Having a professionally designed logo is the starting point. Using it consistently is what turns it into a recognisable brand. Many small businesses get a great logo and then apply it inconsistently — the wrong version on their website, a stretched version on their van, a different colour on their social media.
Here's how to make sure your logo works as hard as it should across every touchpoint.
Use your brand guidelines as the reference
When NC Digital delivers your completed logo, you receive brand guidelines alongside the files. This document specifies:
- Which logo versions to use in which contexts (full colour, white, black)
- Your exact brand colours in hex, RGB, and CMYK codes
- Your brand fonts and how to use them
- Minimum logo sizes and clear space requirements
Before sharing your logo with anyone — a printer, a sign maker, a web designer — share these guidelines too. They're what ensures consistency when you're not in the room.
Your website
Your logo should appear in the navigation, the footer, and any favicon. Make sure you're using the correct version: usually the full-colour version on a dark background if your site has a dark header, or a version with transparent background so it doesn't have a white box around it.
If your website was built or is being managed by NC Digital, we apply your brand assets correctly from day one — logo, colours, and fonts all consistent with your brand guidelines. See our web design service or Managed Starter Website for more.
Social media profiles
Your logo should be your profile picture across all business social media accounts — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile. Use the icon version (if your logo has one) for profile pictures, as square formats don't always suit a full horizontal logo.
Your cover images and post templates should use your brand colours and fonts — not whatever the platform defaults to.
Email signatures and professional email
Your email signature should include your logo (a small, web-optimised PNG works well), your brand colours in the signature text if possible, and a link to your website. If you're still using a Gmail or Hotmail address, this is a good time to switch to a branded address — our Professional Mailboxes & Email Setup service gets you set up with Microsoft 365 from £8/month per user.
Print materials and signage
For business cards, flyers, and signage, always provide your designer or printer with the vector versions of your logo — SVG or PDF. Never send a JPEG or PNG for large-format print; it will pixelate.
Give your printer your exact brand colour codes (CMYK for print). Colour appears differently on screen than in print, and without the correct codes, your brand blue can print as a noticeably different shade.
The rule of consistency
Every time someone sees your logo in a different colour, stretched out of proportion, or in a low-quality version, it subtly undermines the credibility of your brand. Consistency, repeated over time, is what builds the recognition and trust that a strong brand creates.
If you haven't got your logo yet and want to get everything set up properly from the start, get in touch and we'll talk through what your business needs.