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Erin Ferree Articles

Guest post by: Erin Ferree

7 Proven Strategies For Going Viral - Click To Read Article
I surprised myself last month when my new free gift went viral. Since I’m filled with curiosity, I wanted to know why… so I deconstructed the experience, looking for the lessons. Here is what I learned.

Let's Talk About Designing Your Very First Inviting Brand - Click To Read Article
Many first-time entrepreneurs consider designing their brand a “first order of business” - they think that before they launch, they’ve got to design their logo, business cards and their website. Learn why that's oh-so-wrong, and what to do instead.

Fresh Ideas For Your Brand (That Won't Freak Your Clients Out) - Click To Read Article
Why are new ideas so tricky? As a business owner, it’s crucial to keep things fresh and interesting. However, it’s just as important to introduce new ideas carefully and thoughtfully. This article explains how to use a special mix of ingenuity, bravery, and finesse for successful new ideas in your brand.

Lessons About Warming Up Your Brand . . . From Parties - Click To Read Article
Warmth in your brand can make it seem more alive, open, and passionate, and can make or break your client relationships. This article outlines tips for getting that “warm and fuzzy” feeling in your brand.

Is Your Website Like A Jungle? - Click To Read Article
When your visitors come to your site, they need to transition from finding you, to contacting you. Make it easy for them, and keep their desire to talk to you high. This article explains how to do just that.

2 Traits To Create Relationship Through Your Brand - With People You've Never Met - Click To Read Article
Are you "marketing at" your precious potential clients or connecting with them? In other words, do your marketing efforts feel more like you're shouting at them with a megaphone, or like you're having a two-way conversation? In this article, you'll learn how to create connection and conversation with your prospects, by cultivating two traits: Curiosity and Generosity.

The Three-Part Harmony in Your Logo - Click To Read Article
Just as a harmonized song is made up of a set of three notes, every small business's logo should be made up of three pieces of art: the icon, the font, and the color palette. These three pieces all work together, singing the same basic song, to tell your business's story. In your logo, each of them gives you an opportunity to build in meaning and symbolism.

The 6 Jobs of Your Logo's Icon - Click To Read Article
Many entrepreneurs think that the icon for their logo should be a picture that appeals to them personally. They go into the logo design process looking to create an icon with personal symbolic meaning, because they think that the icon's job is to appeal to them personally as well as to look interesting. This is a case of the icon's job description not being well written. In a perfect world, entrepreneurs love their logo icons-and personally identify with their meaning. But, that's the logo icon's last, and least important, job. First, it must do several more important jobs for your company.

The 4 Jobs of Your Logo Font - Click To Read Article
Many entrepreneurs think that the font for their business name is like a trophy wife-just there to look pretty, all perfect hair and manicure. So, they try to find a font that looks cool, often without looking at any of the features of the font itself. But, the font in your logo is a busy little element. It works 4 jobs!

The 5 Jobs of your Logo's Color Palette - Click To Read Article
Picking colors for your logo can be difficult. Just how do you go about choosing appropriate colors? Everyone has favorite colors, and many people also have colors they hate. But, whether or not you personally like a color actually has little to do with its appropriateness for your business's brand. You should make your choices based on the colors that will best perform the color palette's jobs.

When To Use A Text-Only Logo - Click To Read Article
A text logo (also sometimes called a logotype or word mark) is a logo largely made up of the text of the company's name. This type of logo can have some graphic elements-lines, boxes, borders-that interact with, surround, or even form the letters. However, the graphic elements should be used as an accent to the text, not as a major or equally-weighted part of the logo.

When To Use A Symbol Logo - Click To Read Article
A symbol logo is the opposite extreme in design from a text logo. This type of logo includes neither words nor letters-only symbols, images and shapes.

Why Combination Logos Are So Popular - Click To Read Article
A logo that in some manner combines both a symbol and the company name. The symbol and text can be integrated together, side by side, or with one located above the other.

What Your Logo Designer Needs to Know About Your Business - Click To Read Article
If someone asks me to design a logo based on a tiny bit of information, then I have to make just as many assumptions about the personality of the business, its customers, and the owner's personal taste as I do in creating my hypothetical dinner. And the logo I design winds up being more about me and my preferences than about my client's business.

Time to "Get Over" the Rainbow (in your logo, that is) - Click To Read Article
Rainbows are wonderful, but if you try to bring that natural beauty into your logo with tons of color, you'll be setting yourself up for unnatural disasters.

Why Entrepreneurs Divorce Their Logos (And Why It's A Bad Idea) - Click To Read Article
Remember how excited you were when you first designed your logo? How beautiful you thought it was, and how you couldn't wait to get your first batch of business cards printed so you could show it off? How you excitedly described its meaning and subtleties to your mom (and your clients?) And the rush to the trademark office to get your new love "made official"-what excitement when the papers finally arrived!

The Domino Effect of Changing Your Logo - Click To Read Article
What does redesigning really mean? Think back to the first time you designed your logo-the work, time, expense, and thought you had to put into the project. Just because this is a redesign doesn't mean that it will be any easier than the first time around. In fact, it may be more difficult since you're more invested in your business and brand than you were when you first launched it.

Keep Your Logo Simple - Click To Read Article
The job of your logo is to communicate what your business is all about in an instant. But if you try to say too much in that instant, it's more likely that your clients and prospects will either not get the message at all or that they'll get the wrong message-and wind up pulling the wrong information out of an overcomplicated logo. The way to avoid confusing your clients with your logo is simple: to just keep it simple. Just like the KISS principle.

Logo Design Questions: Answered! - Click To Read Article
This time, I wanted to send over an interview that I did with Computer Arts magazine in the UK. The interviewer, Tom Dennis, asked a lot of really thought-provoking questions, and I thought that maybe wanted to share the results with you.

Is Your Business Ready For A Logo? - Click To Read Article
You're just starting your business. Opening a bank account, getting a business license, and setting up your office are top priorities. And, of course, the question of stationery and marketing comes up. If you're starting a business, you need business cards. And probably stationery. And a website. All this means you need to design a logo immediately, right?

How to Get the Logo You Want - Click To Read Article
Are you having a hard time getting the logo you want? If you're working with a designer and looking for "just the right" logo but getting sketches that cause nothing but frustration, don't despair. I've worked with many clients on difficult projects and come reasonably close to reading their minds without having ESP. Here are some tips to help you get your logo done right:

No Logo? Launching a Business Without a Logo Can Sabotage You - Click To Read Article
Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses, especially by creating their first business card. Or sometimes they will have an amateur designer, friend, or relative create the design. There are several reasons why this is not the best idea. An amateur logo design and business card can make your business more likely to fail for a number of reason.

Logo Files Versions of your logo that you should own. - Click To Read Article
Your logo is the most important graphic element in which you will invest for your business. You should own the logo in many file formats. Having a library of logo files will enable you to send vendors the types of files they need (for example, other designers, printers, or other service providers).

Signs It's Time To Redesign Your Company's Brand - Click To Read Article
When you first start a small business, you create your brand based on your hopes and plans for the future of the company. Sometimes this is based on experience, but more often than not it's based on a guess. Then once you actually start doing business, you may find that your business isn't following the same path you set out on.

Rebranding Is an Excuse to Party in Your Business - Click To Read Article
Once the redesign is done, many small businesses launch it silently. They change their logos, business cards, and websites one day-sometimes without so much as an announcement or a "By the way... " to their customers. Not only are they potentially confusing and alienating them, but they're also missing out on a great excuse to party!

A Brand Is Much More Than Just A Logo - Click To Read Article
Logo design is a part of brand design. But, a brand is not just a logo design. When does a logo become part of a brand? To answer this question, let's first define what a logo is and what a brand is: What is a logo? A logo is a unique, meaningful design that's paired with your company name in an interesting and cohesive way. The logo also has a color palette assigned to it. It must be scalable, able to be reproduced consistently in all of your marketing, and timeless - so that it doesn't get stale or look old too soon. What is a brand? A brand is "The collection of perceptions that your customer has about your business". Note that the brand lives in your customer's mind - and the ideas that they have about your business.

9 Keys to an Effective Logo - Click To Read Article
The right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost your visibility, credibility and memorablity – which means more business for you! These characteristics include:

A Logo Isn't A Tattoo! Why Your Personal Tastes Have Nothing To Do With Your Logo - Click To Read Article
I designed her first round of the logo to reflect the brand that she'd been setting up for herself. But, when she got the initial designs, I got an almost immediate call back - she hated them! We talked a bit about her brand, her clients and their tastes, and all of the things that I take into consideration when designing a brand. And we talked about how the sketches reflected those considerations. But then the real problem came out - she actually had a bigger vision for her logo.

A Logo Without Your Name... Can Be A Big Branding Pain! - Click To Read Article
I often get asked to develop a small business's logo as a symbol-only logo. But for many small businesses, this isn't the right choice for a couple of reasons:

The 3 Kinds Of Confusing Brands And What To Do About Them - Click To Read Article
“What do you do?” Such an innocent and curious question! And in the small business world, it’s where so many conversations go horribly wrong. As the other person starts to answer, a funny thing happens. The conversation starts spinning out of control. Maybe they’re talking too much. Maybe they don’t really know how to answer. Or perhaps they decide, on the spot, to make up and “try out” a new reply they’ve never given before. In any case, the person who asked the question in the first place goes from curious to confused, and starts looking, desperately, for the door. Don’t be the business owner who’s confusing the nice, curious people you’re meeting. Here’s a handy guide to the 3 kinds of confusing brands and what to do about each one:

What I learned about branding on my summer vacation - Click To Read Article
I went on a road trip with a friend recently, and even though I was “on vacation”, branding lessons kept jumping out at me. Here are the 3 most valuable lessons we learned about branding on our summer vacation:

The Brand Profitability Cycle: How Your Brand Can Help You Make More Money and So Much More! - Click To Read Article
When I say “profit”, do you think about money? Most people do! Entrepreneurs are no different, and one of the most common ways to measure business success is by financial profitability… how much did you make last year versus how much you spent. When you’re looking at profitability in your business, you look at the return on investment. But what do you do when you’re measuring the profitability of a piece of your business that doesn’t just lead directly to money… like your brand?

The Personality In Pacing Your Brand - Click To Read Article
The pacing of your brand can show different personality traits for your business as well. Here’s what I mean: You know how some people are speed-along, action-oriented, getting-it-done people? And others are more thoughtful, methodical, and take their time with things? You can show which type you are in a couple of ways in your brand. Here are the opportunities you have to show your pace in your brand:

The Pitfalls of Professionalism In Small Business Branding - Click To Read Article
I always ask the entrepreneurs I’m working with to give me 5 adjectives that they would like their clients to use when describing their businesses. 90% of the time, one of the adjectives I get back is “Professional”. Wanting to be seen as professional in your small business is a bit of a trap – and an easy one to get caught in.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall… Will My Brand Help Me Rise Or Fall? - Click To Read Article
Is your brand an accurate reflection of what it’s like to do business with you? Does it help your business rise to the top? Or, does it trip you up, miss the mark with your clients and make you fall flat? Your brand has to reflect you – in some ways. When you’re the driving force behind a small, service-based business, it naturally follows that your brand will share some common ground with your personality. After all, your business is based on your mission, your talents and your desire to make a positive impact with your clients.

What Does Brand Clarity Feel Like? - Click To Read Article
When you help your potential clients get out of confusion, they come back to the nice, calm, lovely place where they understand exactly what you’re talking about… and can immediately tell whether they need to work with you (or if they know someone who does). And that’s a lovely, cozy place to be. What makes this place so lovely and cozy? The place where there’s complete clarity and understanding between you and your clients is so lovely and cozy because you’ve finally found an invaluable way to communicate your passion to the people you’re passionate about serving. Once you’re there, you’ll know it. You’ll see and feel the difference becaus

The 7 Secrets To Creating A Fashionable Brand! - Click To Read Article
If you’ve ever been confused about branding your small business, here’s a simple way to think about it: Branding Is Your Business’s Fashion Statement. Here’s how branding is like fashion:

Invite vs. Incite: What’s Wrong With Most Marketing Today - Click To Read Article
Pretend your business is a party and ask your clients to come be your guest and enjoy themselves. Make sure everyone feels welcome and comfortable, and that you’re being charming and engaging. Talk “with” them instead of “at” them. You’ll see the energy turn around and I’d be willing to bet that you’ll all start having more fun in the process.

Empower, Educate, Create Need and Convert With A Simple Checklist - Click To Read Article
If you’re an expert, and what you do would require or benefit from regular check-ups or check-ins, then consider a checklist. It can help your clients see the need for your services.

Harness the Depth of Power In Your Brand - Click To Read Article
There’s a common misconception in the small business world that looks like this: Brand = Logo That’s simply not the case–a brand is so much more! If you think your brand is the same thing as your logo, then you’re missing out on your chance to harness most of your brand’s power.

How To Name Your Business, Website and/or Brand - Click To Read Article
Struggling with choosing a name for your service business? Too many small businesses try to start by choosing a name without really thinking about what their business is going to be all about.

Does Brand Strategy Take The Freedom Out Of Running Your Business? - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurs are really concerned whether this whole “brand strategy” thing will take away their freedom to run their business the way they want to, to have the life they want to have – or to react to what’s going on in the world and make changes.

Is Your Brand Effective, Or Just Pretty To Look At? - Click To Read Article
Do you want your brand to be a work of art? If so, stop right there. This is where small business owners get mixed up in the branding process. They mistake brand design for art. It’s an easy mistake – you’re paying someone to draw things for you, right? That’s art… right? Better yet, it’s commissioned art – and there’s a decent chance that this is the very first time that you’ve commissioned anyone to create art for you.

Getting All Your Details On Your Business Card - Click To Read Article
What information should you include on your business card? This article breaks it down into "Must-Haves", "Flaunt It If You've Got It" and "It Depends..."

Keeping Your Best Clients In The Loop When You Launch a New Brand - Click To Read Article
You’ve decided that you need to rebrand your business. You draw up a launch plan, design your logo, marketing pieces and website, write your copy, and get all of your business paperwork filed. You work on it in secret for months, so that you can roll everything out at once and make a big splash.Finally, it’s launch day! You send out some emails and start forwarding your old website to the new one. And then the emails and phone calls start coming in… but not all of them are congratulatory…

Is Your Brand Representative Of Who You Really Are? - Click To Read Article
Does your brand show your clients an authentic picture of your business’s personality? Does it shine with your style? Does it feel like it fits you perfectly? If your answer to any of the above is “no”, and your brand doesn’t truly represent you, then you’re setting your clients up with unrealistic expectations. Clients expect that your brand will be an accurate reflection of what you’re all about. If they look at your brand and see an energetic, enthusiastic image, but then working with you is serious and hard, then you’re creating a gap between their expectation and your delivery. And that’s a path to an unhappy client relationship.

How Having Only A Logo Is Like Going Out With No Pants On - Click To Read Article
It seems that some people have started to believe that a brand is simply a logo, and that their business will be just fine if they just have a logo to wear. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A logo is a part of a business’s brand. But, it’s only one small part. Going out into the world with just a logo is like going out in public wearing only a teeny, tiny t-shirt. It’s the stuff that nightmares are made of – you’re pantsless!

3 Easy Steps To Stop Spinning Your Wheels With Your Brand And Start Making Sales - Click To Read Article
The first step in creating a brand that converts is to get clear. Without clarity, your brand is going to be confusing and too complex for your ideal clients to really understand what you offer. And, without clarity, your marketing and promotion – and, even just telling other people what you do - will be way too hard. What does brand clarity mean? Getting clear about your brand means that you know exactly how to simply, succinctly and snappily talk about who you are in your business, what you do, and what makes you different from everyone else out there.

5 Steps to Designing a Strategic Brand - Click To Read Article
When you think about designing – or redesigning – your business’s identity, you think about finding a designer and hiring them to design a logo, right? That’s where many small businesses go wrong. There’s a 5-step process to designing your small business’s brand image. And actually designing it is the very last step. If you want to create a profitable, pretty and powerful brand, then you’ve got to begin at the beginning. If you begin with the first 4 steps here, then you’ll be able to design a brand that’s stronger, has a more solid base and that will be an investment that gets results instead of an expensive, creative guess!

7 Rules For Designing A Strong, Substantial and Successful Brand - Click To Read Article
If you want a brand that goes beyond being “just pretty” into having some real substance and strength so that it can be successful for your business, just follow these 7 rules:

Are You Hiding In A Schlumpy Brand? - Click To Read Article
Are you using a brand that doesn’t look stunning as a way to hide your true genius? I know that this sounds kind of silly, but there are lots of small businesses out there using brands that don’t reflect them.

3 Ideas To Ick-Proof Your Brand - Click To Read Article
Do you ever feel like your brand is out of alignment with your values system? If you said "yes", I'm curious: why is your brand icky? Your brand is made up of the look, the feel and the experience of doing business with you. Does it look like a mess? Is your design all over the place? Have you outgrown them and become more sophisticated and evolved? Does it feel pushy or sleazy? Are you using tactics that you think you need to use to make sales? Do you find that when you market, you wind up feeling like a slimeball? In any case, an icky brand is no fun. It's gross and uncomfortable, for both you and your clients. Join me in stamping out ickiness in branding.





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