7 Ways To Use Your Brand Logo Effectively

Logos are the starting point of effective branding. That might sound like a generalization, or maybe even an oversimplification, but it’s true. What do you think of when you think of branding? Likely, the first thing that pops into mind is the brand’s logo!

There’s a reason for this. Logos are the visuals most commonly associated with a brand. So if you’re thinking about how, for instance, a Big Mac sounds good right about now, you’re not necessarily picturing the inside of a McDonalds, or even the burger itself — you’re picturing the golden arches.

Logos are so pervasive, they’re basically shorthand for the brand itself.

Of course, just because you have a logo doesn’t mean that you’re getting the most bang for your buck out of it. Plastering your logo everywhere is much less effective than using it in carefully considered ways.

Let’s go over seven ways that you can increase your logo’s effectiveness.

Design Variants

One of the most frequently recommended factors for effective logo design is the creation of variants.

Basically, you’ll have a logo that you use most commonly, across a wide variety of platforms. But that logo won’t necessarily work for every occasion. That’s when it’s time to employ one of the variants.

Logo variants can include adaptations and forms with changes in everything from sizing to shape to color palette. You can use your original logo and build variants easily with logo design software and tools.

Here are a few suggested logo design variants:

• Horizontal
• Vertical
• Combination mark, using both your brand name and an icon or visual together
• Black and white or grayscale
• Color pop, with only one other color, apart from grayscale

It sounds like a nice stable to have, but what’s the purpose of all these different logos? Put simply, it’s because spreading one single logo everywhere, across the board, won’t work. Your marketing, website, social media, and etc., all have different requirements and needs in terms of sizing, color, and so on. Forming variants for different needs gives you a ready file to draw from and upload, rather than needing to adapt on the go.

Include It In Emails

Do you send email blasts out to your customer lists? What about follow-up emails and customer outreach? How about invoices and receipts?

If you haven’t branded these items with your logo, you’re missing out on an opportunity.

It’s especially effective to include your brand identity on customer outreach emails, invoices, and receipts. These are more likely to be opened and viewed than simple email blasts and other marketing tricks. And reiterating your logo through each piece of customer contact is an important way to build familiarity and positive associations with your branding.

Use It On Free Gifts

Another way to boost positive associations around your brand is to include your logo on giveaways. Everyone likes to get something for free, and hosting giveaways, including bonus materials and downloadables, and just highlighting customer appreciation are time-honored ways to make your clients feel all warm and fuzzy about your brand.

You want that warm fuzzy feeling to be directly associated with the brand, so including your logo on free items is a clear solution.

This includes everything from virtual downloads to physical content, so play around with logo placement to make sure that it works for each individual item.

Include It In Your Web Design

Good web design includes solid use of visuals. And good branding includes solid use of your logo. Put the two together, and you have web design that uses your logo as a focal point.

Typically, using the logo in the top left corner of each web page is viewed as the best way to guarantee brand recall. It’s gotten to the point where consumers now expect to see the logo in that position. And they also usually expect that it is clickable, and will return them to the main page when clicked. Including these factors in your web design boosts familiarity even for new customers, further enhancing your branding efforts.

Always Use It In Marketing Materials

Well, here’s a tip that might seem like a no-brainer: don’t miss an opportunity to use your logo in marketing materials.

But we don’t just mean marketing materials like advertisements and flyers. We also mean promotionals items, like pens and business cards. Believe it or not, physical items are often devoid of business logos, perhaps because brands miss out on the opportunities that logo variants provide, as mentioned above.

If you have those variants in place, however, you can easily include your logo on any piece of promotional or marketing material you produce.

Include Your Logo In Product Packaging

What’s the point of logos on product packaging? After all, if your consumer has purchased your product, then branding has served its purpose, right?

Nope! Smart packaging can still pack a punch. We tend to notice if things are over-packaged, and we also appreciate it when packaging is appropriate, well-designed, and visually appealing. So if your packaging meets those requirements, including a variant of your logo will further boost your consumer’s good opinion of your brand overall.

Keep It Visible

How often do you use your logo when you post new content on the company blog or social media accounts? New posts are opportunities to include your logo which are easily overlooked.

You might think that, because new content needs to be posted at least several times a week, if not several times a day, the content might become over saturated with the logo. And it’s true, just spamming your logo can actually decrease awareness because your audience just starts overlooking it.

One way around that is by including, again, a variant of your logo in your content. This could be a “sign-off” at the end of each blog entry or using your logo as your profile picture on social media. It doesn’t mean that your logo should be in every Instagram post you make, but it does mean that it should make a regular appearance.

You put a lot of thought and time into your logo design. By using it in effective ways, and not neglecting its use in your social media and website design, your logo will reward your efforts by becoming a truly memorable piece of branding.