Why Your Small Business Needs More Than a Logo

I have written and spoken about this countless times when connecting with new small business owners. It’s actually the topic that inspired this blog (along with Why is the term Branding so Confusing?). So let’s get into it.

First, Yes, Your Logo IS Important.

And it’s no easy feat. Finding a visual or wordmark representation of your business that embodies multiple ideas (your values and mission, your services and products, or a combination of the two) in a clear and unique way requires a design skill that most business owners don’t have. You know you need one, and if you aren’t familiar with branding, marketing, or design, you may think that’s all you need. That’s understandable. Let’s say you find a resource to create your logo.

Did You Know You Need Multiple Versions of Your Logo?

If you already knew you needed a full-color, solid black, and solid white version of your logo, then you’re already a step ahead! And if you didn’t know you need them, now you do! But many situations call for additional files, including inverse versions, setting up files for print vs digital (as they will not print the same, and color inconsistency damages your brand), small scale and large scale to avoid pixelation, file size restrictions, and more.

It’s much better to have all your files together, organized in one place, on hand when you need them, rather than finding yourself in a situation where you need a new logo version quickly for an unexpected circumstance. In those cases, you not only have to reach back out to your designer for more files, but also find a way to organize them all. Muse Creative takes away all the hassle and streamlines the process for you in a neatly organized file map, along with a handy resource document in case you ever forget where files live or how to use them.

Many situations call for additional logo versions, including inverse, print/digital, small scale/large scale, specific file types, and more.

Your Logo Alone Can’t Do It All

While your logo can help remind your customers of who you are, it doesn’t tell your whole story. In order to make sure your business’s core values are effectively communicated to your customers, it needs to permeate throughout all touchpoints. This is what branding focuses on: telling your business’s story effectively and consistently everywhere your customers engage with your business, both online and in person. This includes all components of your visual identity (Brand Visuals include your typography, color palette, patterns, textures, imagery, etc), the language used (AKA your Brand Voice: how you speak to your customers in person, over the phone, on your website and social media, etc), and so much more.

Your Business vs Your Brand

Your business may offer the absolute best products in the industry, or have incredible customer service, but if no one knows about you (or, possibly worse, if no one REMEMBERS you), you won’t survive in a competitive marketplace. This is why it’s imperative that you focus on building a brand, and not expecting your business products and services to “sell themselves.”

When you invest in your branding, you’re investing in your business long-term. Your brand is the perception that your customers have of your business. It’s how you differentiate yourself from your competitors. Your brand sets the expectations of the culture surrounding your business (who you are, who your customers are, and the community they are part of when they align themselves to your business. Think of Apple users or Tesla drivers, and what the “impression” is that they give others by choosing these brands over others.) It’s the promise you make to your customers publicly, and your business’s success is determined by how well you live up to that promise.

When you invest in your branding, you’re investing in your business long-term.

A brand in and of itself is intangible (customer perception), but you can take control of a lot of tangible factors that affect that perception. Consistency, Clarity, and Authenticity are pillars of a strong brand. Any kind of piecemeal approach (finding a designer in one place for a logo, another designer for your website, another person or team for your social media, and so on) conflicts with Consistency, weakens your brand, and may create distrust among your customers.

At the end of the day, your logo is only as strong as the efforts you put into the branding surrounding it. If you haven’t invested into your branding, your logo is ineffective and means nothing to your customers, which is exactly the opposite of what it can and should be.

How We Approach Logos

At Muse Creative, we take time to learn about your business and help uncover who you are. We focus on what the core values are, clarify the brand promise, and start from there in order to help build your business into a brand.

Logos are part of our Visual Identity System bundle, which is perfect for new businesses that are still establishing what touchpoints they need to create for their customers. (We are always happy to build this into a larger package that incorporates Website Design, Social Media, and any other services that your business may need.)

We provide multiple Logo design options, revisions, solutions for Pantone® matches, Secondary and Sub Mark Logos, and provide all final files to you in order to ensure you have everything you need for your logo usage. We also supply Color Palettes, Typography, additional elements (imagery enhancement settings, textures, etc), as well as a Brand Board and Style Guide. These are especially useful when you need a quick reference at exact typefaces, color hues, and guidelines for logo usage. This means whenever you need something printed or created for your business, you know exactly the fonts, colors, patterns, logo, and images needed- which is a huge time saver!

Take the Next Step

Now that you understand your business is so much more (and needs so much more) than a logo, it’s time to invest in the heart and soul of your company: your brand. Contact us to get started or learn more about how we build brands for our clients.