How To Design and Use a Logo To Market Your Local Service Business
Fred Lovine
There are many things to juggle when you’re running a local service business (e.g., painter, plumber, electrician, cleaner) and designing a logo may not be at the top of your to-do list.
However, a well-designed logo is a key component in your marketing toolkit. It helps you establish a consistent presence in the community and become instantly recognizable to prospects and customers.
Here’s what you should know when creating a logo for your local service business:
Why Should You Have a Logo?
In today’s crowded marketplace, a standout logo design can help you capture prospects’ attention while communicating your brand value and expertise effectively.
Here are some benefits of using a well-designed logo in your marketing:
Create a strong first impression: Americans are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day and brands have just 2 seconds to pique prospects’ interest. A visually appealing logo builds brand awareness and increases brand recognition so you can stand out from your competition.
Deliver a consistent customer experience: a logo creates a sense of familiarity that builds trust and fosters customer relationships. A consistent brand presence also helps improve customer loyalty and retention for your service business.
Enhance brand recognition across customer touch points: most prospects and customers will interact with your brand online and offline. When you use a logo on the various online platforms (e.g., website, social media, online directories, review sites) and offline marketing materials, you can establish a consistent presence that builds brand awareness and reinforce your brand identity.
DIY Logo Design For Your Local Service Business
If you want to take a stab at creating your own logo, follow these steps to set a solid foundation for the design process:
Get inspiration from logos of other businesses in your industry.
Consider your ideal customers’ preferences and use design elements that speak to the target market. E.g., what represents “expert” or “trustworthiness” to them?
Express your message and brand identity in the logo design.
Make the logo clean and functional – it should be scalable, easy to reproduce, memorable, and distinctive.
Use production-friendly color options. E.g., a five-color logo may look great but the printing cost will be very high.
Consider how your business name affects the layout of the logo.
Illustrate the key benefits of your services with graphic elements.
Avoid using clip art and trendy looks.
There are many online “DIY” logo design tools you can use to create your logo. When selecting a logo maker, consider its usability, variety of templates and design elements, customer support, downloadable file formats, and the availability of other branding tools (e.g., business card template.)
Here are some of the top online logo design services:
Vistaprint Logo Maker – https://www.vistaprint.com/logoMakerService: choose from a variety of general logos and then customize as you wish for only $20.00. Of course, Vistaprint will try to upsell other products, but if you want business cards, letterhead, or even shirts, or pens, this is a one-stop shop.
LogoMix – https://www.logomix.com/step1: similar to Vistaprint, LogoMix offers a large variety of semi-customizable logos for $39.95, though they often have promotions to lower this price. And like Vistaprint you can get your new logo printed on all kinds of merchandise.
BrandCrowd – https://www.brandcrowd.com/: for more variety, have a look at BrandCrowd. BrandCrowd lets you design logos online starting at $45, or if you wait a day or two, you may get an email for a discounted rate.
DesignCrowd – https://www.designcrowd.com/: get a custom designed logo starting at $109. If you know what you want and willing to pay for it then consider DesignCrowd for that custom design.
FreeLogoDesign: choose from a variety of logo templates and create your logo with its user-friendly editor. The free plan gives you a 200×200 pixel transparent PNG file and for $49, you’ll get high-resolution files (PNG and JPG), a resizable SVG file, the ability to update and re-download, and the option to add on a social media kit.Image source
Canva: use your own graphic elements, choose from its range of logo templates, or design from scratch with the easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface. The entire process is free if you use your own images and graphic elements. Otherwise, use Canva’s free elements or access the premium graphics for just $1. You can download the design in popular file formats or invite others to collaborate with you on the platform.
Tailor Brands: streamline your branding process with this comprehensive toolbox. Besides logo design, you also have access to business card tool, branded business deck, presentation template, and more. The Basic plan costs $3.99 per month and Standard plan is $9.99 per month. If you cancel the subscription, you still keep the rights to the assets.Image source
99designs : create a “contest” and choose from a variety of concepts submitted by multiple designers. You’ll then provide feedback and hone your favorites before choosing a winner. The Basic package starts at $299 and you’ll get production-ready files for your other branding projects.
How To Apply Your Logo To Your Marketing Materials
A logo is a “visual shorthand” that helps enhance your local presence and make your brand instantly recognizable to clients and prospects.
Here’re how you can leverage your logo to reinforce a consistent brand image and promote your local service business:
Put the logo on your online properties, such as website, email newsletters, and mobile app. Use the logo design (e.g., color palette, font) to inform the look and feel of these customer touch points.
Use the logo as the avatar and/or cover photo for your company’s social media profiles, e.g., Facebook business page or YouTube channel, to build a consistent omnichannel presence.
Upload the logo to your online directory listings and profiles on third-party review sites (e.g., Yelp, Google, BBB) to increase brand recognition.
Put the logo on t-shirts and have your employees wear them when they’re on the job. This will not only make them your “walking billboards” but also reinforce a sense of professionalism.
Create items such as magnets, pens, mugs, etc. with your logo and contact information to give to your customers.
Apply the logo on decal or vinyl wrap for your vehicles to augment your brand’s local presence wherever you go.
Conclusion
A well-designed logo is a key component in your branding and marketing strategy. It helps you stand out from your competition and attract the right clients to your business.
When used in all the customer touch points, a logo helps you bridge your online and offline presence, stay top of mind, and reinforce relationships with your market.
Don’t forget to leverage the brand recognition you have built up to drive traffic to your website and capture prospect information with an optimized lead-generating website so you can follow up and close the sale.
