In the last segment we talked about why your audience is everything when it comes to branding your name as an author and promoting your books. In this segment we are going to talk about logos and what they have to do with your brand.
Today it is common for people to say that a logo is everything when it comes to branding. This couldn't be further from the truth. A logo is important in many ways when branding, but it is not where the rubber meets the road with an author and their brand. For authors and book promotion a logo is one of the smallest pieces of branding.
It is common for many companies not to have a logo at all with their company and this lack is even more common with authors. Most authors just have their name in bold letters at the top of their website or blog, and that's OK; but a better solution would be to have their name made into a logo/graphic that can be used in many different venues. The old saying goes...A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words. So having a single logo that you can use with each new book promotion provides a level of continuity that just using your name in bold at the top of the page will not provide.
A logo may be a creative way of writing your name in bold or italic lettering, special font, different colors, and it may even contain a picture. Think of McDonald's golden yellow arches. This is a symbol that everyone recognizes, and is in fact indelibly printed on most everyone's conscious mind. I.E. when they see the yellow arches on a highway or side street from a distance, they know what to expect when they arrive on the scene.
A logo can be just one letter, or your initials or it may even be your entire name. Developing a logo may be something you put off until the end of your branding process if you are not sure what you would like it to look like.
When you do design a logo there are many things to consider so you know that you are creating a good one. These things include the colors, how busy the logo is, a tagline, memorable, and more.
Colors are very important in a logo. They can be extremely annoying if they are too bright and hard to look at and they can be too dull and boring. It is very important to choose a wise color combination with your logo. Again, consider the audience when you design the logo and choose the colors. A more professional look for an older audience should use lighter tones and pleasing colors while children enjoy primary and bright colors.
A logo should never be too busy. It should be short and sweet. You want a logo to be simple and easy to remember. A logo that is too busy may be annoying and hard to read.
It is important to search competitor sites and verify that there are no other authors with the same name as yours with a logo that is similar. Make sure that you never copy a logo or use a logo that is almost the same as that of another author or company. This could cause you to be in the middle of a lawsuit if you accidentally design the same thing as someone else.
Does a Logo Really Help You Sell?
There is a lot of hype about logo creation and the web is saturated with companies offering to design the perfect company logo. Logos do not help you sell products. They are not responsible for increasing revenues. No one buys a product because the logo is cool or professionally designed.
Logos are part of a total image. Your goal in branding is to create an image that has an emotional impact with your target audience.
Make sure you look for your next segment soon. We will be talking about building recognition for your brand.
Smiles and Good Fortune,
Teresa Thomas Bohannon
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It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.
– W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
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