Social media icons come in various colors and sizes and appear in various media from websites, emails, and other marketing materials. They are used practically everywhere by everyone so that your audience knows where they can connect with you. This way, you will stay connected with your audience and stay engaged with them.
While using social media icons is already a common occurrence. However, you cannot use them carelessly. That is because they are protected by copyrights. There are certain guidelines that you need to follow to make sure you don’t display social media icons that do not conform to the guidelines.
Violating these guidelines or changing the icons can cause serious consequences. Therefore, make sure you’re following these guidelines when using social media icons in your design.
Facebook
As you already know, the Facebook logo is blue and white color, however, it sometimes also varies with grey and black. If you are going to put other social media icons alongside this one, make sure that all of them are the same size and placed at an appropriate distance.
Another important thing is that you should not change the design, proportion, and color of the Facebook logo. You should also not fabricate or animate the logo. Finally, link the logo to your Facebook account.
Instagram
If you are considering adding Instagram icons, make sure you only use the brand assets that are available on the Instagram website. It is available in its usual red and white color, as well as the black and white variation.
If you want to add an Instagram icon linked to your account, you should use the glyph icon. That is because the one representing the Instagram app itself cannot be used for this purpose. When using the glyphs, make sure it is not less than 29×29 pixels and has clear space on all sides of the icon.
While you can replace the color with any solid color, you cannot alter other aspects. You will also need to pair the icon with the word “follow us on Instagram.”
Twitter
Twitter is a little bit different from other social media icons since it prefers to be used as it is without a box or circle. However, you can still add them if you want to, either in a circle, square, or square with round edges.
The icon should be in Twitter blue or white and in minimum width of 32 pixels. You shouldn’t also change the dimensions, shape, aspect ratio, and other design elements. Since it is common for a company to change icons, including Twitter, make sure you use the latest updated icons only.
Snapchat
Snapchat is another popular social media that is great for audience engagement. If you want to use it on your design, remember that the logo should be black or white. It should be at least 18 pixels with clear space outside the logo of 150% width.
The app with yellow background should not be used as a social media icon, so make sure you only use the white one which is the simplest ghost logo of Snapchat. Then, link back that logo to your Snapchat account. Remember not to modify the logo either its shape, design, color, size and so on.
Pinterest
A Pinterest icon is quite simple with its p letter on a black, red, or white circle. When you use it, remember to always link it to your Pinterest icon and add the call-to-action button. The size of the icon should be proportional to the CTA text and not highlighted separately.
Pinterest provides the black and white icon, however, black and white is the preferred use. Remember to always keep the circle shape and never change the background into other shapes.
Social media icons are useful and important for your business. It helps your audience by letting them know where to find you on social media and helps you connect with your audience on various different platforms.
Adding social media icons will increase your engagement with your audience and make you have a strong online presence. That is why you should always link the icons to your company’s account and not the homepage of the social media itself. However, remember to always follow strict guidelines to avoid possible legal consequences.
