14 Reasons Small Businesses Need Both a
Logo and Marketing Materials
By Erin Ferree
Experts urge small business owners to “brand” their businesses with a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. But they rarely explain the reasons behind this advice. Below are some of some of the benefits of having a professionally designed logo and identity system.
1. To look “bigger.”
Home-printed business cards with perforated edges or cards printed
with standard designs available through Microsoft software or online
business card vendors scream “small-time vendor” to your
potential clients -- and that is how they will want to compensate
you.
2. To increase your chance of getting venture capital or selling
a business.
If you present a well-rounded business package, including marketing
materials and graphics, your business will look more complete.
3. To attract
more clients.
Some clients look for a well-defined company, and “look and feel” may
be one of their criteria in making a purchasing decision.
4. To brand
yourself.
If you are a consultant, you need a logo in order to build an image
and a brand that is bigger than your individual identity.
5. To convey
that you are established.
A logo and professionally-printed materials show that you are committed
to both your business and your clients.
6. To give clients a sense of
stability.
You may not have been in business “since 1908,” but if
you have invested in an identity, you are much less likely to fold
in the eyes of your customers. It goes a long way toward building that
all-important “trust.”
7. To be more memorable.
Forty percent of people better remember what they see than what they
hear or read. So having graphics associated with your business and
having consistent graphics on your business materials make you more
likely to come to the forefront of potential clients’ minds
when they have a need for your goods or services.
8. To explain your
company name.
If your company name contains a little-known word or an acronym, the
logo can give visual clues to its meaning.
9. To endear your company
name to your clients.
A difficult-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember company name may make
it challenging for your clients to hire you. When potential clients
have the need for your services, they might not recall who you are.
But if you reinforce the name with interesting, compelling graphics,
they are more likely to remember you, pick up the phone, and hire you.
10.
To explain an unusual line of business.
If your business is nontraditional or in a hard-to-explain industry,
a logo can help to explain exactly what it is that you do.
11. To show
what practices differentiate you from your competition.
A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings and can begin to
tell the story of how you do business, including the special practices
that make you stand apart from the competition.
12. To stand out in
your field.
A well-designed logo and an identity system can put you far above the
competition, especially if they are paired with a strong marketing
program.
13. To comply with expectations.
In some industries, a logo is just expected. In the creative services
industry especially, having a logo is an industry standard.
14. To show
your commitment and for the sense of personal
pride it will add to your practice.
In other words, do it for yourself.