Psychology Of Logo Design

by Jessica Kane

An effective logo design can ensure potential customers are immediately able to recognize a brand or business. 

A common mistake for many businesses is to assume that logos only play a role in the recolonization of a business, ignoring the potential role that psychology may play in the design and implementation of a logo. 

According to the Harvard Business Review, the intersection of branding and design is more important now than ever before. Well-crafted logos can play a key role in ensuring that a business is able to equate itself with a particular concept, philosophy or image.

Logos are Brand Identity

A well-designed logo can play a key role in business marketing by ensuring customers are more likely to associate a business with its reputation or identity. The right graphic, image or logo design makes it much easier to establish a more prominent and recognizable business identity as well as to ensure potential customers and future clients are more easily able to associate a company with its chosen philosophy or established reputation. 

The Apple logo is a perfect example of a logo design that immediately calls to mind sleek easy-to-use electronic devices. An effective logo can be an invaluable resource when it comes to establishing and maintaining the right brand or business identity.

Logo Shapes and Styles

Shape is of paramount importance in terms of effective logo design. The human brain is hard-wired to recognize shapes and patterns, and changing even the most minor details of a logo design can elicit a very different response or interpretation. 

Curved lines, used in either abstract images or more practical designs, tend to produce a more comforting and positive response. Straight vertical lines may suggest balance or strength while circles, particularly overlapping or interlocking circles, are often used to represent partnership or endurance.

Squares and rectangles, such as the square featured in the National Geographic logo, are typically seen as expressing respectability and endurance by creating a balance between horizontal and vertical lines. Businesses that are seeking a logo that expresses power or that may be catering to a more masculine client base would do well to create a logo that features a triangle, a shape that expresses dynamism as seen with the Adidas or Citgo logo. The shapes and style of a logo is one of the most important aspects of design.

Color Scheme and Tone

Color scheme and tone are also important aspects of logo psychology. Different colors typically produce a different emotional response or association, and selecting colors that do not fit the intended image or identity of a business can drastically reduce the effectiveness of a logo. 

A black color scheme is often ideal for suggesting mystery or sophistication while a white design may be more suitable for businesses who wish to be associated with simplicity or purity. The most effective logo designs are often those that feature only one or two colors in order to ensure a stronger emotional association.

More colorful logos can be used to elicit a variety of emotional responses. The red color scheme of the Coca-Cola logo is intended to associate the brand with energy and passion while the more stately purple scheme of the Yahoo! logo is strongly associated with royalty, wisdom or luxury. 

While choosing the right color or group of colors is very important, logos also need to work in black and white as some media channels and advertising opportunities may not be able to utilize a full color palate. Trying out many different shades of color during the design phase can help to ensure that logos are able to be as attractive as possible as well as to ensure they trigger the right cognitive and emotional associations.

Creating a Logo Better Suited to Your Brand or Business

Lacking a logo entirely or utilizing one that has been poorly designed can be a more costly oversight than many businesses might realize. Lacking a logo makes it far more difficult for customers and clients to form an emotional impression of a business and poor designs may contribute to a brand or corporate identity that is seen as less than professional. 

Determining what sort of impression or association businesses wish to elicit is often the first step in creating a new logo or assessing the effectiveness of an existing one. Selecting the right style, choosing the best shapes and images and determining the right color scheme can all help organizations to create a logo that will be better suited to their brand and identity.

Logos and Marketing Campaigns

From Fortune 500 companies to the smallest new startups, the right logo can play a critical role during any marketing strategy or advertising campaign. Logos allow businesses to provide a great deal of information regarding their identity and philosophy in a graphic format that can be quickly and readily digested and understood. 

Displaying logos on websites, emails, print advertising and even clothing can allow businesses to more easily attract the volume of new customers and clients they need to enjoy success in today's increasingly competitive marketplace.

Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in graphic design, marketing, and printing. She currently writes for 777 Sign, her go to place for banner signs, custom flags and custom signs printing.

1

How to Create Powerful Momentum by Giving Thanks

by Chris Atley

It’s been my experience that when I’m feeling grateful, I’m in a happier mood overall. I’m hopeful about the future and have a clear perspective about the present.

I like to make it a morning habit of starting off my day from this place. I run through everything I’m feeling thankful for.

Sometimes it’s as small as looking at the palm trees and feeling thankful I live in a tropical place – it does also remind me just how big of a dream come true it was for us to move here :) My “attitude of gratitude” practice really does give the day a positive kick start!

We all know what happens when you’re in a good mood. You attract and receive more to be in a good mood about. It’s the law of vibration in action. This is super important to understand in order for you to achieve the goals you want to reach. For whatever you desire in your business – i.e. more clients, increasing your income, etc. – the way to do it is already there. The problem is that you are not allowing it to come into your awareness.

What’s happening is that you’re not vibrating at a high enough vibration to accept the solution into your awareness. I’ll explain this briefly in case you are new to this concept.

It’s basically the laws of physics in action. We are all energy – apparently one person has enough energy to light up an entire city! Our thoughts and feelings create energy. Energy attracts more of the same type of energy. Therefore, positive attracts more positive, and unfortunately, negative attracts more negative. For a more scientific explanation on this, check out the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?!

Ever felt like things are flowing and going really well? It’s not a coincidence. When you are feeling good about something you are giving off a good “vibe”. You are attracting more to you that has the same energy. You are also in a state to accept more to you that has the same energy. This works the same for negative energy, and you can probably see why it’s so important to stay in good spirits. Being thankful does just that.

Of course we’re all human and have our down times. If you’re like me, you “feel” things deeply and have to take extra care in staying positive and clear of negative energy. If something happens that makes me feel “off,” I have a few things that help me change my mood.

The first is taking care of myself. I can definitely do better at this, but I can tell you when I do, my business and life flow effortlessly. I feel amazing and function at my best. By taking care of myself, I mean taking time to myself that is not work-related. Where I have a break from the regular grind – both professional and personal – and am doing something relaxing and that I love. This could be anything from getting a massage, going for a hike or as simple as reading a book. This creates a calm, peaceful and happy energy for me.

The second is asking for a shift in perspective. If I’m really reacting to something / someone, I will use this technique. It works every time. I will use this at night before I go to sleep if something is really bothering me. Lo and behold, I always wake-up feeling better and am led to something else during the day that helps me shift my perspective. The important point here is that I’ve set the intention to feel better and it always happens.

It’s important to note here that this can also mean letting go of an old belief. An old belief that is no longer serving you – like it’s hard to make money or that you have to stay stuck doing something for a living that you don’t love. These types of thoughts are negative, thus making it hard for you to notice all of the positive solutions and opportunities around you that will take you directly to achieving your goal. What beliefs do you need to let go of?

The third is to do something nice for someone. Of course this needs to be genuine and with you not looking for anything in return. It’s amazing how good it feels to give to someone else. It can be as simple as buying someone a coffee or saying thank you to a colleague. This will help you shift your energy and operate from a more positive place.

The more you can stay positive, both professionally and personally, the greater the results you will see. Amazing opportunities are all around you right now. What can you do today to step into them?

Written by Success Speaker & Coach Chris Atley, CEO of Chris Atley LLC ~ Decisions by Design. For complimentary success tips for business and life, please visit www.chrisatley.com.  

0

How I Self-Published My Audiobooks on Audible

by Deborah A Bailey

Seeing how a lot of entrepreneurs are publishing books these days, I wanted to share my experiences publishing my books as audiobooks.

My first audiobook, Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life was published in 2014.

After I published that book in 2010 I hadn’t planned on an audio version. But, after reading about the growth of audiobooks — which reached approximately 1.47 billion in 2014 – I decided to dive in.

Here are some things to keep in mind for the self-publisher:

There are other platforms for audiobooks, but I went with ACX  (Audiobook Creation Exchange) which is owned by Amazon. Using the same login/password you use to publish your books on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), you can login to ACX. Once you’re on there, you claim the books you’ve published on Amazon.

Once you claim your book, you’re guided through steps to set up your book so that you can get auditions from narrators.

Getting Started

I usually pay the voice artist up front. Those fees can run from approx. $50 per finished  hour or more, depending on the voice artist’s fee. You can indicate your budget after you claim your book and open it up for auditions. (Finished hour is exactly that. You’re paying for the hours that were recorded and completed, not for the total hours it took to create the audiobook.)

ACX automatically creates a contract that you can download. Once the voice artist accepts your offer, you’re good to go. So far I haven’t had an offer rejected, so I can’t speak to that. But it is a possibility, so keep a plan B in mind.

Usually they’ll upload an initial 15 minute recording to give you a feel for what they’ll be doing going forward. The voice artists that I’ve worked with have also produced the audiobook, so all I had to do was provide a copy of the manuscript. I gave them pronunciations of names/words (particularly ones I made up for my fiction) and shared the backstory so they’d have a context.

Recording

Listening to all of the recordings as they’re being created is, in my opinion, the best way to go. You can correct things (if necessary) and let the narrator know if they’re on the right track.

It’s easier to communicate using email (instead of ACX) and I recommend it. But when it comes to approving the recordings, indicating that you’ve paid the voice artist, etc., those things have to happen on ACX.

When you give your okay that the recordings are all as they should be, the amount due is automatically totaled (depending on the number of finished hours).

I’d rather not go through the work of recording my own books (especially after the work of writing them). So, I have no problem letting the experts do the work in this case. The only thing I have to do during the process – other than listen to the draft of the audio – is to create a new cover.

Covers

The sizing is different, and you’re not allowed to just change the dimensions of your book cover. For Audible, your cover has to be 2400 x 2400.

Four of my books are audios, and I was able to do the covers myself for two of them. But if you’re not comfortable using a graphics program, consider having a graphic designer do your cover.

You can use one of the templates ACX provides. However, they’re not exactly aesthetically pleasing, so I don’t recommend that option.

In a pinch you can use the record cover template on Canva, and design something there with a lot less stress. (Use Canva’s album cover template for starting point for the sizing, or use the custom design dimensions.)

I’ve used Gimp (a free download ) and Photoshop (not free, but you can get a subscription for as low as $9.99 per month). There are tutorial videos on YouTube and all over the web, if you’re feeling industrious.

Costs

You can find great voice artists at a lower rate, but it all depends. Rates aren’t necessarily tied to experience. I’ve used experienced voice artists who were breaking into audiobook narration, so their rates were in the $50-100 per finished hour range. (One thing to note is voice artists who are members of the SAG-AFTRA union will have a set minimum rate.)

Be aware of the approx. total hours your book will need to be completed and choose accordingly. Set your budget in advance and use that to filter voice artists who have higher fees than you desire to pay.

There are other options, for instance, splitting the royalties and having the producer/narrator take on the production costs. I haven’t gone that route, so I can’t  say if it has an advantage or not.

Getting Paid

You get paid monthly as long as the amount is at least $10. Otherwise, it gets rolled over to the next month.

Unlike ebooks and paperbacks, you don’t set the price. So making your investment back depends on the net sale price. (The royalty at ACX is currently 40%.)

If your book is added to Whispersync, most likely it will be discounted if a reader wants the ebook and audiobook combo. You’ll receive royalties based on that discounted net sale price, not on the regular retail price (the price without any discounts).

Royalties are also sliced and diced depending on whether the buyer is an Audible member and if they used credits for the purchase. (Buyers who get your book on iTunes are considered “a la carte” buyers and will pay the regular retail price.)

If someone buys your audiobook, joins Audible as a member and remains current for a specific amount of time, you’ll earn a $50 bounty.

ACX provides reports you can download and there’s a lot of online documentation. I find the customer service to be pretty responsive, as well.

Free Codes

One big plus is that once your book is published, ACX provides you with 25 codes for free audiobooks. So you can use them to gift to reviews, friends, fans, etc. You will receive royalties on the regular retail price when those books are claimed–so you do get paid for them. If you want codes for the UK store, simply contact customer service and they’ll send them.

Publishing

When all the work is done, the voice artist has acknowledged payment, ACX runs a check on the audios and cover. Then about 10-14 days later (give or take a few days) the book will be published and distributed to Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

If your book ends up in a category that you don’t want it to be in, customer service will take care of that too. Unfortunately they don’t have a science fiction romance category, so if that’s what you write, you’ll have to decide where you want your audiobooks placed.

The downside is that I changed one book, but not the other. Which means right now they’re in two different categories. Does that help or hurt? I can’t say. But when the third book in the series comes out, I’ll ensure they’re all placed in the same category.

Check out my audiobooks and listen to samples on Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Deborah+A.+Bailey

If you’ve created an audiobook and have a different experience to share, post it in the comments. Or if you have questions, those are fine too!

Update: It's estimated that as of 2016, sales totaled over $2 billion.

Copyright © 2016 Deborah A. Bailey

Deborah A. Bailey is a writer, coach, blogger and author of several non-fiction books, novels and a short story collection. She's the creator and host of Women Entrepreneurs Radio™ , a weekly podcast. For more information about Deborah and her books visit her site: http://DeborahABailey.com.

Deborah offers book coaching services for business owners who want to write books to promote their businesses. Learn more. 


This article originally appeared on the Author Deborah A Bailey blog. 

0

"Magnificent Mompreneur Mind" with Carol Soares on Women Entrepreneurs Radio™

 Show #365

Topic: "Magnificent Mompreneur Mind: The #1 Ingredient for a Spectacular Life and Thriving Business"

Carol Soares has been described as a conscious, connected, creative, and courageous Mompreneur… on a Mission.

She also remains passionate about and encourages singles to not be defined by their status but by their greatness.

Carol, affectionately known as the Magnificence Motivator, is an author, speaker, host, mind health collaborator, and business magnification expert. She is the founder of Magnificent Minded Studios. Carol is a Registered Social Worker, who has also worked for 19 years in a number of different capacities, counseling and inspiring a diverse scope of individuals.

Her present programs, she says, "Encourages people to strengthen their minds while moving beyond the internal and external expectations and limitations that often shapes experiences in the course of one's life." Carol believes that prosperity begins with a state of mind and that inner wealth is often the basis for all other possible forms of wealth. Carol is currently the author of two books.

Her new book, Purposefull Practice: How to Create and Grow Your Purpose-Driven Practice (purposefullpractice.com), guides helping professionals to build a practice that allows them to live their vision, serve more and enjoy the income that they deserve. Carol inspires practitioners to enrich their minds, shift perspectives, and implement essential strategies that will clarify their purpose, leverage time, support lifestyles, and result in greater success. She hosts a weekly podcast on iTunes, a web TV show, and publishes an online magazine. Carol can be found at MagnificentMinded.com.


Listen on Libsyn:
http://womenentrepreneursradio.libsyn.com/magnificent-mompreneur-mind-with-carol-soares-on-women-entrepreneurs-radio

Subscribe to Women Entrepreneurs Radio™  on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/women-entrepreneurs-radio/id939410730?mt=2

0

"Giving Up Control So You can Get What You Really Want" on the Embraced by the Divine Podcast

Hi there!

Listen to my guest spot on the Embraced by the Divine podcast to discover how you can give up control in order to achieve what you desire in your business and life.

 Embraced by the Divine is hosted by Michelle Mayur: #1 Bestselling Author; Healer; Speaker.

Check it out using the following links:


Blog: http://embracedbythedivine.com/ebtd-013-giving-up-control/



Michelle Mayur is a #1 Bestselling Author (4 categories on Amazon) - Healer - International Speaker. 

She's the author of  Embraced by the Divine - The Emerging Woman's Gateway to Power, Passion and Purpose.  www.EmbracedByTheDivine.com

0

Book Review: Recipe for Success: An Insider's Guide to Bringing Your Natural Food to Market by Abigail Steinberg

Recipe for Success: An Insider's Guide to Bringing Your Natural Food to Market by Abigail Steinberg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever thought you had the perfect food product to bring to market? Dreaming of your product on the shelves of Whole Foods or Trader Joe's? Well before you take one step, read this book. "Recipe for Success: An Insider's Guide to Bringing Your Natural Food to Market" by Abigail Steinberg is characterized as,"a shelf-help book." And it certainly covers all the questions you might have if you're thinking of getting your product out there.

Steinberg starts out with "bringing your food to market" and introduces her example, Michael's Perfect Pickles as a way of showing you what is needed. She's a senior executive in the natural foods industry and she's also offered her expertise to companies. So, she's the perfect person to give you the real deal on what to do for the product launch and beyond.

The book covers topics such as, owning your retail shelf space, partnering with distributors, FDA approvals, what you need to know about brokers and how to manage trade shows. She wraps up with information on whether you should sell once you get to a certain point, or expand. As she states in the conclusion, her desire is for you to learn from her hard-won experience. She says, "the natural foods industry is important because it can change the way we eat, clean and consume for the better."

Creating a product can be an important game-changer, but in order to make sure of its success, you have to understand how the system works.

If you're an entrepreneur with a strong desire and a great new product, make sure you add Abigail Steinberg's book to your library. The more you know, the more you can ensure your success in the marketplace. (Received a review copy.) Reviewed by Deborah A Bailey.

Amazon link: Recipe for Success: An Insider's Guide to Bringing Your Natural Food to Market

0

“How to Use Educational Marketing to Promote Your Business" with Kerry Heaps on Women Entrepreneurs Radio™

Topic: Educational Marketing


Show #361


What are the top three things people need to know when creating an educational marketing product?  What are some common mistakes people make when using these as marketing tools?

Looking to create a class or information product to promote your business?

 Find out how to do it right in this discussion with Deborah and co-host Kerry Heaps.

Kerry Heaps is the Founder and President of Kerry's Network, Inc., a membership-based organization that provides exposure for business owners with access to the media and association directories.

She's also the publisher of Strictly Marketing Magazine and the host of Strictly Marketing Talk Radio.

Kerry has an extensive background in Sales, Networking, Recruiting, and Training. Her marketing development book, Marketing Ideas that Make Sen$e covers networking, cold calling, establishing yourself as an expert, creating your own media, marketing ideas and sample scripts.
http://www.strictlymarketingmagazine.com


Listen on Libsyn
http://womenentrepreneursradio.libsyn.com/how-to-use-educational-marketing-with-kerry-heaps

0

International Women's Day 2016

International Women's Day, March 8, 2016

Theme: #PledgeForParity


International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed since in the early 1900's - a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. International Women's Day is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity.

No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. Many organizations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others.

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights," says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. International Women's Day is all about celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action - whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women's Day has been occurring for over a century - and is growing annually from strength to strength. http://www.internationalwomensday.com/


Source: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/About

How to support International Women's Day http://www.internationalwomensday.com/PledgeForParityCampaign

Follow International Women's Day on Twitter: @Womensday

0

Sue Reninger, Managing Partner at RMD Advertising on Women Entrepreneurs Radio™

Show #366

Topic: "Secrets of Success & Advice for Growing Entrepreneurs"

Sue Reninger, Managing Partner - Brand Strategy, RMD Advertising

Since starting RMD in 1992, Sue has been responsible for the complete strategy and direction of RMD's Columbus-based flagship office.

Sue knows what it takes to successfully market and grow an emerging food business. As Managing Partner of RMD, she works with clients such as Rudolph Foods brands, Bil-Jac Dog Food, Little Caesars Fundraising Kits and Panera Bread to develop new strategies for their businesses and distinctive brands. Her talent as a manager and leader has given rise to RMD's employee focused culture, which has at its core a creative and engaging environment.

Sue is the past President of the American Marketing Association, where during her tenure as President earned the prestigious honor of being named the International Chapter of the Year. She is a past Advisory Board member of the International AMA's Chapter Council, Commuities In Schools and the Hunger Food Alliance. Today, Sue is a member of the Board of Directors of Central Ohio's Alzheimer's Association.

She has been honored with the presigous NAWBO Visionary Award and Marketer of the Year from the American Marketing Association. She has been asked to judge numerous marketing competitions, including the AMA's New York City, Connecticut and Atlanta chapters. A Detroit native, Sue has a bachelor's degree in Advertising from Western Michigan University. www.RMDAdvertising.com


Listen on Libsyn:
http://womenentrepreneursradio.libsyn.com/sue-reninger-managing-partner-at-rmd-advertising-on-women-entrepreneurs-radio

Subscribe to Women Entrepreneurs Radio™  on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/women-entrepreneurs-radio/id939410730?mt=2

0