They say content is king and this is especially true when it comes to social media. The visual identity of your brand is often the first thing your audience notices, and as you know, first impressions count and cause a lasting imprint. So it’s important to make sure you are delivering well thought out content and good imagery optimised for a specific platform.
It’s difficult to use one image across all of your social networking platforms, they just don’t all magically fit and tick one box. It can be time consuming making sure you have the right sized images for the right platform. It can also be hugely disheartening, plus not to mention a waste of time, to upload an image that works well on Instagram but find it looks grainy and poor quality on Facebook.
They say an image tells a thousand words, and so you really don’t want your carefully curated image to fall flat on its face and get absolutely no user engagement.
This is why we have put together a definitive list for you to use as a guide to Social Media image sizes, by platform. You’ll also find some handy hints and tips to maximise user engagement.
Profile Picture 180 x180 pixels
This is the same for personal or business pages
Cover Photo 820 x 312 pixels, although this will be scaled down differently on each device, so make sure you pick an image that works well across desktop and mobile.
Shared Image Posts 1200 x 630 pixels and will be scaled down to 470 x 174 pixels
Highlighted Post 1,200 x 717 pixels
Event Images 1920 x 1080 pixels, this will be scaled down to 470 x 174 pixels
TOP TIP: Always use call to actions to make it more appealing for users to click through, often creating a sense of urgency can help increase conversions. Use your image to grab people’s attention, but make sure it is relatable to your copy.
Profile Photo 400 x 400 pixels
Header Photo 1500 x 500 pixels
In-stream Photo automatically displays at 440 x 220 pixels. Maximum upload is 1024 x 512 pixels
TOP TIP: Tweets with less than 100 characters get more user engagement, so keep your messages clear and interesting. Images a long side your text will help grab attention and hopefully get higher engagement.
Profile Picture 110 x 100 pixels, be aware this will automatically be circle cropped.
Photo Thumbnails 161 x 161 pixels
Instagram Photo 1080 x 1080 pixels (appears as 612 x 612 pixels)
Instagram Stories portrait 1080 x 1920 pixels
TOP TIP: Post regularly, with bright, clear images that have interesting captions or ask your audience questions. You can use up to 30 hashtags, but make sure they are popular with your target audience and you aren’t just using hashtags for the sake of it.
Profile Image 400 x 400 pixels
Background Image 1584 x 396 pixels
Share Image 520 x 320 pixels
Company Logo 300 x 300 pixels
Company Cover Image 1536 x 768 pixels
Company Banner Image 646 x 220 pixels
Hero Image for Career Opportunities page 1128 x 376 pixels
TOP TIP: Make sure you are posting varied content, and make your message clear, with a well thought out image to go alongside your communication.
Profile Picture 165 x 165 pixels
Pinned Images 735 pixels wide and will be scaled down automatically to 238 pixels wide, height can be scaled to any size, although we would recommend to use the ratio 2:3
Board display images 222x150 pixels
TOP TIP: Vertical pins work better on mobile view, so you may consider using more of this orientation. Also make sure your images are good quality and clear and keep the text in the caption to a minimum.
Google+
Profile Picture 250 x 250 pixels
Cover Image 2120 x 1192 pixels
Shared Image 497 x 373
Shared Link 150 x 150 pixels
TOP TIP: Photo uploads can be any orientation in G+, but can’t be more than 2048 pixels wide. Use simple and striking headlines to attract your audience alongside these images.
YouTube
Profile Image 800 x 800 pixels
Channel Cover Photo:
We suggest using the TV display sizing, which will then be scaled down on different devices.
Video 16:9 landscape aspect ratio 1280 x 720 pixels
Video Uploads 1280 x 720 for minimum HD upload
TOP TIP: Make sure you use channel art. By using a high quality, interesting image for your cover photo, this will create a more appealing environment for your audience.
Digital Marketer
Amy started at Blue Frontier in 2018. After graduating with a degree in Fashion Promotion & Illustration, she worked as a Graphic Designer. Favouring the fast-paced nature of Digital Marketing, she now specialises in content and social media. Amy brings a hugely visually creative aspect to her work and enjoys delivering engaging digital marketing solutions for her clients.
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