Why You Shouldn’t Waste Your Money on a Logo… Yet

Great branding has almost nothing to do with your logo.

Let that shocker sink in for a second.

Is this totally different from what you thought?

Let’s be clear. I have nothing against logos.  In fact, as you can see, I have a logo.

I also have nothing against getting a great deal on logo art by choosing a stock design and purchasing the rights to use it…. But… There is a rumour going around the internet (it’s been out there for awhile) that a logo is a super important part of your brand.

Because of this, we often feel that a logo is one of the first things we should invest in as a new blogger or business owner.

After all, there’s a spot for it at the top of your website, and all the cool kids have one… right?

It can be so tempting to dash off to 99designs or logos-dot-com to find a fun graphic that you like, pick some of your favourite fonts and colours, and consider yourself “branded”.

But when I get on a sales call with someone who wants a logo from me, I never hesitate to tell them that I think that’s a huge waste of money. Not great for my bottom line, I’ll admit, but I’m not in the business of deceiving my clients into thinking pretty graphics are going to have any kind of decent return on investment on their own.

So… I like logos, but… I don’t want you to have a logo?

Not exactly.

But please, for the love of all that is good and pure in the universe, don’t start the logo-picking process before you have laid the foundation and built a framework for your brand identity, and have a system to make sure it’s the right logo for you and your business.

So… What do you need to have in place before you choose or design a logo?

1. A Clear Picture of Your Core Values + Goals

The very first thing you should be doing if you are just starting out, or making a change in your business, is defining your goals and your core values.  

What do you actually do? Why do you do it?  

What do you bring to this work that sets you apart from everyone else offering the same product or service?  

What is your key goal in your business this year (or over its lifetime)?  

• Do you want to make lots of money (nothing wrong with that)?
• Do you want to connect people and create community?
• Do you want to provide support?  Education? Motivation?

These questions are foundational to every decision you make in your business and brand development, and without the answers to them you will end up spinning your wheels and feeling unsure of your choices at every turn.

Your values – not your logo – are the foundation of your brand.

I recommend coming up with three core values for your business, and checking back in with those values every time you make a decision in your business – not just visually but in all your strategy and client interactions, too!

2. Actual Information About Your Ideal Client

There are many different ways to come up with an ideal client.  

Some branding experts recommend a customer profile, some an ideal client avatar, and some recommend you approach this question from the perspective of where you were yourself a year ago or five years ago.  

It’s not actually all that important how you come up with your ideal client… but you do need to have one, and then you need to reach out to them and find out what they actually need.  

I could decide I want to work with mostly space aliens who love ice cream and be totally successful (just go with me here).  All I need to do is find some ice-cream-loving green dudes and actually ask them questions about what they most need my help with, and then I’ve got a strategy!

Fortunately, social media gives us tons of places to connect with our ideal clients, and even reach out to them directly.  

Make it your goal in your first month of business – or rebranding your business – to talk to as many real people as possible, and find out what they are struggling with – no pitch, no hidden agenda just connect with your audience.

If you’re struggling to make direct connections, you can also use the search function in groups you are in, and find out what people are complaining about or asking questions about when it comes to your area of expertise.

Figure out the language they use, and what they really need from you.  This will help you put together a better picture of who they really are, beyond demographics and best-guesses.

Your ideal client is the second piece of the framework around which you will structure the rest of your decisions.

3. Your Brand Guidelines

Once you have your values and your ideal client firmly in hand, you are ready to start creating brand guidelines.  

Your brand guidelines should include the vibe and mood of your brand, the colour palette, your fonts, and your rules for selecting photos, illustrations, and content that will represent those values and client needs.

You may already have a sense of what this all looks like.  Or like most people, you may need a little extra help – either an online course to help you hack into your own inner creative, or working one on one with a designer to figure this part out.  

Either way, the overall look of your brand is a critical step that can’t be skipped if your goal is a logo that truly represents you and your business, and strikes the right chord with your audience.

4. A Comprehensive LAUNCH (or marketing) Strategy

This one seems like maybe it should come later, but I want to explain why a solid marketing strategy is important before you choose a logo.

The content you you post on your blog, share on social media, or send by email is all an opportunity to reinforce your visual brand.

When you have a clear picture of what kind of content is best for your audience, you start to get an idea of what kind of graphics you’ll need to draw eyes to that content.

When you know what kind of graphics and collateral you need, you can better choose what kind of logo – and corresponding logo variations – will support those needs.

Not sure what I mean by “logo variations”? Here’s an example of a fun and comprehensive set of logo variations from Slack’s official digital assets.

Your marketing strategy will help you or your designer figure out what variations you need.

It will also help you make decisions about the elements in your logo. Do you want your logo to include:

• Your name or business name?
• An illustration that works without the brand name?
• A version with a tagline?
• A translucent variation that can be used to watermark photos?
• Square, horizontal, or even vertical formats?
• Anything else you can dream up?

A professional designer is a great asset in sorting this part out, but you can easily do it yourself with a little bit of forethought and organization!

What I don’t recommend is choosing a single logo and trying to force it to play all the roles!

Choosing or designing a logo before fully understanding your brand is like hanging a wreath on the front door of your house before pouring the foundation or building the walls.

So be honest with yourself.  Where are you in this process?  Are you ready for a logo, or do you still have some work to do?

If not, come join us in the Creative Marketing Mamas FB group and let’s get you sorted out!