What you do has nothing to do with how you should market yourself. No one wants to know what you do, not really. People want to know what you can do for them. There’s a difference. A great message tells people how you can change their life. It lets your business shine. Your message needs to be out there, everywhere, making it easy for people to understand and love your company.

So Be the Best, Right?

Most businesses make a ton of mistakes when coming up with a marketing message. They choose generic concepts that don’t carry much weight in consumer perception, like affordable, quality and best. So what? Telling people about how good your business is really does nothing to increase sales. Everyone is the best. Everyone sells quality. No one wants to hear it.

People want businesses to pay attention to them. They want to know someone is listening and that someone can solve their problems. They want to hear that your business understands and that you have the match to their wants and needs. That’s where marketing comes in. Your message, your brand and your slogan should be able to convey to consumers that you have exactly what they want.

Straight From the Heart

The best messages trigger emotional reactions. They speak to people’s hearts and souls, stirring up a feeling. In just a few words, you can make a consumer feel emotion that goes beyond the product or service. Your brand might invoke confidence, or reassurance, or happiness, or wealth, or the envy of all their friends.

Your message has to stick in the minds of consumers. People have to associate that message with your brand and your business each and every single time. They have to not only read it or hear it, but they have to feel it deep down. A good message solidifies the association consumers make with your business. It taps right into the emotions. And it works.

If you have a web site, your business logo should be on every page of your site. Many business people also feature their business logos on any promotional materials they hand out, such as mugs, calendars and key chains. The purpose of all this business logo reproduction is to separate your business from the common herd of competitors and build brand recognition and preference. A good business logo helps your customers remember your business and many people remember images better than they remember words.

Business logo design is fairly simple with all the graphics software programs available, and if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself, there are many graphics designers who would love to do this for you. If you’re in the process of designing a logo or having one designed remember: A business logo has to be simple. Simplicity of business logo design makes a logo easy to reproduce and makes it easier for customers to remember and recognize. Limit the number of colors in your business logo, and stay away from muddy colors or tone on tone designs. Think clear contrast and simple shapes when thinking of business logo design.

Your business logo has to have some relevance to your business. For instance, a Christmas tree shape with a bolt of lightning striking it won’t be an effective business logo for a computer consulting business. The “picture” the logo represents just doesn’t have any association with computers. It’s no coincidence that so many business logos are the initials of the business’ name encased in a simple shape; relevant pictorial associations are hard to come by for many businesses, and a symbol that misleads will do more harm than good.

Colors are powerful. Different colors have different associations and can present powerful messages in themselves. Red, as we all know, is seen as fiery and energetic. But what about brown? No matter how much you like a particular shade, it may not be a good choice for your business logo design.

Your business logo has to be scalable to suit all your promotional needs. The logo you choose has to look good on a business card, on a brochure, and on the side of a bus, for instance, if that’s how you choose to advertise. Complicated business logo designs don’t scale well. So keep your business logo design simple, and test how well your logo scales before you rush it into print and get your logo working for you.