Buzzing About

 Social media is an excellent way to drive traffic, gain attention and interact with users. In fact, visual content is more than 40 times more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content. You can make an immediate and lasting impression on users by following these four simple tips.

 1. Be brand consistent.

Always make sure that your social media graphics use the same font family, colors and overall style as your brand. This will help keep your messaging to users consistent and create a recognizable look for your brand.

2. Use custom, shareable graphics.

Studies show that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text, according to kissmetrics.com. Images are the new call to action; they motivate users to share your content. LifeLearn.com released stats showing that if a relevant image is paired with text, people retain 65% of the information three days later, and that content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images.

3. Be creative with your content.

There are numerous creative ways to share content in a visual way. Some of these include: lists, quotes, infographics, charts, screenshots and photos. Infographics are a great way to show a lot of information in an easily digestible way, and according to massplanner.com, infographics are liked and shared three times more than other content.

4. Choose the right size for each social media platform.

Using the correctly sized graphic will ensure that users see the content you post properly. If you post a graphic at the incorrect size, it could appear pixilated or cropped. Always make sure you check online to ensure that you have the most up-to-date sizes, as the social media platforms make frequent changes to acceptable sizes. Download JJPR’s social media graphic sizing cheat sheet for easy reference (and yes, we will follow our own rules and update it, if and when any sizes change).

For more ways to perfect your social media strategy, check out our downloadable Social Media Prospecting and Lead Generation E-book.

In the fast-paced world that we live in, brands are constantly trying to grab a very distracted consumer’s attention. Just like the 70s trend of flare leg jeans and the 80s trend of parachute pants, logo design has trends that come and go. And while these trends can add excitement and freshness to your brand, remember to incorporate trends in a way that will have longevity and be true to the brand’s identity. 

Many sources for logo trend reports are available, but one of our favorites is JUST Creative. As the year progresses, more and more trend reports will surface, but we love what we’ve seen so far—an air of simplicity and reference to the past. Over the past few years, simplicity and retro design have ruled supreme in the world of logo design trends, and we aren’t sad about that. 

6 Forecasted Logo Design Trends for 2016:

1. Flat:
   Flat design has been, and will continue to be, the top style as it lends itself to an easily recognizable logo and registers the best across all media platforms. This style is simple with clean lines and little to no textures, shadows, patterns or gradients.
   
   
   

2. Handmade:
   Handmade logos use calligraphy and hand lettering in combination with other design elements to give a look that isn’t entirely handmade but also not entirely digital. These logos are excellent at showing a unique personality of a brand.
   
   
   
   
   

3. Kinetic/Dynamic:
   The kinetic or dynamic style of logo changes, yet remains the same, giving it the ability to make the consumer aware of directions and divisions of a company by breaking down the information of a brand into smaller pieces.
   
   
   
   

4.  Negative Space:
   The use of negative space in logo design creates a challenge for the consumer and communicates more than what is seen upon first glance. Logos that utilize negative space communicate more to the consumer without using numerous design elements.
   
   
   
   
   

5.  Letterstacking:
   Letterstacking is a style that breaks down words and rearranges them in a creative way. This has become a popular style for brands with long text. 
   
   
   
   

6. MonoLines:
   A type of iconography, this style uses a line that doesn’t change in thickness and resembles a wire to design the entire logo. Upon first glance, this style seems intricate; however, it is a very clean, fresh style.
   
   
   
   
   

Remember, when using a trend in your logo design, choose one that can adapt to your brand’s voice and will have longevity, like a good pair of flare leg jeans. Just like every new fashion trend isn’t suited for every person (ahem, shoulder pads), each logo design trend is not always suited for every brand. We look forward to sharing more trends as they are released from other great resources like Logo Lounge throughout the year. For examples of logos JJPR has created, visit our portfolio.