Did you know the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it does text? (Why I’m still wasting my time writing this post, instead of drawing it out, I’m not sure.)

Logos are incredibly powerful for your brand: the best ones are instantly recognizable, regardless of context. In the long run, logos save you time and effort that would otherwise be wasted on extraneous branding and marketing efforts.

But here’s something you may not know: You need to have different dimensions, and different versions, of your logo to pack the most punch… or get the biggest bang for your buck… (or any other metaphor you can fill in there).

A one-file logo holds you back. As a small-business owner, it’s doubly important to optimize on marketing strategies to get your name out there. The M from McDonald’s doesn’t need any more help. You do.

Here’s four versions your logo should have, and why:

1. Horizontal/Wide version = Website Headers OR Facebook/YouTube cover photos
2. Small/Compact/Square version = Social Media usually has square or circle profile pictures; this is great for apparel, too
3. Abbreviated version (i.e. Initials) = You could also use this for profile pictures if the brand name is long, but in general it’s great to have a tiny version of your logo to put on the corner of pictures/posts, or simply to spice things up!
4. Black & White version = For “swag” (pens, clothing, stuffed animals… anything that might not be able to take a color version); to turn into an actual stamp, or to put on top of photographs

Ultimately, you’re limiting yourself unnecessarily by sticking to one logo dimension. By changing the versions and dimensions of your logo, you’re expanding your market reach and becoming more recognizable and established. Especially in today’s world, when social media requires different dimensions for cover art and profile pictures, it’s imperative to have the flexibility of different logo dimensions. If your response to that is, “But I’m not on social media,” can I just add, as a side-note, that social media increases your potential customer reach by hundreds, if not thousands… (okay, sorry, a topic for another day…).

Simply put, versatility with your logo allows you to make your mark (another metaphor!) in more places.

Plus, I can guarantee that at some point, you’ll want to put your logo on something and it won’t look right; my advice is, save time and money by getting different sizes and versions in the beginning, so you don’t have to run back to your designer and spend more money when your logo looks oddly distorted on that t-shirt you just ordered.

Need help? We got you! We’ll design your logo with practical usage in mind, so that you can use your logo whenever, and however, you want.