Many bloggers, when they think of a logo, it’s an afterthought. I know that I personally told myself that once my blog makes it big, then I’ll get a logo. Or once my email subscribers number gets to 1,000 , I’ll have a logo designed.
This, my friends, is not the right way to think about a logo.
A logo is some visual representation of your business, and it’s a must for any starting website. This is not something that you do after you build a readership, it’s something that you do as soon as you can! Waiting to have a logo designed for you is almost as bad as waiting to switch to WordPress or get your own domain name! You have to do it when you start out, or you’ll go down a dead end in terms of branding your business.
Logos Show What Your Brand Is
One of the most important things for a logo to do is identify your website; identify your brand. If I open a web page and see an awesome looking emblem, but no text, I’m going to scratch my head and forget about your website.
A logo that does not clearly tell readers the name of your business is a logo that isn’t doing it’s job. Text should be readable, text should fit in well with your color scheme, and text should be a substantial size.
Note that if you like a logo, but can’t figure out where to put your tagline, try to do something like Chris Garrett does! He has his awesome ChrisG logo, and then just types the words in next to it. This is always an option. Your logo does not always need to incorporate your tagline, but notice that every good logo will name the brand in some way.
Logos Show What Your Brand Does
So, I go to your website, and I see a cool emblem that also has the title of your blog. Are we done? No. I look closer to get a feel for what your brand does, and hopefully I can answer that question. To a point.
An awesome logo will come up with some kind of design that clearly shows what a company does, but oftentimes logos will just fit a certain template for your business. For example, take a look at ChrisG again. It doesn’t say on his logo what he does, though he has a tagline next to the logo, but we all know that his theme is blogging and website marketing. His logo doesn’t have goofy, colorful letters, and it sticks with a professional, tech-savvy style.
In addition to this style, somewhere near your logo, if not directly on it, you need to have a unique tagline that is both catchy and informative. This should be considered part of your brand, even if it isn’t as memorable as your logo.
Logos Show How Your Brand Does It
Let’s say that you run a party clown business, and that you’re ready to move online and reach a wider market. Your logo should do a couple of things: show that you are a clown business, have the name of your business, and fit the style of your business.
For a logo advertising a band of clowns, you’re going to want something funny. You’re going to want something colorful! If your logo is bland like ChrisG’s is, people will think that your clowning is just as bland. Chris Garrett wants to look neat and professional, but you as a clown business do not. Keep in mind that your logo should reflect the overall attitude of your brand.
Logos are Simple and Memorable
We can all name a few of the most famous logos. McDonald’s golden arches, Nike’s slash thing, AT&T’s swirly blue ball, and others. Are these the most famous companies out there? Not necessarily. And, if they are, their logos probably did a great deal in the way of getting them to where they are today.
A great, memorable logo makes it so that visitors do not forget your site, and that they recognize the symbol when they see it elsewhere. An email, a letterhead, another website, a Facebook page, or wherever else your blog has a presence! Logos need to be simple, and they need to be memorable.
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