You’ve worked hard to think up an excellent business name and create a great logo design (check out my review of 99designs where I designed mine), now it’s time to use that logo to brand your company positively in your customer’s mind.
Your logo is the face of your business that you show to prospective buyers. As such, it should be at the front and in the center of all customer interactions. Branding is about creating positive perceptions of your products and services associated with your logo design. This means that your company slogan, brand colors, and logo work together to communicate your product benefits to customers.
Here are all the ways you should use your logo to brand your business and grow your company, some are unexpected.
#1. Business Cards
Even in today’s digital world of a business card is a powerful and easy way to share your company contact information, logo brand and slogan. It is faster to give somebody a business card than to take out your phone and input their contact information. Utilize new technology and include an electronic QR code for them to scan and instantly get your digital contacts.
#2. Business Forms
Most companies use some form of paperwork such as orders, receipts or packing slips. Make this work for you by imprinting your logo brand. Many customers retain these receipts and will refer back to them in the future when they want to reorder.
#3. Sales Presentation Templates
If you are like most businesses and use slide presentation such as PowerPoint for client sales meetings, create a template using your brand colors and logo. Thus, every slide will reinforce your brand message in your prospects mind.
#4. Advertising Items
Get creative and make items that communicate your brand’s benefit. Search engine optimization companies could create magnifying glasses with your logo brand, with the message – We Improve Your Search Results – meaning that the company improves the sites online rankings. Mail these items to prospective leads as a direct mail campaign and watch your sales soar.
#5. Apparel
Have your staff wear a uniform, shirt, cap or apron in your brand colors with your logo embroidered or screen. Customers appreciate this former branding because they can quickly identify your employees. Additionally, where your logo garments at trade shows and other industry events for further branding power.
#6. Mugs and Water Bottles
These days it seems that everybody is hydrating with water bottles. Give your customers attractive water bottles with your logo designs to broadcast your marketing message. Another office staple is coffee and tea, in which office workers will appreciate beautiful mugs, which will communicate your message to the entire work team.
#7. Office and Store Décor
Many businesses neglect to use their brand’s colors in their decorating schemes, which is a loss marketing opportunity. You need not paint your entire office your signature color; well-chosen accents work well. Consider incorporating your brand’s colors into your accent rugs, chairs, lamps, and draperies.
#8. Banners and Signs
Certainly, your logos need to be on your retail store signs, and delivery trucks. Be sure to make your logo image large enough to be easily seen at a distance, and when the truck is in motion. Select fonts and colors that can be easily read by passersby. Also, remember to hang your banners in prominent areas.
#9. Social Media
Of course, you are using your logo prominently on your website, however, have you also displayed it across all your social media platforms? Every social media channel, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer branding opportunities to use your logo. Take advantage of the more significant header image to create branded corporate advertisements to win over new customers.
#10. Stationary
Your daily correspondence of letterhead, envelopes, mailing labels and packing tape are excellent vehicles for promoting your brand.
#11. Promotional Gifts
Inevitably you will create logo branded promotional items for trade shows, but also consider giving away these useful gifts year-round. Especially appreciate items include high-quality tote bags and insulated lunch bags. Every day that these are used, they are mini billboards promoting your business.
Last Word
The easiest way to get the most branding mileage from your logo is to use it at every opportunity consistently. Keep the same color scheme and logo design over time and your brand will grow strongly.