To kick off my blog, I’m going to talk about pre-made logos, why they aren’t a good idea and if you really have to, how to find a good one. If you’re a business owner on a tight budget – this is for you!
Why shouldn’t you buy a pre-made logo?
A pre-made, or semi custom logo will never reflect your business’ mission, values or attract your target audience because it wasn’t made to do so. A premade logo won’t communicate what makes your business unique, and why would a potential customer choose your business over your closest competitor. I’m sure we’ve all seen a million-and-one variations of the logo pictured above and that’s mainly because they’re chosen based on your own preferences, or because you’ve seen other businesses using a similar logo but it doesn’t serve your businesses needs.
Aside from this, pre made logos are overused and sold countless times! The cheaper they are, the more they are sold. Meaning by purchasing one, you’ll blend right in with the rest of the business’ (some might even be in the same industry!) that have purchased that logo, how detrimental will that be? Here is where a custom branding package will set you apart from the competition with a unique identity. So, please do your business a favour and invest in substantial branding that is as unique was your business itself is!
Why you might want to use a pre-made logo
Ok, although it should never be a long term option I believe there is a time and a place for buying cheap pre-made logos. One of the main reasons for having a logo is to have an image that your customers can remember you by, and if you’re just starting up with your business and you have a super tight budget then this might be your only option. However, it’s important to note that this shouldn’t be a permanent solution and you should definitely set money aside for when you do want to invest in a fully custom brand package.
I would recommend investing in custom branding at around 1-2 years of running your business, or once you’ve established the most important things first such as materials, manufacturing and equipment and are generating a consistent monthly turnover.
What can custom branding offer, that a pre-made logo can’t?
A good designer will take the time to go in depth to gain an understanding of your target audience, what your competitors are doing and what is going to communicate your brand mission and values. I like to have an initial 1-1 phone call with my clients so that I can understand them and learn more about their business and goals, then I also will send an in depth brand questionnaire which further helps me to understand them and what makes them unique, then I will go away and do extensive research on your industry before I even put pen to paper and start designing.
How to choose a pre-made logo if you really have to
Now I’ve outlined when you might have to buy a pre-made logo while you’re in the very early stages of your business, here’s my advice on how to choose a good one;
Define your audience: Try and figure out who your target audience is and how you want to be perceived when someone sees your logo
Create a Pinterest board: I don’t mean adding a ton of logo ideas that you purely like the look of, make sure you pick ideas that will suit your business’ personality and show your business off in the best light. This will help you decide what sort of style you should look for when you start looking for the logo.
Look for quality: When searching for your logo, try and pick the most expensive pre-made options as they will likely be of a much higher quality than the cheaper ones. I would also advise buying directly from designer websites (as long as they aren’t selling on huge platforms such as Etsy), as they will be less commonly used.
So, to clarify, there is no shame in using a pre-made logo in the early stages of your business, but you should definitely set aside some money for when you’re ready to invest in a custom brand designer, and decide on an estimated date when this might happen.
Let me know your thoughts on pre made logos in the comments below!
0 Comments