Look up the word “badge” in most dictionaries and descriptions of law enforcement emblems or ideas such as “badges of honor” will most likely be found. The idea of online badges still seems relatively new but they are rapidly becoming an attractive and functional graphic design product that is used on blogs, websites and other online platforms.
In online terms, a badge is an image that is displayed on the blog or website that serves a very distinct purpose such as
- identifying the user
- making an announcement
- promoting the user’s participation in an event
- generating a call to action.
Badges can come in several shapes but they are typically square or circular and are generally very distinct but small. Depending on how the badge is used, it generally links to an online source such as a social media profile, blog or website.
There’s multiple ways that badges can be used:
Announcement and Promotion
Have a new event or product? A badge can be used to draw attention to the new item. The badge can then link to a website page featuring the new product, making it easy for customers to view and order.
A blogger can use a badge to announce a new series and the badge can then be linked to a list of blog entries within that series.
Announcements such as winning an award can also be used, such as when The Belford Group won the Excellence in Business Award for Best Small Business from the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. We created a badge that we used on our website in various ways to both announce and promote the honor.
Participation
Badges are great for letting people identify themselves with a specific group or club. Take, for example, the Arkansas Women Bloggers, which is a group of—get this, women bloggers in the state of Arkansas. Members can use the ARWB badge on their blog that shows readers that they are a member of an organization and it links to the organization’s site where the reader can find more blogs of potential interest. This benefits both the blogger and the organization because membership gives the blogger an air of legitimacy and it promotes the organization and its other members.
Participants in conferences are also avid badge users. Badges can be created for different roles, including speaker, volunteer, attendee or sponsor. This lets people proclaim to the world that they are participating in some way and it also promotes the conference. These badges can be used on websites, blogs and social media profiles.
Call to Action
Badges can be a bright, distinct and effective call to action tool. This is especially popular when drawing attention to a company’s social media platforms from the company’s website. Sometimes the badge can say “Follow Me” but usually the well-known Twitter or Facebook emblems are enough to tell the reader where the badge goes.
The Belford Group is an experienced image-building marketing and website development agency, with more than a decade spent providing creative marketing and advertising solutions to fit any budget and any medium. We can create custom badges for blogs, websites or social media!