No website is complete without social media icons. And present everything from email signatures and business cards to posters and video spots benefit from a niggling "iconography."

But before slapping icons on every asset your company owns, there are a few things to consider—including legalese. Despite the ubiquity of icons in all shapes, colors and sizes online, social media icons are registered trademarks. They are protected by copyright and enforceable brand guidelines.

social media icons
Image via Fancycrave under CC0

We've assembled download links for all the major social network icons, as well equally best practice guidelines that volition go on your icon use on the level. And we'll assist you steer clear of design blunders with tips on how to tailor icon utilise for each medium.

Bonus: Read the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

Where to source social media icons

Facebook

Download the total suite of icons.

Key brand guidelines:

  • Simply use the icon in Facebook bluish or reversed white and blueish. Revert to black and white if facing color limitations. Blue, grey, white and black versions are bachelor for download.
  • The Facebook icon should ever appear in a rounded square-shaped container.
  • Make sure the icon is reproduced in a legible size. It should exist at equal size to all other icons.
  • Do non breathing or correspond the logo in the form of physical objects.
  • Download icons according to your medium. Facebook variations of its icon spec'd for online, print, and TV and motion-picture show.

Icons for online use (.png)

Twitter

Download the full suite of icons.

Key brand guidelines:

  • But apply the icon in Twitter blue or white. When limitations with print coloring apply, Twitter will let the logo to exist displayed in blackness.
  • Twitter prefers its icon to be represented free of container, simply offers square, rounded square, and circular containers if they improve conform your needs.
  • If using the logo over an paradigm, always use the white version.
  • Do non animate the logo, and do not embellish or accessorize it with word bubbles, or other creatures.
  • Clear space around the logo should exist at least 150% of the width of the icon.
  • Icons should have a minimum width of 32 pixels.

Icons for online use (.png)

Instagram

Download the full suite of icons.

Key brand guidelines:

  • Only the icons found in the Assets section of Instagram'due south brand resource site may be used to correspond Instagram. These icons are bachelor in colour and black and white.
  • Instagram icons should be represented without container. Square, circumvolve, rounded-square, and other container shapes are not available.
  • Don't incorporate the icon with your company proper noun, trademark, or other language or symbol.
  • When using the icon for broadcast, radio, out-of-home advertisement or print larger than 8.v 10 11 inches, you need to request permission and include a mock-up of how you lot your intended utilize.
  • Instagram content shouldn't incorporate more than 50% of your design, or more than 50% of the total duration of your content.

Icons for online utilise (.png)

LinkedIn

Download the full suite of icons.

Fundamental make guidelines:

  • LinkedIn prefers its blue and white icon to be displayed on a white groundwork. The icon should e'er be displayed in colour online. When not possible, use the reverse white and bluish or blackness and white icon.
  • Use the solid white icon on dark-colored backgrounds or photos, and the solid blackness icon light-colored backgrounds or photos, or in ane-colour print applications. Make sure the "in" is transparent.
  • The LinkedIn icon should never be a circumvolve, a square, a triangle, trapezoid, or any shape other than a rounded foursquare.
  • LinkedIn icons are typically used at two sizes online: 24 pixels and 36 pixels. The minimum size is 21 pixels online, or 0.25 inches (6.35mm) in print. Icons sized for impress or larger use should reference the 36-unit of measurement grid constitute hither.
  • Icon premises should be approximately fifty% of the size of the container. The minimum clear space requirement specifies that padding the size of two LinkedIn "i'south" be used effectually the icon.
  • Employ in tv set, motion picture, or other video productions requires a request for permission.
  • If using telephone call-to-actions such as "Follow us," "Bring together our grouping," or "View my LinkedIn Profile," in conjunction with the icon, use a unlike font and color—preferably black.

Icons for online employ (.png)

Pinterest

Download the icons.

Primal brand guidelines:

  • Pinterest's "P" icon should always exist displayed in Pinterest Cherry-red, in print or on screen and unaltered in any fashion.
  • To utilize Pinterest in video, television or picture, companies need to submit a written request to their partner manager at Pinterest.
  • Ever include a phone call-to-action after showing the Pinterest icon. Make sure the icon size is proportionate to the telephone call-to-action text.
  • Acceptable call-to-action phrases include: Popular on Pinterest, Observe us on Pinterest, Follow the states on Pinterest, Visit us, Find more ideas on Pinterest, Get inspired on Pinterest. Do non use the phrases Trending on Pinterest or Trending Pins.
  • Always display or hyperlink your Pinterest URL when using the icon.

Icons for online utilize (.png)

YouTube

Download the total suite of icons.

Key brand guidelines:

  • The YouTube icon is available in YouTube red, monochromatic about-black, and white monochrome.
  • If a background does not work with the YouTube carmine icon, or colour tin can't be used for technical reasons, go monochrome. The almost-black icon should exist used for light multi-colored images. The white icon should exist used on dark multi-colored images with a transparent play-button triangle.
  • YouTube icons should be a minimum of 24 dp in height online and 0.125 inches (3.1mm) in print.
  • The clear infinite requirement for the YouTube icon should exist one-half of the icon's width.
  • The YouTube icon tin can but be used when it links to a YouTube aqueduct.

Icons for online utilise (.png)

Snapchat

Download the total suite of icons.

Central brand guidelines:

  • Only prove the Snapchat icon in black, white and yellow.
  • Don't surround the logo with other characters or creatures.
  • The minimum size if the Ghost icon is 18 pixels online and .25 inches in print.
  • The icon is bachelor without container in black in white, or with a yellow rounded foursquare.
  • Articulate infinite around the logo should be at least 150% of the width of the logo. In other words, padding should be the same size as one-half of the Ghost.

Icons for online use (.png)

WhatsApp

Download the full suite of icons.

Central make guidelines:

  • Just testify the WhatsApp icon in light-green, white (on dark-green backgrounds), and black and white (in materials that are primarily blackness and white).
  • Make sure to spell WhatsApp equally a unmarried word with proper capitalization
  • Only utilise the green square icon when referencing the iOS app.

Icons for online utilize (.png)

What are social media icons and why should y'all use them?

Add social media icons to your website, business organization cards, and other digital and physical marketing materials to grow your social media post-obit and connect with customers on different channels.

Non to be confused with share buttons or wordmarks, social media icons are shorthand symbols that link to your visitor profile on different networks (or, in the case of print materials, merely let people know that your business organisation is on those networks).

Most often, social media icons use the first-letter or symbol logo of the social media company. Think Facebook F, Twitter bird, or Instagram camera.

Some logos are available in "containers." Containers are shapes enclosing the letter of the alphabet or symbol. Very oftentimes the icons are coloured with the company's official hues, but they are sometimes too available in monochrome.

Thank you to their widespread use by businesses, most customers expect companies to have icon links on their websites and are savvy enough to know where to look for them. Neat and compatible in style, icons are a tidy alternative to annoying "follow me" popular-ups.

How to use social media icons in your marketing materials (legally)

Whether online or offline, social media icons can provide a link to your company'southward social channels. Here are a few tips and tricks for using them effectively on different mediums.

Websites

Often brands will identify social media icons in the header and/or footer of their website. Merely they can likewise exist placed on a floating left or right sidebar for greater prominence.

As a general dominion, icons placed above the fold accept a better chance of being seen.

social media icons
Image via Lenny.com homepage

Emails and newsletters

Having social media icons in your electronic mail signature or newsletters offers additional means to connect with recipients. If networking is of import and your company permits, y'all can also add a public contour LinkedIn badge.

Follow these steps to add together icons to your electronic mail signature:

Outlook signature

ane. In Outlook, from the Habitation tab, select New Electronic mail.
2. On the Bulletin tab, in the Include group, select Signature, then Signatures.
3. From the Due east-mail Signature tab, in the Edit signature box, select the signature y'all want to edit.
four. In the Edit signature text box, add together a new line beneath the current signature.
v. Cull Picture, and so go to the binder where you downloaded icons, and select the icon yous'd similar to include.
vi. Highlight the image and select Insert so Hyperlink.
7. In the Address box, enter the web accost for your corresponding company profile.
eight. Select OK to finish modifying the new signature.
9. On the Message tab, in the Include group, choose Signature, and then choose your newly modified signature.

Gmail signature

1. Open Gmail.
2. Click the settings glyph in the height right corner.
3. In the Signatures department click the Insert Epitome symbol to add your downloaded icon.
4. Highlight the epitome and click the Link symbol.
5. Add the web address for your company profile.
6. Whorl to the lesser and select Save Changes.

Newsletters

About publishers place social media icons in the newsletter footer, because often the goal of newsletters is to promote website products, services, or content. .

Gmail can sometimes clip long messages, so if gaining social followers is 1 of your newsletter goals, put the icons in the header or above the fold and consider using a call-to-activity. Alternately, if the goal of your newsletter is to promote content, you may desire to consider including share icons, and placing follow icons in the footer.

social media icons
Image via Sephora due east-newsletter

Print

Social media icons are space savers in print collateral such equally brochures, print ads, or concern cards. Just don't forget that you can't hyperlink on paper.

A good workaround for offline icons is to use just the domain proper noun and the straight link to your company'south page. Or, skip the domain name altogether.

Option i: (F) facebook.com/Hootsuite
(T) twitter.com/Hootsuite
Choice 2: (F) Hootsuite
(T) @Hootsuite
Option 3: (F) (T) @Hootsuite

On business organization cards, if yous don't program to include a URL or handle , then you lot may non want to include the icon—especially if the handle is non obvious. Just if your visitor has a high contour and is easy to detect on social media, standalone iconscan exist an elegant style to betoken your brand'due south presence on social media in impress ads and brochures.

social media icons
David's Tea print ad, via Escapism magazine
social media icons
One More than Broil by Elizabeth Novianti Susanto on Behance.
social media icons
The Cado by Cristie Stevens on Behance.

TV and video

Like print, if yous're using video on a medium that doesn't permit viewers to click on an icon, then you should include the URL. On YouTube, you can include clickable icons using the annotations characteristic. Most often "follow" call-to-actions come at the stop of a brand video. Make sure to allot plenty fourth dimension for viewers to read the URL.

Many social media brands crave permission requests and sometimes mock-ups before assuasive companies to use their icons.

All-time practices for using social media icons

Cheers to widespread apply of reshaped and revised icons and third-party sites like Iconmonstr or Iconfinder, many brands and social media managers don't realize that use of altered icons is strictly forbidden.

Here are some common guidelines you lot should be familiar with before calculation social media icons to your marketing materials.

Download from the source

When in search of social media icons, endeavour getting them from the social network websites offset. Nosotros've also assembled the download links for the most popular social media icons below.

No alterations

All social media logos and icons are trademarked. That means rotating, outlining, recolouring, animating, or edits of any kind are not permitted.

Size uniformly

Display all social media icons at equal size, height, and resolution if possible. Don't brandish social media icons larger than your own logo or wordmark. And don't display whatever of the network icons larger than some other network icon (e.1000., making the Facebook icon larger than the Instagram icon).

Infinite evenly

Make sure icons are spaced in a way that meets the "clear space" requirements of each social media company.

Choose iii to v

Very often icons are used as call-to-actions, and if yous apply also many, you risk overwhelming visitors with decision fatigue. Not to mention the clutter that too many icons create on business cards or assets with express space. Determine the height 3 to five channels that are virtually important for your make and audience. A full list tin be included in the contact section of a website or in the website footer.

Order by priority

If LinkedIn is a more than strategic network for your brand than Instagram, for example, make sure LinkedIn appears first in your icon list.

Employ the latest version

Social media companies require that brands using their icons ensure they continue them up to date. Merely also, using old logos will stick out and could indicate that your company is "behind the times."

Don't use the wordmark

Most social media companies explicitly state that you should never employ the wordmark in place of the icon. Wordmarks are typically for corporate use simply, and represent the company, as opposed to your company'south presence on the network.

Make your make the focus

Featuring icons too prominently could wrongly imply sponsorship, partnership, or endorsement, and potentially land your company in legal trouble. Plus, your brand should be the focus of your marketing materials anyway.

Link to your company profile

This may seem obvious, just don't link to a product page, personal profile, or the generic homepage of the site. Information technology'due south normally understood, expected, and in some cases required, that these icons link to your visitor profile page on the specified network.

Asking permission

Equally a full general dominion, if you lot plan to use the icons in a way not specified in the brand guidelines, it'south all-time to double check. Some brands may prevent use of icons on manufactured products, such as T-shirts or other memorabilia. In other cases, y'all may exist required to send a mock-up of intended use.

Now that you lot know how to legally annunciate your make's presence on all the major social networks, easily manage all your social channels from one dashboard using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts, reply to followers, rails your performance, and more. Try it costless today.

Get Started