You know that moment when a social media image makes you stop and take a deeper look. It’s easy to keep on moving when it comes to social media, but having great photos and images can make your audience take note of your posts and content. When your social media image sizes fall under the right guidelines, your images look great and your audience will stop. Read on and you’ll learn the guidelines for seven of the major social media networks.
Why are social media image sizes so important?
Visual aesthetics are a high priority these days. When your images don’t fit the platform, it sends a message that you don’t take the time or effort to clean up your aesthetic. And it can be tough because image sizes constantly change. If you’re caught using an outdated image size, your followers will know. So stay in the know, stay in the present, and make sure your social media image sizes are right. And remember, unfortunately, they’re different for all the platforms across social media.
Remember Dolly Parton’s fun post about her photos for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Tinder? Lots of celebs and regular people joined this trend, and though it’s all in fun, it clearly shows the difference between the platforms. And just as the photo aesthetic is different for each platform to get it just right, so are photo sizes. You don’t want your Tinder profile pic showing up on your LinkedIn page, make sure your image sizes are correct for each social media platform you’re using. So buckle up, and with the help of Agencyanalytics.com, let’s take a look at these seven social media platforms and their image sizes.
Facebook has had its ups and downs, right? Remember when it was all the rage and everyone was on it? Its user base has declined, but it still is an important way to reach your audience. People may not use it as much for sharing social media these days unless it’s posts of grandkids, but it’s still a place where lots of people check out businesses and professional brands. That being said, if you have a business, you should be on Facebook.
Let’s talk about image sizes for your photos and other images on Facebook.
- Profile photo – This important image needs to be at least 180 x 180 pixels. Though you’re starting with a square photo, it will be cropped into a circle (which you can maneuver a bit).
- Cover photo – Here’s your larger background image, and it’s displayed as 820 x 312 pixels on your desktop and 640 x 360 on smartphones. So yes, it shows up as a landscape rectangular image. The minimum image size you’ll need to use is 400 x 150 pixels.
- Shared image – For a shared image, upload a photo of at least 1200 x 630 pixels.
- Highlighted image –The recommended image upload size for a highlighted image is 1200 x 717 pixels and it will be shown on your page at 843 x 504 pixels.
How can you not love Twitter for its vast array of quippy quotes, great links, and so many opinions! Twitter spaces are hotter and hotter, and it’s a new opportunity for brands and influencers to develop tight-knit communities while improving their exposure. Also, it’s true, Twitter doesn’t have the images that the other platforms do. But more and more, authors are attaching images to their tweets. It helps them stand out. So when you’re doing that, make sure you do stand out with great images in the right sizes.
- Profile photo – Like other platforms, this is a square photo that will be cropped to fit a circle. Twitter displays profile photos at 200 x 200 pixels, but recommended upload is 400 x 400 pixels.
- Header photo – This one goes across the screen in a banner design. Its recommended image upload size is 1500 x 500 pixels. The maximum file size for the header image is 2MB.
- In-stream images – Here’s where you can gain some attention. Add a photo or GIF to your tweets, just make sure it’s the image size is 1200 x675 pixels.
Here is where a lot of the hype is these days. People are loving the beautiful aesthetic of scrolling through Instagram. But you know when you come across that photo your uncle posted, and your cousin’s head is cut off because his image size was wrong? No one wants to see that. C’mon Uncle Jordan, take a second look and upload the right size. And if you’re a business posting on Instagram, don’t lose customers by posting a bad size; it’s kind of akin to wearing your shirt inside out. It’s sloppy and looks like you don’t care.
Also, Instagram has the lion’s share of ages 18-34, so if you are targeting this group, make sure your Instagram is spot on. The bar is high here. It’s all about the vibe, the aesthetic, and yep, looking better than the next guy while staying in trend and on top of what’s in and what’s out. It’s competitive here, be ready to bring your game.
So what are the pixel sizes of your key images?
- Profile pic – Here’s the tiny circle image that shows who you are. It’s stored at 320 x 320 pixels. Remember, you can crop it how you like into the circle, so make sure it fits well and leaves a good vibe.
- Photo thumbnails – These are going to be displayed at 161 x 161 pixels.
- Image posts – The ideal sizes for your square images are 1080 x 1080 pixels, landscape images at 1080 x 566 pixels. Portrait images should be 1080 x 1350 pixels. Remember, Instagram will crop your photos if the ratio isn’t right, and that’s what you don’t want. When you are taking photos, keep your posts in mind and try to take pictures to fit the size. Also, make sure your phone has a high-quality camera for best results and download the newest version of Instagram to stay current.
- Instagram stories – A lot of people say that stories are where the clutch is these days, way more important than your feed. So keep your stories looking sharp by using at least the minimum resolution which is 600 x 1067. However, it’s recommended to use 1080 x 1920 resolution with an aspect ratio of 9:16 and the max file size is 4GB.
YouTube
YouTube is the second-largest social media platform. Like Facebook, if you are trying to reach an audience, they are probably on YouTube. Whether they’re practicing a new yoga pose, unclogging a toilet, or watching their favorite YouTuber talk about their latest adventure, your audience is there. So let’s get your image sizes right because there is a lot of competition in the halls of YouTube!
- Channel profile photo – Your 800 x 800 pixels photo will be displayed at 98 x 98 pixels. Like the other platforms, it will be circular, so center accordingly.
- Channel cover photo – The recommended image size for this channel art is 2560 x 1440 pixels.
- Video thumbnail – Here is where you have to grab the attention of your viewers. It’s so easy to skip right over something, so make your thumbnail enticing. If your image doesn’t fit just right, YouTube will put black on either side. Some people find this off-putting, so it’s best to go with an image of 1280 x 720 pixels.
You’ve gotta love the vibe of Pinterest. The boards, the beauty, the creativity there that waits. And still, there are certain social media image sizes that have guidelines, here, too. Images are what makes Pinterest, and when people search it, they want to see great images. Be sure to make yours fit in, or better yet, stand out. Here’s how to:
- Profile picture – This one needs to be at least 160 x 160 pixels and the max image size is 10MB.
- Pin images – Here’s something unique about Pinterest. The pin sizes can vary. Width stays the same, but height can vary depending on where it’s displayed. The recommended size is around 1000 x 1500 pixels with a recommended aspect ratio of 1:3.5 to 2:3. You know, when you see boards, images are different sizes. That’s even part of the aesthetic.
- Board display thumbnails – These are the images shown to represent a board. For small board display thumbnails, 55 x 55 pixels is recommended, and for large board thumbnails, 222 x 150 is best.
This is where the business takes place. You’ve got to have a sharp LinkedIn site to generate the engagement you want. You don’t want any distortion or poor-quality images. Remember, these images will speak of your business, and you want them to speak well of it.
- Profile photo – This is your headshot and let it be representative of you and your business. If you’re in a creative field, it can be a bit less formal, but keep it clean and professional. Remember, these are headshots, and the image should be between 400 x 400 and 7680 x 4320 pixels. The file shouldn’t be over 8MB.
- Background image – This image should be 1548 x 396 pixels and not exceed 8MB.
- Company logo – The best size is 300 x 300 pixels with a 4MB file size.
- Square logo – This appears next to your company name and is small, 60 x 60 pixels.
- Company cover image – This is like your background image, and the recommended size is 1776 x 444 pixels and a maximum file size of 4MB.
- Shared image – 1104 x 736 pixels is the recommended size.
Twitch
Twitch is a live streaming platform that caters mostly to online gamers and gaming-related brands. Just like any other social platform, keep your images in the recommended sizes for the best branding.
- Profile photo – This could be a photo or avatar and will be a square image. The recommended image size is at least 256 x 256 pixels.
- Banner – Here is where your viewers get an idea of your content. Make it representative and keep it around 1920 x 480 pixels.
- Video thumbnail – A graphic of your videos will entice your viewers. It’s a crucial part of branding and keep this one at 1280 x 720 pixels.
The big takeaway on social media image sizes
Whatever your business or brand may be, social media is the road to followers and engagement. From streaming gaming videos to creating boards of your party planning ideas, you’ve got to create great content. And your images are a big part of this. If you’d like to hire a graphic designer for help in designing any content, images, or logos, we can help! Our designers know the image sizes and what draws your audience in. Our pros at Bunny Studio are here to help create amazing content.
