audience who you are, what you’re about, and why they should work with you instead of the 10,000 other options out there—and getting them right is key if you want to truly develop your business and take things to the next level. But how, exactly, does your branding affect your development?
Why branding and logo design is important to business development
If you want to succeed in business development, you need the right branding and logo — that’s the what. But let’s talk about the how the right branding and logo can really make an impact on the development of your business, and How the right logo design gets your business going.
The right branding and logo:
Lends credibility to your business
Professional branding — and the logo design to match — lends a certain amount of credibility to your business. If you try to develop your business without a clear branding strategy or with a logo that looks like you got it designed by a third-grader, what do you think that says to your potential customers?
It says you don’t take your brand seriously. And if you don’t take it seriously, why should they?
Having a solid brand strategy and a well-designed logo shows potential clients and customers that you’re professional, credible, and invested in the business — and once they see that you’re invested in your brand, they’re more likely to become invested, too.
Forges a connection with your ideal customer
Another way the right branding and logo impacts your business development? It’s crucial for forming authentic connections with your customers — which is kind of the whole point of developing a business in the first place.
Customers are looking to do business with companies they feel connected to — and the key to forming that connection is having branding that connects with your ideal customer. So, for example, if you’re a skateboard company, you need a logo and branding that’s going to connect with the cool, free-minded skater crowd — branding that’s too corporate or stuffy is going to fall flat. On the flip side, if you’re developing a management consulting company, branding that’s too edgy or cool will feel totally off to your ideal customer, who are looking for a company that’s reliable, trustworthy, and (likely) traditional.
The point is, nailing your branding and logo design is what establishes who you are as a brand — and who you are as a brand is what’s going to forge a lasting connection with your ideal customer.
Helps you break through the clutter of competition
No matter what industry you’re in, chances are it’s overcrowded. And with so much competition, if you want to develop your business, it’s more important than ever to break through the clutter and make an impact on your audience.
And the way to do that? You guessed it — the right branding and logo.
Without a solid branding strategy or logo design, it’s easy for your business to fade into the sea of competitors. But when your branding and logo feel unique, different, and true to your brand, it helps you break through the clutter and grab the attention of the people that matter most — your customers.
Can elevate you from nameless company to household name
There’s no denying that developing your business takes a lot of work, effort, and — let’s be real — luck. But if you hit the nail on the head with your branding and logo, it can be the key to elevating your business from a nameless company to a household name.
Just look at Apple. They weren’t the first computer on the market; in fact, they arguably weren’t even the best. But their distinct branding (and that iconic Macintosh logo) created a clear brand personality that defined who they were, set them apart from the competition, and forged a connection with their ideal audience — and, eventually, elevated their garage operation to one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.
How to develop the right branding and logo
Alright, we’ve covered why branding and logo design is so important and how it can directly impact business development. But here’s the million dollar question — how, exactly, do you develop the kind of branding strategy and logo design that’s really going to move the needle on your development efforts?
Whether you’re the owner of your company or a designer charged with bringing the brand to life, here are a few tips to get the right branding and logo design for your business::
Spend time determining who you are as a brand
Before you start your branding efforts — and definitely before you design your logo — you’re going to want to ask yourself some key questions to determine what kind of branding feels right for you and your company as you don’t want to make any branding mistakes you can also check out these Brand mistakes to avoid. This will help you dig deep into the core of your brand and figure out who you are and how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. Some questions you might want to ask yourself include:
- If our brand were a person, what kind of person would they be?
- What are three adjectives that best describe our brand?
- What’s our brand voice? Are you conversational or corporate? Humorous or serious?
- What makes our brand different from our competitors?
- What kind of feelings do you want your customers to have when they interact with your branding?
Once you’ve determined who you are as a brand, you can use that brand DNA to drive the design process and work with a graphic designer who brings your branding to life.
Look at what the competition is doing
If you feel stuck on your branding and logo design, you might want to see what other companies in your space are doing.
Now, don’t get us wrong — you should never steal ideas from your competitors (remember — the whole point is to stand out in a sea of competition). But seeing what other people are doing in your industry can help you get a better sense of what’s working, what’s not working, and what’s connecting with customers — which you can then take and put your own unique spin on.
Bring in the professionals
As you can see, your branding and logo design is one of the most important factors in developing your business — and for such an important job, you’re going to want to bring in the professionals.
If you’re a logo & Branding design specialist with plenty of experience in branding and logo design, no worries — you are the professional. But if you’re a business owner trying to piece together the right branding strategy and logo design without really knowing what you’re doing, STOP.
Working with a branding and design specialist is the best way to design your brand identity and come up with a logo that’s not only true to who you are but has a direct (and positive) impact on the development of your business.
The key to finding success when working with an outside branding and design specialist is to work with someone who has direct experience designing what you need (in this case, a logo and other brand elements) — and then giving them everything they need in order to bring your vision to life.
It’s not enough to say “design a logo for me!” If you want your designs to feel true to who you are as a brand, your designer needs to know who you are as a brand. Put together a design brief and let them know who you are, what you’re about, what you like, what you don’t like, and what you’re looking for. Then, work with them throughout the design process; give them feedback, let them know when they’re on the right track (or when they’re completely off track), and work out the tweaks until your logo and branding is a slam dunk. (And make sure you get all the files you need before you part ways!)
When you know how to work with your designer, they’ll be able to bring your vision for your logo design and branding to life in a way that feels true to you and your brand.
Wrapping things up
When it comes to business development, your branding and logo design are some of the most powerful weapons in your business arsenal. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and bring your brand to life in a clear and meaningful way — and watch your business flourish in the process and How the right logo design gets your business going.
Author Bio
Vivecca Frank works as a Marketing Coordinator for 99designs Europe. Having studied journalism in Germany’s capital city, she is passionate about photography, visual arts, and design. When she’s not championing the 99designs brand you’ll find her practicing badminton or sharpening her photography skills around the city of Berlin.
Also published on Medium.
