What's Next After Your New Logo Design?

A professional logo design is the first crucial step for a business that functions as a solid foundation for the company's image and identity, but where do you go from there? Your logo, an important symbol for your company, now needs to be publicized. Marketing with your new logo is key to getting the ball rolling for your company, which depends on building connections with potential customers.

These are the next 3 steps your company should take after designing a professional logo:

1. File a trademark application to protect your new logo design.

A trademark is anything that characterizes your company, setting it apart from others. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) both allow you to file trademark applications online. Although this step isn't an obligation, it will grant your company legal trademark rights at least for a certain span of time at which point you can usually renew your application.

2. Get your logo design seen to build your brand.

As the face of your company's identity, your professional logo design unites your company image across all forms of communication and is the basis for your company's brand. There also needs to be consistency in your company's colors, theme and message, which are ideally encompassed by your new logo. To disseminate your message and begin building a positive brand, your logo now needs to be placed on different marketing tools.

There are two main areas where you would initially want your logo seen: print communications and online. For printing, the basics would include business cards and stationery (letterhead and envelopes). You may also consider brochures and newsletters, product packaging and apparel. Over the Internet, your logo must display prominently in your emails and digital letterhead, on every page of your website or blog, and on every social media account. Eventually, you may include your logo design in an online newsletter or company videos. You should also upload your logo when you claim your Google Places listing.

Other media outlets where you may use your logo include television, signs, billboards and print ads in newspapers or magazines for example.

3. Create a marketing plan to maintain logo design exposure.

Success in marketing is more than just having your logo printed and published in various places. An organized strategy and schedule will ensure sustainability in exposure, which is key to branding. Consider the following questions for example: What kinds of paid advertising will you use? Where will brochures and newsletters be distributed? How often will you be blogging? Which social media accounts will you focus on?

A typical marketing plan spans both online (Internet marketing) and offline (local community awareness) components, and includes diverse marketing techniques.Your exact marketing plan will depend on research in your industry to determine where your audience is and what marketing tools work well with your audience.