Your logo is the most important element of your overall brand kit.
Logos are what makes your brand stand out and helps to build trust within your target audience. It also helps you be more recognizable on social media, through email, and with other marketing efforts.
Logo creation can be a very personal process and can sometimes take some time to develop (especially if you don’t know what you don’t like). A few weeks ago, our Creative Director Mallory Wright chatted in detail about logo development and branding on the Entrecur podcast. Here are some of her top tips for creating your business logo!
Colours
One of the first things to consider when developing your logo is what colours you plan to use. Something to consider when selecting these colours is to do a competitor analysis and identify ways that you can stand out. For example, if you work in healthcare, typically those businesses lean more towards blues and greens. Don’t be afraid to change that colour scheme into something that better matches your brand!
It’s also important to not go too crazy with the colours. When you look at some of the most popular logos of today, they typically have around 1-3 colours within them. At Southpoint Creative Group, we typically consider two colours to be your ideal amount. You can also do variations of these colours as well. For example, if you have a black logo, consider creating an alternate version in white that you can use on top of black backdrops.
Fonts
Fonts can be one of the more fun elements to incorporate into your logo because there’s so many options to choose from! However, it’s important to make sure the fonts that you choose are legible and easy to read. When talking about fonts on the Entrecur podcast, Mallory noted “if people can’t read [the logo], is it doing its job?”
For logos, we typically suggest utilizing fonts that are clear, bold, and easy to read.
Logo Variation
At Southpoint Creative Group, we always love a logo variation! While it’s always nice to have a full logo with your business name, having a submark or more compact version of a logo, can help to make your logo usable on other marketing materials.
Submarks are great to use as watermarks, profile pictures, or on secondary pages of printed materials. These variations are also great because they allow you to communicate your brand quickly without having to include your business name in every material. To create a submark, identify an icon or shape within your main logo that is simple, and utilize that to your advantage!
Other General Logo Tips
Overall, it’s important to make sure not to over complicate your logo, and make sure it truly speaks to you. If you hop on the latest trend, you may not love it as much, and your logo will become outdated in the long-term.
As well, make sure you like the colours you are using. Don’t use colours that you hate just because other competitors use them. Use what you like to help stand out!
Finally, make sure to be different and use your logo to separate yourself from what others are doing. This helps you stand out from competition, and better position yourself for success.
Southpoint Creative Group offers a variety of branding services. From logo creation to brand kits and guidelines, we have the tools and the knowledge to help create a visual brand that you will love! To get started, contact us now.
