5 Tips to Create a Killer Logo for Startup Success


startup success
Do you have a startup company that you want to make a name for? If so, you need a killer logo! Use the 5 tips here to learn how to get the logo you want and that your company deserves.

Look at successful brands. Whether you use their products or not, you know their logos from a mile away. A killer logo can put an unknown brand on the map, while a poorly designed one will push you off your customer base’s radar.

If you are a talented graphic designer, great! This will probably be a fairly simple task for you. But if you’re like most of us, you’re looking for a way to make this process as easy, fun, and inexpensive as possible.

You don’t need to spend your startup’s first month’s profits on someone to take care of this for you. Read along. We’ve got you covered.

A Killer Logo Is a Unique Logo

As a brand, you want to stand out from your competitors, but you don’t want to be so different that your potential customer base doesn’t understand your goal or product. Similarities might happen, but people will know if you’ve copied someone else and that’s something you will never live down.

Remember while trends can be fun, they aren’t evergreen. And if you want your brand to survive, you won’t base it on what all the cool kids are doing today. You want something that will have a longlasting impact.

Think about a one-hit artist whose song you played a million times over that one summer in high school. Where are they now? Would you like your startup to join them?

For your logo and branding, think outside the box. For example, Apple arguably the world’s largest technology company, uses a partially eaten apple in its logo when the business doesn’t have anything to do with fruit or even food.

Think about symbols that stand out to you. That could be a good place to start.

Search for Depth

Your business should be more than a way for you to make money. Think about large corporations, they are usually selling a lifestyle.

Ask yourself these questions when working on branding:

  • Who is your target customer?
  • What are their hobbies, interests, goals, and passions?
  • What gets this person out of bed every morning?
  • What is your brand’s role in the previous questions?
  • How do you want your brand to make people feel?

When you cater your business to your target audience whether it’s from the aspect of product creation, blog posts, or the colors you choose, you’ve got yourself on the right track. Because with these strategies, your customer will automatically understand your message and importance.

People who don’t get it most likely aren’t the ones you’ve been trying to reach.

Don’t Overthink Color

The psychology of color will change the way you think about most things including your brand and others. Colors can influence people’s moods and even determine the ways they make decisions. More importantly, the color combinations you choose will say even more.

With that said, there isn’t a magic color formula that makes your brand more popular than a competitor’s. Instead, think about the moods associated with your brand and what colors consumers will best react to in those situations.

For example, green is often used by environmentally friendly companies to express the growth and vitality of plants and wildlife. Yet, it has a completely different use in branding for Heineken or even Lacoste. This one color works for these three wildly different types of brands.

Look at your company’s logo using different color palettes. Which one gives you the right feeling?

What’s Your Brand name?

When choosing a name for your company, choose something unique that can not only easily be trademarked, but it should be easy to remember, and also flow nicely with your messaging and logo.

Depending on the name you choose, you might be able to get away with using the name as the logo with a custom font. Think of Coca-Cola and Ray Ban of examples.

If you are hoping to be recognized by the symbol alone, like Starbuck’s or Nike, consider incorporating the brand name before going that route because it will take a ton of advertising (and usually many years) for your startup to be recognized solely by the logo.

You want to keep your design versatile (easy to size up or down for things like t-shirts, pens, and coffee mugs), clean (if it’s too busy, it will be cluttered and confusing, and fun.

Research similar brands that have done what you aspire to do. Learn what worked for them and what didn’t. Use their past mistakes and successes to your advantage, and always add your own personal spin.

Don’t Do It All on Your Own

Companies like LogoMaker will help set you up for success in this endeavor. They have over 1,000 high-quality templates you can choose from and customize on your own for free.

This includes setting up the logos in various formats to properly fit onto business cards, your website, and social media pages. The program does a lot, but you don’t have to be a tech genius to use it. And even if you prefer not to be bothered with the design process to that extent, you can hire one of their professionals for under $100. We’ve shopped around and haven’t found less expensive top-notch designs yet.

Wait, There’s More!

We pride ourselves on providing motivation and solid business advice to entrepreneurs like yourself. Review our website for information about startups, marketing strategies, and of course tips for creating a killer logo.

And don’t hesitate to contact us!