04 Apr Social Media Image Sizes 2020 Guide via @JuliaEMcCoy
Social media.
It’s entertaining, controversial, and widespread.
It’s an undeniable part of the modern lifestyle.
But social media isn’t only about fascinating vacation photos, late-night chats with your BFFL, and funny GIFs.
It’s also a huge business platform.
With 3.8 billion users, it’s the perfect place to reach out to your prospects and audience.
That is, if you do it right.
But a ton of things can go wrong for your brand on social media.
Some of them can be terrible gaffes. Others can be seemingly tiny mistakes which actually do make a big difference on how people perceive your brand.
For example, size a social media image wrongly, and your business profile will look unprofessional and unattractive.
The bad news?
No two social platforms have the exact same rules for image sizes.
The good news?
We’ve come up with a completely updated guide on how to size social media images for the social networks that matter.
Here it is.
Your Ultimate Guide to Sizing Social Media Images
The sizes mentioned below are the minimum requirement for high-quality images.
Remember, you can always go higher, depending on the platform you’re using.
Facebook Image Sizes
On your business account on Facebook, you shouldn’t use the same size for all your photos. Each image requires a specific size to work well.
Your Facebook Profile Picture
To avoid a pixelated profile picture, make sure your image is at least 180 x 180 pixels.
Remember, Facebook profile pictures are displayed as rounded.
Keep your photo’s subject or logo with the “safe zones” of the profile picture so nothing gets cropped out once you post the image.
Your Facebook Cover Photo
Your cover photo is much larger than your profile picture, so you can get creative if you want.
However, the larger size means your image will look stretched if your resolution is low.
When selecting a cover photo, go for an image that’s 820 x 312 pixels or above.
Facebook Posts
These images are hugely important for helping you engage with followers.
To keep them high-quality, upload photos over 1,200 x 630 pixels.
Instagram Image Sizes
Instagram is all about the beauty and creativity of photos.
So, be extra careful when uploading images to your business account.
Here are three guidelines to follow.
Your Profile Picture
Like on Facebook, your Instagram profile picture will appear rounded.
However, your followers can’t click to expand the image so you need to be sure it can be clearly seen as it is.
Keep your image size above 110 x 110 pixels for great quality.
Instagram Posts
Instagram constantly increases the size of its photos.
Now, it’s at 1,080 x 1,080 pixels.
Once you upload, your photo’s size will be scaled down to 612 x 612.
Your followers can also view them on your profile as 161 x 161-pixel thumbnails.
Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are ephemeral, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put effort into uploading photos your viewers will love.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your resolution above 600 x 1,067 pixels.
However, you can go higher for better results.
1,080 x 1,920 is an excellent size to shoot for.
Twitter Image Sizes
Twitter isn’t all about short, succinct tweets – it’s about images too! Keep these two tips in mind when uploading to Twitter.
Twitter Header Photo
Your Twitter header photo is like your cover photo on Facebook.
It’s much larger than your profile picture, giving you room for creativity.
Like your cover on Facebook, you should also aim for higher resolution.
1,500 x 500 pixels is a great size to start with.
In-stream Photos
Want to make your posts stronger with incredible visuals?
Upload a photo with your tweet, keeping it above 440 x 220 pixels.
A good aspect ratio is 2:1.
LinkedIn Image Sizes
LinkedIn is the perfect platform for networking.
You can meet other experts in your niche as well as promote your brand to a largely professional audience.
On LinkedIn, you can have either a personal page or a business page.
Here are guidelines to follow for each one.
Personal LinkedIn Page
- Profile image: 400 x 400 pixels
- Background image: 1,584 x 396 pixels
LinkedIn Company Page
- Logo: 300 x 300 pixels
- Square logo: 60 x 60 pixels
- Cover image: 1,192 x 220 pixels
- Banner image: 646 x 220 pixels
- Hero image: 1,128 x 376 pixels
- Shared image: 1,104 x 736
Here’s what a great LinkedIn profile looks like.
Pinterest Image Sizes
With 335 million users, Pinterest is an exciting platform to grow your brand.
To start, create an account and add a stunning profile photo.
Pin images relevant to your products or services to your board.
Here are three things you should know about images on Pinterest.
- Pinterest will automatically use your Facebook or Twitter profile picture if you sign up using either platform.
- If you use email to sign up, upload a 165 x 165 image for your profile picture. You can use either JPG or PNG, but don’t upload anything bigger than 10 MB.
- When pinning images to your board, you can go as much as 600 pixels in width. Since there are no restrictions for height, your images can be as tall as you want! Remember: the larger the image, the more value you create.
YouTube Image Sizes
With the rise of video trends, YouTube is an excellent marketing platform.
This means you also need an excellent profile to impress your followers.
Your Channel’s Profile Image
When people click on the link to your channel, they’ll be able to view your profile picture.
Make sure it’s sharp and clear with 800 x 800 pixels.
Your Channel’s Cover Photo
This is where you can get creative and entice your audience to stay longer on your channel.
The good news is this cover photo is large – you can go up to 1,546 x 423 pixels before your image gets cropped.
Keep Your Social Media Profiles Professional with the Right Image Sizes
Want a beautiful profile on all social networks?
Of course you do!
Sizing your images correctly for all your social profiles is an excellent place to start.
When it comes to using images on social media, you only have two choices:
You can either wow people with a flawless, professional profile.
Or you can turn them away with something low-quality and mediocre.
Choose wisely.
More Resources:
- Perfecting Your Visual Strategy on Social Media: 19 Tips to Follow
- 25 Things You Should Never Do on Social Media
- How to Dominate Social Media: A Complete Strategy Guide
Image Credits
All screenshots taken by the author, March 2020
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