How to use Facebook brand assets in your content without getting in trouble

For many content creators, Facebook is an invaluable tool in their marketing arsenal. Consequently, there’s a good chance they’ll need to use Facebook’s brand assets at some point. This post will provide some tips on how to use them properly. 

Facebook isn’t dead

While Facebook may not have the cultural dominance it possessed in the early 2000s, it can still play a key role in your marketing efforts. As Socialfly noted, it still has unparalleled reach with over 3 billion monthly active users (for reference, the world’s total population is a little over 8 billion). And while Gen Z may gravitate toward platforms like TikTok, Facebook remains popular with Millennials. As a result, content creators looking to reach a broader, more mature demographic would do well to consider Facebook.  

Why use branded assets?

There are many reasons why a creator might wish to use Facebook branded assets. For example, if a creator has a link to their Facebook page on their main site, they may wish to include Facebook’s logo to help contextualize the link for their readers. However you’re using those assets, it’s important that you follow Facebook’s guidelines. Remember, you’re using their intellectual property.  

Where can I find Facebook’s brand guidelines?

Meta (Facebook’s parent company) has put together a brand resource center to help creators use their assets properly. The rules can be quite detailed, so it’s important to read them carefully. They serve an important purpose since they help prevent confusion and protect Facebook’s trademarks. 

How to use Facebook’s logo

Facebook’s logo consists of a white lowercase ‘f’ set against a circle of ‘Facebook blue.’ It plays a vital role in identifying their brand, so it should come as little surprise that they’re very particular in how it’s used. The brand resource center offers downloadable versions of the logo that creators can use. One of the key advantages to using the official version is that it’s guaranteed to be the most recent one–like many other companies, Facebook’s logo has evolved over the years.

When using the logo, creators should make sure that it’s surrounded by clear space equal to half the logo’s width. In other words, if the logo is 20 mm wide, it should have 10 mm of clear space around it. It should also be the correct size: at least 16 px wide in digital or 6 mm in print.

The logo should be used in the exact format prescribed by Facebook. Don’t add anything to it (e.g., the word ‘Facebook’) or use individual elements on their own (e.g., the ‘f’). You also shouldn’t change the color or stylize the logo by making it 3D.  

Best practices

Here are some best practices when it comes to using Facebook’s brand assets:

• DO make sure to capitalize ‘Facebook’ when using it in the text.
• DO NOT use Facebook’s logo or other brand assets on things like merchandise or consumer products without their permission.
• DO NOT use Facebook’s brand assets in advertising without their permission. 
• DO NOT use brand assets found elsewhere on the web. Only use what Facebook provides.
• DO NOT use Facebook’s trademarks in a domain name, username, or your own trademarks.
• DO NOT use Facebook’s brand assets in a way that suggests an official partnership or endorsement.

It pays to follow the rules

While Facebook’s rules might seem unnecessarily nitpicky, it’s important to follow them as closely as possible. In addition to shielding you from potential legal liability, it also lets others know that you’re a conscientious creator who respects boundaries. On the other hand, taking a cavalier approach to their brand assets, you’re basically telling the world that you either couldn’t be bothered to learn the rules or you simply don’t care about them to begin with. Needless to say, neither one is a good look! 

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