5 ways marketers go astray when developing a logo

Few elements of brand identity are as crucial—yet as deceivingly simple—as a logo.

After choosing a name, creating a memorable logo is among the first things any marketer or small-business owner launching or relaunching a company or product will do. In the eagerness to jump in and get started selling, it can be tempting to skip steps, cut corners and move so fast that you fall prey to common missteps.

Here are five mistakes likely to trip you up—and how to avoid them—when developing a logo:

Simply choosing colors based on personal preferences. Individual colors and color combinations evoke different emotional experiences and reactions in your customers, so understanding the psychology of color should play a key role.

Consider the ability of blue to instill confidence and calm, or yellow and orange to spark youthful energy and enthusiasm, for example.

However, despite this, 65% of small-business owners surveyed cited “personal taste and preference” as the primary factor in choosing colors for their logos. Avoid this trap by thinking about the emotional connection you want consumers to have with your brand, and proceed accordingly.