Your small business branding starts with your logo design or logomark. Essentially, it’s the starting point of your visual branding and a major part of creating that all important impression of your business.
A good logo design process should start with a discussion of how you want your business to be perceived, and who your target customers are. If you haven’t thought about your target customers and what kinds of designs they respond to, then go back and do your homework! Design choices should be based on your research and the values & preferences of your target market, not necessarily on your personal style. Unless of course, they align.
You also need to carefully consider the space your logo occupies, and how versatile it will be. With all this social marketing, and all these different sized areas to add your branding, one ideal version of your logo may not work across all platforms. We’re recommending complete visual branding strategies to be used in various shaped areas- small, large, horizontal and square, as well as patterns and textures. This complete branding strategy keeps things fun and fresh for social engagement, while maintaining that important cohesiveness throughout your designs.
So before you set out on your branding/logo design process- go through this checklist:
- who is my target audience and what is capturing their attention?
- what is the overall impression I’m trying to create: fun, formal, trendy, classic ?
- where do I intend to market- website, Facebook, Twitter, print materials. paid advertising, other websites?
You may go beyond answering those questions and come up with a vision for your logomark. That’s great! providing a starting point makes for a great collaborative design process. Make sure you take your vision to your designer for feedback.
Happy Branding!