Logo vs Branding: What Does a Small Business Actually Need?
One of the questions I get asked the most is “do I really need branding, or will a logo do?” It’s a fair question, especially when you’re launching something new and every penny counts, so here’s how I explain the difference.
What a logo is
Your logo is the mark that tells people who you are. It’s the bit on your sign, your Instagram profile picture and the top of your website. It’s really important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
On its own, a logo doesn’t tell you which colours to use, which fonts go with it or how your posts should look. And it definitely doesn’t help when you need it to squeeze into a tiny circle on Instagram!
What branding is
Branding is everything that makes people recognise your business. So it’s a whole system really, and wherever someone comes across you, whether it’s social media, on the side of a van or on a billboard, that’s your branding, and it can be seen by anyone, anywhere, at any time. So it’s important. Your branding includes your logo, but it isn’t just your logo, it’s also different versions of it for different spaces, and it’s your colour palette, your fonts, any patterns or illustrations, how your photos should feel and the guidelines that hold it all together. It’s a lot!
When I did the branding for Remote Room Therapy, for example, Kelly didn’t just get one logo. She got a main logo, a round badge, a wordmark with a little butterfly tucked into the “o”, and a tiny submark that still works as a favicon (the little icon in your browser tab). Each one has its own job, but they all look like they belong together.
When it’s done well, someone could see one of your posts without your name on it and still know it’s yours. I always think of it like a jigsaw. Your logo is only one tiny piece of the jigsaw, and your branding system is the picture on the front of the box that shows how all the pieces fit together.
Why does it matter for wellness and beauty businesses?
If you run a clinic, a therapy practice, a salon or a holistic space, people are trusting you with something personal, and they decide pretty quickly whether you feel trustworthy. A consistent brand helps build that trust every time they see you, whether that’s on Instagram, your website or a card you handed them at an event.
But if the colours, fonts and tone are different every time, it can make even a brilliant practitioner look less established than they really are, and that’s such a shame when they’re amazing at what they do. I’ve met and seen some amazing small business owners from being in the wellness scene for the last decade, and so many of them had DIY branding that didn’t do them justice.
So which do you need?
If you only need a logo for a one-off event or a hobby, a logo on its own is probably fine. But if you’re running a business you want to grow, you’ll almost always need more than one version of your logo, a set colour palette and some guidance on how to use it all, and at that point you’re into branding, whether you call it that or not!
That’s why even my smallest package, Brand Essentials, includes a logo suite, a colour palette, a font pairing and a short style guide, rather than just one logo file. For me, that’s the minimum a small business needs to look consistent. If you’d like to know more about what each package costs and includes, I’ve written a whole post on how much branding costs for a small business.
Check out my branding portfolio!
Have a look at the client projects on my Branding page, where you can see how each logo carries through onto business cards, merch, signage and social graphics. And if you’re still not sure what you need, get in touch or book a free brand audit and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Amie x
