Broadly speaking, there are two categories of logos that you can choose for your brand: symbols and wordmarks. Symbol logos, like the Apple logo or Twitter's blue bird, are pictorial. Wordmarks, on the other hand, are typographic and focused on the company's name—think Coca Cola or Google. Both can work well in different applications, but for most small businesses, wordmarks have the edge. Here are three reasons why you should choose one for your brand when hiring a graphic designer:

Customers Will Remember Your Name

Without a doubt, the biggest benefit of using a wordmark for a small business is the memorability factor. When you're just starting out and putting all your resources into targeting customers, the last thing you want is for them to forget your business' name the second they're out of your hands. Unfortunately, this is often the case when small brands use symbol logos. Customers remember the pictographic element, but their minds never focus enough on the name to recall it later. When you brand name is your logo, you can ensure that it's the main thing that sticks in customers' minds, helping you retain business at that crucial first hurdle.

They're Often Cheaper

Another good reason to opt for a wordmark when you're just starting out is that they usually carry cheaper graphic design costs than symbols. With a symbol, your designer needs to work from scratch to create a strong and memorable image. This can take countless hours, driving the fees up. Wordmarks for small businesses, on the other hand, almost always start with a premade font as the base, adding different colours and tweaks to make them unique. This takes far less time than designing from scratch, making wordmarks the cheaper option in most cases.

You're More Likely to Get Something Unique

If you want to be successful in your industry, it's crucial that your brand is distinct. If you don't differentiate yourself from the competition, you give customers no reason to remember you or choose you over another business in your market. Getting a unique symbol logo can be tricky because many of them adhere to stereotypes and common associations. If you're opening an ice cream shop, for example, an ice cream symbol makes sense as a logo—but that's exactly what every other ice cream shop in your area has too. With a wordmark, as long as your business name is unique, your logo will be too. This can set you apart from all the businesses that seem to be doing the same thing.

For more information, reach out to a graphic design company in your area today.