Business owners believe in solid branding to promote and grow their business and reach masses. No doubt, there are plenty of ways to market your brand to the right audience. Most of the time brands get optimal success by opting for effective branding strategies. But, what to do when it comes to personal branding?
If the term “personal branding” is new to you, this blog is going to help you.
The Concept of Personal Branding
Before discussing the effective ways of personal branding, it’s imperative to understand this concept. The process of marketing yourself as an individual is personal branding. Your brand tells your story when you aren’t around. The fun fact about personal branding is you cultivate it daily without knowing it.
Just like you the idea, concept and visual one product differentiate it from another product. Your communication, writing and managing different situations fuel your personality and make you stand out in the crowd, letting you build your personal brand.
However, when it comes to developing a personal brand professionally, you need to take deliberate and conscious steps. And that is where professional logo design comes to take your brand two steps ahead. Not to mention, building a solid personal brand involves overwhelming procedure.
But, if you believe that you possess the power to showcase your professional brand to the world just like you want it, this journey can become an experience of its kind.
Whether you are a freelance designer or own a small business, personal branding is an ultimate way to show your real personality to your future clients. To achieve this, you need to focus on building blocks like visuals; written tone, color palette or anything that helps you creates a brand that reflects your personality.
The Role of Logo in Personal Branding
It’s true that a logo isn’t a brand. But, it plays some part in breaking or making of your business. The sole purpose of a logo is to let people quickly remember you and your brand. Like every business person, you would want to stand out in the competition. Your target audience might come across several brands that do the same job as you do.
So, your logo design makes you the one that they prefer when they need a product or service. The best way to stay in people’s minds is to tell your story through your logo. It serves as the memory hook that lets your audience recall your brand story the moment it appears before their eyes. When you craft a logo with your brand story in mind, it will automatically become a unique design which further opens the doors of opportunities.
A comprehensive logo communicates with your target audience and delivers value as well. Take note that people opt for relatable brands. Considering this factor, your story will give your brand the exposure that it deserves and let them know that you have solutions for their problems.
Moreover, the experts also encourage brand owners to be prepared and brave enough to put forward the raw face of your brand. If you manage to show that your brand is available to solve queries, your audience will connect with your brand and purchase decisions become easier too.
Get yourself a Powerful Logo for Personal Branding
Developing a compelling logo can become a nightmare of your life. However, you shouldn’t consider your logo designing as an additional task. Make it a part of branding strategy and invest sufficient time to come up with a creative yet functional logo design. You can keep the layout simple or add details depending on your story.
Many logos contain only a brand’s name using a certain typeface. Also, sometimes the brand owners want to mold typeface in certain ways; sometimes they don’t. A simple logo with the brand name might not sound interesting but it is likely to be effective.
The process is less time consuming and hassle-free as compared to an illustrative logo. The effective way to get instant attention from the audience is to put the brand name in the design in a way that it looks visually appealing.
- The logo of Chen is an ideal example in this case. They have kept the overall design clean and neat. The use of bold serif typeface in the logo completes off the look perfectly. Plus, the color combination of gold-tones with sharp white and black set the brand apart in the competitors. This concept seems creative, distinct and flexible at the same.
- If you are a fan of a sleek logo design for your personal brand, you can keep the design minimal with a geometric shape and your name in it. Adding vibrant colors in the design is another way to attract maximum people.
- You can make a striking logo by blending two different ideas such as illustrative/graphical elements and type. The use of graphics with type and illustration allows you to speak with your audience and tell them what you do. To add the element of creativity in the design, you can opt for a pencil motif and get the job done.
- When it comes to physically designed logos, you would still need to figure out how you want the name of your brand is written in the body copy. You can stylize it in any way you want. Let’s take Foursquare as an example. The company wanted to keep the name written consistently as “Foursquare.” They didn’t prefer it to be kept as Four Square or FourSquare.
Experts suggest considering only one goal while working on your logo design regardless of the type. That is to develop a consistent visual representation of your personal brand. The best example, in this case, could be Coca-Cola’s logo. However, you also need to focus on crafting a logo that is recognizable and blends in with your brand.
Customize Font and Color Palette
Did you know colors used in a logo leave a lasting impact? Because it is such a powerful tool, you shouldn’t take it lightly. Most importantly, the color palette you choose has the potential to change people’s perceptions of your brand. It can influence certain emotions and evoke feelings.
No doubt, the color combination of your logo makes or breaks your design. So, don’t fret when you fail to come up with an attractive color scheme. Just give yourself enough time and try different color combinations until you get the one that highlights your brand story.
But, don’t incorporate extra colors in your logo. Experts recommend following a general rule when it comes to using the colors in the logo. They say to use three or fewer colors in one logo design to keep it clean and less overwhelming.
The colors have a psychological factor associated with them. Therefore, choose the ones that go well with your brand story.
- You can use green if the brand is related to the environment
- If your personal brand deals with other businesses, you can think about adding shades of blue
- For feminine brands, pink and purple can do the job singlehandedly
Various colors and hues are available currently that ensure the success of your logo design. You need to conduct some research to find the right color palette. Apart from using primary colors, you can incorporate dark hues as well to create a unique design.
Moreover, to get the maximum benefit out of your logo design, you can consider opting for different textures and patterning as well. Take note that additional elements in the design can help in branding too by setting you apart from the rival brands. For example, you can think about bringing life to a very simple design by adding bright yellow, white and black colors. The use of patterns like sharp two-tone can help you craft the next level logo.
Also, it wouldn’t hurt to create a comprehensive yet creative font palette just like you build one for the colors. Not to mention, using several colors in one design can ruin the overall look. The case is similar with the fonts. You shouldn’t overwork with the fonts either. So, keep your fonts options limited. Take your time to choose fonts that enhance the beauty of your logo.
Managing a design might get difficult if you try to combine two typefaces. Thereby, think about the two fonts that complement each other perfectly or contrast nicely. For instance, you can take inspiration from the combination of script typeface and simple serif to develop an elegant and classy effect on the logo.
Bottom Line
Personal branding can become a joyous ride for you if you strategize it smartly. When you devise a comprehensive branding plan, make sure to keep logo designing as a part of your strategy. No doubt, a perfectly crafted logo can do wonders for your personal brand. But, be mindful that you can’t develop a spectacular logo overnight.
So, take your time, observe all elements, focus on colors and fonts to develop one of its kind logo.
About the Author!
Hammad D. an expert in logo designing, has refreshed the digital image of many brands through his expertise and experience in the IT industry. Now, he is working with FullStop the best logo design company in USA. Imparting knowledge through his blogs, the branding maestro has revealed secrets which are helpful for brands and designers to make an impact in the digital and design world. To explore more about designing, subscribe to FullStop blog and be an expert yourself!