[Updated February 19, 2019]
You’ve just finished designing your own logo using our DIY logo maker tool – congratulations! You should now have access to all of your logo image file types within your account as well as in your email inbox. Completing your business logo is a huge step towards branding and marketing your business, but now you’re free to start promoting your brand with your new logo design.
What to do with your business logo
So What’s the Next Step?
That all depends on the kind of small business you run. A restaurant owner will want to put their logo on everything from the menu and store signage to staff uniforms (t-shirts, custom hats, or aprons). While a consultant may only need a logo on his business card and website. Think about where your customers will see your logo then use your great logo design in ways that make the most sense to reach them.
If you’re unsure what to do next, we have a few suggestions to help you get started in the right direction.
Trademark your logo design
First things first, you’re going to want to make sure that your new and unique logo design is protected from competitors. We recommend trademarking your logo so that the rest of the world understands that this is your intellectual property and cannot be modified or reused in any way. When filing for a trademark, you can also protect your business name, business slogan (if you have one) and any custom fonts, symbols, and colors that you have used to design your brand. The filing process is straightforward any only costs a couple hundred dollars, which is well worth the investment if it means deterring others from stealing your brand’s identity and taking your potential revenue from customers.
Order business cards and stationery
Most businesses use business cards as a handout at conferences or trade shows, to give to new customers and potential partners, and to drop in those “win a free lunch” fishbowls at your favorite restaurant. Here’s how to put your logo on a business card:
- Start by downloading the EPS file for your logo. This is a unique file that can be used by professional printers for everything from business cards to posters. You won’t be able to open this file without special design software such as Adobe Indesign, but your printer will be able to open it. Some online printers prefer working with a JPG or PNG. If that’s the case, download those files too.
- Contact a printing company such as PrintingNow or VistaPrint. Both printers are more than capable of printing however many business cards you need. Don’t forget to ask what their minimum order size is and what printing options they have available. Most printers will give you a few choices regarding paper quality and color quality.
- Choose a template from their collection, upload your logo, and add your contact information to the card. Don’t forget to include your email address, domain name, and any social media handles you have for your business. If you have a storefront, be sure to include the address so that you can increase foot traffic.
- Order your business cards. In most cases, you’ll receive your card order within seven business days of approving your final artwork. If you choose to use a local printer, you may get your cards even faster.
Put your logo on your website and social media pages
A strong online presence is critical for most small businesses. Creating a great looking website doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming if you opt to build one yourself using our DIY website builder. Our do-it-yourself website builder allows you to drag and drop text boxes, image carousels, and other elements onto a blank page. Any website you create will also be mobile-friendly and you can even optimize it for search engines. Always make sure to have your business logo on your website. Here’s how to upload your great logo design to your website:
- Log into your LogoMaker account where you will find your business logo
- Download the .PNG image file type of your logo. This file type has a transparent background, which is ideal for websites because your website might have a colored background that you want to show through your logo.
- Log into your website builder tool (you can do this through your LogoMaker account) and find the image upload tool.
- Select the .PNG image file from your computer and upload it into the website builder tool.
- Edit the homepage header widget on your business website and drag and drop your logo image file into the header space. This will allow your logo design to appear at the very top of your website, which is the ideal place to put a logo.
Creating an awesome Facebook Business page, Twitter page, or Instagram Business page where you can reach out to your customers is easier than ever. While uploading your business logo to social media profiles is generally straightforward, here are some in-depth instructions on how to do this for your Facebook Business page.
Customize t-shirts, hats, mugs, and other promotional products
You can put your logo on just about anything. Need custom pens for your conference room or reception desk? What about premium mugs for your employees? Don’t forget a custom banner for your next trade show or logo stickers to hand out to customers when they’ve made a purchase. Our list of promotional products is extensive and we’re always updating it to include more awesome stuff on which to promote your brand.
