How A Logo Designer Should Grow his Brand Identity

By Eko S

The logo designers know that the term “the second impression” is totally outdated these days. People have (for any kind of problem) so many solutions at hand that any small inconvenient determines them to search for other options. Of course, the main “responsible” for this situation is the Internet. This circumstance is quite advantageous for the average Internet user, but it’s not the same for the service providers. In conclusion, nowadays, the expressions “second impression” and “second chance” shouldn’t be in the vocabulary of anyone involved in the online industry.

The visual identity contributes substantially to the overall first impression; therefore anyone who is serious about his / her affairs pays attention to this aspect. The logo designers are responsible for the visual identity and it’s one of the reasons why this trade is a very challenging one.

Altogether, even a logo designer must have a visual identity! You can’t state that your logo design services are top quality as long as you don’t have a pleasant visual identity. Creating a visual identity is the area of a logo designer and each person has his /her own preferences. Here, at iBrandStudio we published many articles that guide you to create wonderful visual identities. Still, a good visual identity isn’t enough- it’s part of the brand identity and only a strong brand is the fundament of success.

Brand identity is a very complex domain and everyone that wants to have a profitable affair must take it into consideration. Many logo designers are fully focused on their products and neglect this part, but this is a big mistake! Consequently, we decided to present our strategy of how a logo designer should grow his brand identity. We don’t consider it perfect, but surely it works! Any reader contribution is welcomed, so let us know your interesting thoughts!

#1. Determine what kind of designer you are

Brand identity refers to the manner in which the respective brand is perceived by the customers. In the case of a logo designer, it’s how people perceive the respective designer. Even though logo design is a single area, there are many types of logo designers. Some prefer many and cheap projects while others consider working only on big jobs to be a better alternative. It’s a personal decision, quite probable based on the skills and the potential of the designer. However, it goes without saying that it’s capital to determine which way to embrace.

#2. Work hard for your brand

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently”, said Warren Buffet and any logo designer should keep this idea in mind. Willing or not, the number of people ready to make logos is overwhelming. Still, very few of them may be called logo designers. In order to create a strong brand, a huge and never-ending effort is required. Much more, a serious logo designer won’t allow himself to create a poor logo. The main idea is to let people know that you are different from the rest- in fact this is the idea of a brand identity.

#3. Engage with people

A brand identity can’t be built in just a few weeks or months. Any branding strategy is created in a long time perspective and implies constant actions. One of the most important actions is to engage with people. The logo designers must notice the past clients when they make significant changes in their policy and from time to time a discount and a special offer should be given, because it keeps the relationships alive. Any logo designer that wants to engage with people must be aware that communication is a key component in the overall equation of success.

#4. Maintain a portfolio

A logo designer that doesn’t have a portfolio isn’t a logo designer. A portfolio isn’t necessarily a website; it’s enough to have a collection showcased on no matter design gallery. The value of a portfolio is given by the value of the logos uploaded and not by the platform itself. Altogether, a serious logo designer should have his/her own website to present the best logos created.

Some logo designers argue that they are very rarely hired by the clients who contact them directly via portfolio. Personally, I think that it’s entirely true; a website that isn’t very well optimized won’t appear on the first positions for searched terms as “logo designers”, “logo creators” or “logo design”. Instead, a portfolio is a vital element in creating the brand identity. More exactly, a portfolio is about the manner in which a logo designer puts his/her strategy of branding in practice. I hope that now you are aware of the huge importance of a portfolio- perhaps it doesn’t directly provide clients, but indirectly it’s capital for a constant flow of customers.

#5. Create and maintain a blog

Another activity very important for a strong brand identity as a logo designer is to inform people about the workflow and the working methods. There is no better solution to let people know what you think and how you work than blogging. In conclusion, having a blog or writing guest posts isn’t just an adjacent activity of a logo designer, it’s developing the brand identity too.

#6. Social media presence

If you don’t have a Facebook account, you don’t exist. In the case of a logo designer the social media presence is another chapter from the branding strategy. I think that a serious logo designer doesn’t limit himself just to Facebook or Twitter; he must be active also on more specific networks as Dribbble, Logopond or DeviantART.

Social media is a double sided sword: it may bring a constant flow of clients, but at the same time an inconsequent stream of feeds makes the potential clients to think that the respective logo designer quit his/her job or simply isn’t interested in new clients.

#7. Keep a constant attitude

Many people consider that branding identity is a way too complicated entity for a simple logo designer and have the tendency to ignore it. The cruel reality is that a branding strategy isn’t rocket science but it implies consistency and patience. In conclusion, every major achievement supposes a major endeavor!

I hope that all the above ideas will help you grow a strong brand identity. Once again, I must warn you that creating and growing a brand identity isn’t a job to do in two days, it implies constant endeavors and a long time perspective!

– Written by Daniel –