There are over 130,000 accounting firms in the United States.

While this is wonderful news for those who are looking to get into the accounting industry, it means that current accounting firms have more competition than ever before.

Accounting firms in the United States have already had to make changes to keep pace with the ever-evolving accounting industry. Additionally, digital marketing for accounting firms is more popular than ever.

Having an SEO strategy, a great website and even social media presence are crucial. And with more avenues than ever to advertise your firm’s services, it’s easy for your brand message to get muddled.

It’s also harder to set yourself apart.

While some firms sink huge percentages of their marketing budget betting on high-risk and ultimately ineffective strategies, others are focusing on strengthening what is arguably the foundation of branding:

An accounting firm logo.

But if it’s been a while since you upgraded your accounting firm logo, or are curious about what your firm’s logo may say about you as an individual CPA, you need to read this article.

In it, you will learn the kinds of messages that different accounting firm logo designs send to both current and potential customers.

Is Your Accounting Firm Logo Stressing Out Your Clients?

As tax deadlines approach, more and more Americans start to feel anxious, angry, and of course financially strained.

They’re desperate to find an accounting firm that has the ability to get their tax bill lowered, and to get them a higher tax refund.

Your firm may do this for businesses or individuals through the use of professional tax software not available to the average citizen. It may also rely on your employees’ comprehensive knowledge of tax law and years of experience.

Whatever the specific strengths of your firm and your accountants, you need to ensure that your logo puts the stressed-out minds of taxpayers at ease.

But if your logo is filled with reds or bright oranges, you could be sending the wrong message.

Red tones will call to mind unpaid bills, missed payment deadlines, and other financial negatives. It’s called “in the red” for a reason, after all!

Orange, while it may work for other industries, will similarly stress out your target market. While any overly-bright color will certainly be attention-getting, it will be for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, we suggest that you opt for more soothing, calming tones. Colors that project an air of confidence, collectedness, and above all, serenity.

The colors you include on your accounting firm logo need to say, “Relax. Let us handle this for you.”

To accomplish this, include soft blues, pastel colors, and even lighter greens.

Is Your Accounting Firm Logo Sending An Unprofessional Message?

Let’s set a quick scene: you’re driving along the interstate, and you see a billboard advertising services for a funeral home. The advertisement looks great, but then you spot the funeral home’s logo in the bottom of the billboard.

It’s of two men, grinning and giving a thumbs-up in front of a drawing of a coffin.

OK, so most poorly-thought-out logos (hopefully) won’t be that extreme.

But if you elect to include any imagery on your logo, you do need to work to ensure that it speaks to the professionalism of your firm and the services it offers.

Avoid anything overly cartoony, and even consider avoiding including people at all. Remember that people have been trained to connect certain images to specific industries and services.

While you want to avoid relying on cliched images (we’ve seen enough mountains in CPA logos to last us a lifetime) there are certain pictures that just make sense.

Natural images always seem to do the trick, as does art that works within the letters of your firm’s name. If you’re going for shapes, circles and triangles call to mind financial cycles and divisions of assets.

Avoid dollar signs and depictions of money. This just makes you look like a sketchy check-cashing business that you don’t want to go to after it gets dark.

When In Doubt, Keep Your Accounting Firm Logo Simple

As tempting as it can be in the “hipster” and “social media age” to go for something cute and unexpected, most people don’t want to see “risk-taking trendsetter” and “accounting firm” in the same sentence.

Projecting a crisp, clean, and yes, minimalistic logo for your accounting firm still allows for a certain degree of creativity.

Yet, it’s not so distracting that it muddles the message of your firm, or causes potential clients to doubt your abilities.

Don’t be afraid to include lots of negative space (AKA blank space) in your design. There’s nothing wrong with writing your name in black and blue lettering.

To add a more unique touch, have a typography professional create a font just for your firm.

Plus, having a simpler logo means that it will also be much easier to resize. Your logo will go on lots of different correspondence: your email signature, your business cards, your letterhead.

However, it will also go on your website, your Twitter and other social media accounts, and maybe even the sides of your building.

A clean, simple logo ensures that it will look great no matter where it’s placed.

Ready To Create The Perfect Logo?

Thanks to this post, you’re now much more aware of what will and what won’t work when it comes to creating the perfect accounting firm logo for your brand.

You’re also more in tune with what your current logo might be saying to consumers — so you can know whether or not it’s consistent with the overall message of your firm.

But don’t just settle on the first idea that comes to mind. Just like in finding solutions for tricky tax situations, the first answer is usually never the most effective one.

That’s why we suggest using our free online logo maker tool to help you test out a variety of different designs before you make a commitment to one.

Never underestimate the importance of your logo. To learn more about how to incorporate it into your overall marketing plan, spend some time on our website and blog.