Does your financial advisory brand have a logo? If not, you could be missing out on one of the most effective branding tools available. Think about some of the famous logos you immediately recognize — McDonald’s arches, Apple’s apple symbol, the Nike® “swoosh” and other well-known logos. These logos have become synonymous with their respective brands and enjoy global recognition.
Your financial advisory firm can realize broader recognition, a competitive edge, and greater loyalty, all with a well-designed logo that reflects your firm’s unique identity.
From logos that feature only an image to logos with stylized typesetting, learning the basics of how to design a logo will make working with a designer and coming up with the perfect logo an easier and more focused process.
What a Great Logo Can Do for Your Advisory
When you build a financial services brand, all of your marketing efforts should be focused on what makes your brand the best choice. From the unique content you create for your blog and social media to the graphics you display on your financial advisor website, the key to branding is consistency and recognition. When you understand what makes branding and logos so important, it becomes easier to learn how to design a logo that works for your business.
The right logo reveals your firm’s unique identity.
Your clients and prospects are looking for financial services from brands that stand out from the crowd. They want to know that you are a trusted expert who can help them manage their money, but they also want to know what makes your firm different from all the rest. The right logo can help your audience understand what makes your advisory special. When it’s created with a well-planned approach and implemented throughout your marketing efforts, your logo can tell the world who you are, what you do, and why you’re the best.
A creative or intriguing logo gets you noticed and entices new audiences to your brand.
The internet and digital marketing have proven that design, color, and presentation are critical for engagement. People are drawn to interesting designs and colors. The logo that marks your white paper or adorns your storefront should be designed to pull in potential clients and pique their curiosity.
Your logo gives your brand exposure and consistency across all your marketing campaigns.
Using your logo on your website, social media, and your marketing content builds a consistent and recognizable presence. From marketing emails and thank you cards to ebooks and business listings, your logo can be everywhere you want to be. Support your logo identity with brand messaging that drives home your advisory’s unique value proposition and your brand logo will be on its way to becoming a powerful marketing tool.
Now that you know what a well-designed logo can do for your advisory, it’s time to collaborate with a logo designer to create the best logo for your brand.
What to Ask Your Logo Designer: A Logo Design Checklist
Working with a logo designer is likely uncharted territory for most financial advisors. But by asking the right questions and using a logo design checklist, you and your designer can work together to create a logo that is right for your business. At FMG Suite, our Elevate clients have the option of working with an in-house logo designer to create something new and unique. Here are some of the most important things you should discuss with your logo professional.
Checklist Item #1: What type of logo is best for my business?
There are two main types of logos: typefaces logos and logos based around an abstract image. Your logo designer will know more in detail, but we recommend financial advisors go with a logo that has your complete DBA stylized and easily recognizable.
During this phase, also talk about any fonts you like or have used on other marketing materials. Different fonts play different roles and your designer will know which is best for your situation.
Checklist Item #2: What key principles of my business should be reflected in my logo?
In one of our previous posts, we talked about what makes a great logo and one of those things is making sure your value propositions are reflected in your logo. What do you want clients and prospects to perceive about your advisory when they view your logo?
Discussing your values and principles with your logo designer is key for helping the designer make a logo that accurately reflects your business. Take LogoBids for example — before starting the process with a designer, you answer questions about your tastes and preferences, your target market, taglines or slogans, and more information about your company.
Checklist Item #3: What colors would work best in my logo?
The colors in your logo might be the most important aspect because they will be the face of your brand and your unique value proposition across all your marketing efforts. Most designers can go on for days about the psychology behind different colors, but for your purposes you just need to understand the basics. Most designers suggest sticking with a few colors, matching the colors to any other marketing materials or graphic designs you use, and designing a logo that can be easily translated to a range of mediums.
Checklist Item #4: How many revisions do I get?
Most designers enter a project with a set number of revisions and it’s important to know these before starting on your logo. Just like with other creative endeavors, don’t expect your logo to be perfect the first go-around. Work with your designer to offer edits or critique to get your logo just the way you want it. Likely, anything after the agreed round of changes will cost extra, so lay these expectations out on the table early.
Checklist Item #5: How much will my logo cost?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to know your costs upfront. Set a budget before starting the process to avoid overspending or being caught off-guard by other expenses. 99designs, a logo design website, starts at $300 for their lowest tier package. This includes about 30 designs from beginning designers.
Even though you might not be used to spending hundreds of dollars on a marketing asset, your logo is the cornerstone of your marketing materials. By investing in a quality logo now, you will avoid having to redesign your logo down the road. Think about everything your logo will be on, including your website, social media platforms, brochures, and more, and you will quickly see that cutting corners on this important marketing asset isn’t an option.
These are just a few checklist items to get you started working with a logo designer. By trusting your designer’s intuition, expressing your advisory’s unique value propositions, and working together to fit your logo to your brand, you will be well on your way to a beautiful and effective logo in no time.
