Four reasons why DIY will kill your business.
We all know that owning a business is tough. When you start a business, it's time consuming, overwhelming, scary and your to do list is about a mile long. But, starting your business off with a less than ideal logo could actually be costing you a lot more than you think.
Your logo and brand are an extension of your business. They shouldn’t be an afterthought. And they definitely shouldn’t be DIY’ed if it can be helped! A lot of start-ups don't have the budget for a total brand package, and that is absolutely okay! Everyone starts somewhere! But when you're a few years in, it's time to reconsider your DIY logo for four crucial reasons.
It’s not aligned
Your DIY logo isn’t aligned to your vision, mission or story of your business. It doesn’t represent the essence or soul of your business, because it lacks the strong strategic foundation. Using strategy to inform and define the visuals, allows the visual identity to evolve from something ‘pretty’ to something truly representative that sets your business apart. That’s why you started in the first place, to have a business that stands out and makes a difference, right?
Your audience
A DIY logo is born out of subjectivity and personal preference. It hasn’t been created with your audience in mind. It’s been created with limitations, with opinion and most of the time, with haste. A brand identity with a strategic foundation knows your ideal audience – like really knows them. It’s with this deep, insider knowledge of your people that your visual brand can come to life and really identify and target specific groups. If you’re talking to everyone, you’re speaking to no one. If you’re not effectively speaking to your niche, you won’t exploit their pain points, you won’t help them solve their problem and you won’t let them become emotionally invested. Emotionally invested audiences become a connected, converting audience.
Unprofessional
I don’t want to be there bearer of bad news, but more often than not, a DIY logo is an unprofessional one. The logo you spent a few hours creating in Canva or Shutterstock, or paid minimally for through Fiverr, there’s hundreds of other business using the exact same style. It’s unprofessional because it doesn’t speak to who you are as a business, it doesn’t resonate with your audience and it certainly doesn’t inspire confidence that your business does things differently. No one wants to purchase products or services from a business that looks unprofessional.
Your offering might be an amazing – but no one would know!
You blend in
Your DIY logo doesn’t set you apart. Like I mentioned earlier, the template logo you’re using has been made available to millions of other users, it’s not original, it’s not unique and it definitely doesn’t stand up and say ‘here I am’ amongst a crowded industry. Investing in a custom strategy and brand means that your visual identity will be informed by who you are as a business, the future and everything in between. It’s a game changer when you start doing things your own way, instead of just blending in.
Some of this information might sound harsh, especially if you’re getting by with a DIY logo. Every single client I’ve worked with has revelled in the power of brand strategy and the impact it had on how they felt and showed up within their business, as well as the awareness, repeat customers, brand loyalty and general success. And it all starts with a simple decision to invest in the true essence of your business.
If you’re you ready to feel confident in your business, feel proud of the brand you stand in front of and start setting your business apart, then it’s time for you to ditch the DIY logo and invest in a soulful, strategic brand with Third Ginger Studio.
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