A logo goes hand in hand with the word branding. It makes sense - when branding first started, it was just a simple mark to identify ownership. Since those simple beginnings, branding has grown well beyond the logo, but this component of a brand still packs a punch. Or rather, when it’s bad, it can immediately turn people off, lower your credibility, and ultimately have you losing out on clients. Think of your logo as a mascot for your coaching business. It’s a key identifier when someone comes across something you’ve done and can assure people that it is of the quality you produce.
So, where can you go wrong with your logo? Below are 5 mistakes I see coaches commonly making with their logos:
Not Aligned: I’m not talking about the design principle of alignment. By this, I mean the visuals are not aligned with your business or clients. When selecting your fonts, symbols, and colors for your logo, really think about what reinforces your messaging and what will speak to your ideal clients.
Not Memorable: When creating your logo, it’s great to look for inspiration from others. What you want to be wary of is copying your competitors. This is your chance to stand out from other coaches in your niche, and you don’t want to waste it by duplicating their style. Always do competitor research before you create your mark and be careful of using templates.
Not legible: If someone can’t read your logo, then it won’t pack that punch I mentioned previously. I see this come up most often in font and color selection. While script fonts can add a fun twist to any design, they can also be hard to read, so keep that in mind if you’re including one. If you are putting words on top of a background, make sure your colors have proper contrast so the words remain readable.
Overcomplicated: In all likelihood, someone will only take a quick glance at your logo, so it’s best to keep things simple. No need to add unnecessary symbols or shapes if it doesn’t add value. It’s fun to get creative with a logo, but don’t overthink it or try to be too clever. When in doubt, less is more.
The original Apple Logo.
Limiting: Is your logo exceptionally long? Does it work in multiple scenarios? Can you make it really big? Really small? You'll likely need to use your logo in lots of different ways, so if it's not versatile, it won't look great in every scenario. Having alternates of your primary logo and creating logos in a vector program will help solve many of these issues. If you don't have access to a vector program then you may want to save your logo at different sizes. An alternate logo can be a more stacked version of your primary logo, or you can go a step further and introduce a submark - this is an adaption of your logo like the Soloboss one below!
