Do You Have a Logo? – A PTs Guide to Logo Design

Why do you need one?

Having a business and getting customers is all about standing out. It is very rare that you are the only business of your kind in your catchment area. Think of builders, gyms, taxi companies. There are almost always more than one in your town. You need to find a way of standing out straight away. So this is where your logo comes into use. When looking out for a personal trainer, if the client finds the details of 3 PT’s in their town, one has a logo; the other two don’t. Their attention is immediately drawn to the one with a logo. Even if it is basic, it’s a step above the other two. The client then looks for more information on that personal trainer with the logo. That’s how the human mind works. A logo makes you look more established and conveys that you are reputable. A logo makes you more memorable. If they aren’t looking for a trainer now but will in a month’s time and they see your logo, it sticks in their mind. Then, in a month when they have put on a bit of weight or have an event coming up and want some help, you jump straight into their mind.  It’s basic psychology and used in every-day marketing. Can you think of any global businesses that don’t have a logo? Me neither.

How do you get one?

You have two options when looking to get yourself a logo. You can either create one yourself, or hire a logo designer. The benefits of creating the logo yourself are obviously that you save money, have more flexibility of the design and that you can make minor adjustments to get it exactly how you want it. However, to make a really professional-looking logo, you need to know what you’re doing with software such as Photoshop. Let’s face it, as a personal trainer, you probably don’t! This is where hiring a logo designer comes in handy, and believe it or not, if you know where to look; they aren’t actually that costly. Freelance designers use websites such as People Per Hour and Fiverr to advertise their services. You can get hold of a designer on these sites and get your logo created for as little as £5! Obviously if you want a better services it might be worth forking out a little extra money. They will often send you their drafts and ask what you think to make sure the logo is what you want. They even come up with ideas if you have no idea what you want. It’s certainly worth looking into.

 

How should you then use it?

Now that you have your logo, stick it EVERYWHERE. This is all about building a brand. Get the logo associated with your business. Use it on social media pages, your website, your uniform and certainly your business cards. Everyone that knows about your business needs to see it. Even people who are aware of what you do may be excited by it and have the impression that you’re successful. You might not have any clients but you will stand out above the PT with 20 clients if he doesn’t have a logo! Get yourself in online directories and add your logo to the listing. You only have to think of things like Football post-match interviews to see the logos printed on the boards behind the interviewed player. Think of Facebook’s logo. It’s just the letter “F”. But almost everyone you ask will know what it means and what business it belongs to. That is the power of marketing. You see that letter “F” and automatically think of Facebook… you’re probably doing it now! Build a brand and along will come the business.