THE TOP 5 LOGO MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEM

Well hello there! I hope you’re having another great week! It’s been another super busy one at Branding by Nicki and I can’t believe how fast this year is going!! Anyway, enough chit chat, today I want to talk to you guys all about logos, and specifically the top 5 logo mistakes and how to fix them. I don’t want this post to be all negative Nora so I’m going to throw in a few tips on how to correct the issues and get you all inspired moving forwards.

Now if you’ve read my blog before, or follow me on social then you’ll know my thoughts on logos. A lot of people believe that’s all they need, but it’s just not enough. It’s one part of a much bigger branding picture, but having said that, it’s a pretty huge part, and it’s one you definitely need to get right. It’s also one of the most exciting parts of the branding journey – creating that central piece of the puzzle which really grabs your ideal clients attention. It should be fun, and you should be super excited to share it when it’s finished. So let’s get into it, here goes…

#1.ANNNNNND BREATHE…

So first up we’re talking about space, sizing and the amount of information you include. With so many touchpoints to branding now – 21 to be exact, your logo needs to work across a variety of sizes and platforms. And it needs to have the same impact wherever your audience see it.

That might be a header on your website that can be easily optimized for web, a social media avatar or a business card, but whatever the touchpoint they have to recognize it, fast. You only have a few seconds to grab their attention, as with all your branding, so getting your point across as quickly as possible is crucial. Your branding designer should work with you to ensure this happens, collaborating to define the key elements and then giving each the space it needs to breathe in the design. Sub marks can also play a huge role here. They’re a smaller, alternative version of your logo, which can do an amazing job on social images or stickers to get your message across without clashing with your main logo.

#2.EASY TO READ

Another common logo mistake some businesses make is to only choose ‘cool’ fonts, which can often become illegible when re-sized. As I said above you’re in a race against time to grab your ideal client’s attention so the user-experience has to be so quick and simple in order to hook them in.

Once again your branding designer should work with you to suggest and refine fonts that not only read well, but also that capture the essence and personality of your brand. This is a huge part of the discovery process, and why your designer needs to know you, your business and your ideal client inside and out. Fonts have a huge impact on the tone of your brand, and therefore the way it’s perceived, meaning it’s so important to find the balance between what best captures the mood and vibe of your business, and what’s easy for your audience to read, understand and remember. If your logo isn’t any of those things you’ll lose clients before they know you, let alone like and trust you – and no-one wants that!

#3.TIMELESS NOT TRENDY

Another key mistake people can make when creating their logo is getting sucked in to following and mimicking all the latest trends. Yeah, everyone might be talking about something on social media, or Pinterest, but your logo has to represent you and your brand. So what works for some businesses may not be right for you. It also needs to stay relevant for the long term. I mean, you don’t want to keep rebranding every time a new trend comes to town do you! You’ll never build up the infamous know, like, trust factor with your ideal client if you keep changing your look every 6 months – not forgetting the cost of rebranding.

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t be influenced by or inspired by some current trends, but your logo shouldn’t solely rely on them. So make sure you work with your branding designer to produce a logo which will stand the test of time and set you up for years to come. My best advice would be to look for something simple, with a touch of your unique personality or your brand’s style mixed in to set it apart.

#4.STRIPPED BACK = STYLE

Following on from my previous point, the simpler your logo is, the better. It will be attention grabbing, stunning and really stand out as long as it doesn’t have too much going on. Too many colours, too many fonts or too many words can all affect the impression it creates and the impact it has.

What this doesn’t mean is that your logo has to be boring. It must always feature some personality and have those touches which are unique to you, but if you try and cram too much in there not only will it look confused, it will confuse your ideal client. When they’re on social and scrolling through their feeds at lightning speed it’s going to take something special to grab their attention – and that’s what your logo needs to be. It has to cut through the noise and make them want to find out more. You can bring in other design elements within the same family as sub-marks, which I touched upon above, but for that one hero design, it’s always good to have something simple, yet stunning.

#5.UNIQUE BEATS UNIFORM

Now this is a big bug bear of mine so that’s why I’ve saved it till last where I can have a little rant. This is your business, your story, and your personality, so WHY, oh WHY, would you want the same logo as someone else?! It’s just not going to work for you and your brand. I’m totally on board with scouring what’s out there for inspiration, but it’s so important that you create a logo that’s yours and yours alone. Throughout your branding journey your designer should get to know everything to give you the right advice and guidance along with creating something completely bespoke for your needs. And if they’re willing to copy someone else’s work, they’re probably not the right person for you.

It’s the same with stock imagery and pre-made logos. You don’t want to be sharing the same elements, colours or actual design as someone else, because this is your brand, your goals and your audience.

So how do you get around that? Well it’s down to you and your branding designer to find a super-cool solution, which will appeal to your ideal clients, whilst showcasing your personality. It could be with a font, an illustration that means something to you or shapes that represent how you see your brand – but whatever it is, you need to find that little touch which makes the final design 100% personal to you.

For example, one client I worked with – Lucy from Lucy Naomi Events – is big on freedom (I found this out on our discovery call). Now to her, a feather symbolizes that, so we made sure we featured one in her logo and combined it with a handwritten font to create that real personalized feel. She even told me that her final logo ended up looking her signature – which is that exact sweet spot of simple, stylish and unique.

And that’s that. My top 5 logo mistakes and how to fix them. I really hope you’re all inspired to go and start your branding journey, and if you have any logo or branding related questions, drop them in the comments, it’s always super exciting to hear from all you ambitious female entrepreneurs out there.

Nicki x

Before you go… logos are vital, yes, BUT your branding is still wayyyyyyyy much more than just a logo. Sorry, I couldn’t resist!