Is It Good or Bad to Add Your Logo to Social Media Posts?

Have you ever been told that adding a logo to your social media graphics is okay?

While some believe a logo can hurt your reach by making the post feel promotional, others say it reinforces brand recognition. In this blog I’m going to share my experience over the past years, some ways to incorporate your logo more naturally and how to come to your own conclusion.

In my experience, posts without a brand logo, especially inspirational quotes, tend to get shared more often. Why? I would say it feels more personal and less promotional. However, that doesn’t mean the same results will apply to your brand. The truth? It all depends on your audience, platform, and content strategy.

Most brands don’t recognize that if their logo is their social media profile image and someone shares one of their post, their logo is shared too. That’s right, when someone shares your post, even if the graphic doesn’t have a watermark, your brand’s logo is still visible at the top left of the shared post. This placement provides a more subtle form of brand recognition without the need for a logo on every graphic. (see example)

Incorporating Your Brand More Naturally

As a marketer I understand how wrong it may feel to NOT add your logo to every image, but if it makes your post feel promotional you risk that post not being as effective. If only having your profile’s avatar as the logo (as shown above) doesn’t tickle your fancy then consider incorporating your brand’s identity in a more natural way? Imagine a live stream where you’re sipping coffee from a mug that has your brand’s logo on it, Reel remix with you wearing a t-shirt with a message tied to your mission. It’s a more personal and natural approach.

What Others Are Saying About Logos

There are different thoughts on this topic. Barnimages says “the dos and don’ts of adding a logo to social media graphics are not set in stone. As with any marketing strategy, it’s essential to experiment and determine what works best for your brand.” Tailor Brands states, “If you want to strengthen your presence on social media—whether on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube—including your logo allows your brand to spread further across the web.” But be sure to take a glance at the example they’re showing too. Looks like they’re leaning more towards utilizing your profile’s avatar and name vs slapping a logo on every image you post on social media.👇

There are moments when including your logo might makes more sense. Like promoting and event, educational content, or a product launch. I’m sure there are other scenarios that will come to me later but for the most part I would suggest sticking to the more natural approach.

Experiment & Come To Your Own Conclusion

The best way to decide if you should add your logo is to experiment yourself. See what clicks with your brand! Social media and user habits are always changing, and it really depends on your audience. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Below are some ways to determine what works best with your audience:

1. Test Posts with and without Logos: Try sharing a mix of content—some with your logo and some without—and keep an eye on the engagement, reach, and shares for each.
2. Incorporate Your Logo Naturally: Look for fun ways to weave your brand into the visuals. Swag like coffee mugs or t-shirts can give your brand a personal touch, without needing a watermark on every post.
3. Use Insights to Adjust: Dig into your analytics to find out which posts click with your audience. Tweak your strategy based on what you discover.
4. Consider the Content’s Purpose: Use your logo on posts when you need brand recognition, but for more personal and engaging content, think about skipping it.

Keep Experimenting

There’s no definitive answer to whether including a logo on your social media posts will affect your reach. The key is to avoid getting stuck in one way of doing things. Social media and digital marketing is constantly changing. Why wouldn’t we expect the approach to change too? What works for one brand may not work for another. Take what you’ve learned, experiment, adjust accordingly, and remain flexible and open to new strategies.

Let’s set up a discovery call if you want to chat about your current marketing strategy and how we can help you approach these platforms more effectively.