There are sites like Fiverr and Looka where you can get your branding for offensively low prices.
I get it, you’re starting out and money is tight. I’ve been there.
Now, you get what you pay for in terms of quality, obviously. However, even if you accept that compromise, there are a few other pitfalls that you might want to consider that might not be obvious out the gate.
First of all, never go through Fiverr or Looka. Just don’t.
You can get a cheap, but half-decent logo for $300-400 if you roll the dice with a third party site like 99designs.comĀ (this is what I did with Immersion, it’s true). Sometimes I even point thriftier startups in this direction. What I do for some clients is just book a few (3-5) hours to help them with the setup and creative direction, and then we build a ācontestā and guide the entries towards what you want.
Holden’s first stab at the Immersion logo when he was 7. Kid’s got promise.
4 Pitfalls of Being A Cheap Ass
1. You might end up with a logo thatās already out there.Ā
That’s a big expense and a potential lawsuit down the road. You can’t count on dudes churning out logos for contests overseas to put in the any degree of due diligence.
2. You are playing designer vs. having a professional designer do the job.
Sure, you can represent yourself in court, or you can remove your own appendix, but is it really a good idea?
3. Buy cheap. Buy twice.Ā
Chances are you’re going to want a better logo, website, and overall branding down the road. So the money you are saving in the beginning just gets tacked onto the expense at the end. Rich people buy better boots and they save money in the long run (it’s an interesting read). Your brand is your boots, so you better make sure it fits right.
4. You’re wasting your equity.
I liked my logo, but when I ask professional designers what they think of it, I get a lot of eye rolls! I probably should have done it right the first time, being an ad agency and all, but you live and learn. We are remaking it now for my new website launch (2021 Year of the Phoenix Holla!). Reprinting everything (especially metal business cards at $5 a pop) can be expensive. Not to mention all the signs, stationery, pens, mugs, collateral, and all the wasted years building equity in brand that’s no more. So take that for what you will.
I’m theĀ Ghost of Advertising Yet To Come, do not make the same mistakes as me, Ebenezer, for it is not too late.
