Here at Social Progress we often do social media “health-checks” for businesses to review their existing social media accounts. Most companies start with setting up a Facebook Page, Twitter account and either an Instagram or Pinterest account – depending on the type of business it is.
Esther’s background is in graphic design so she’s very keen on neat branding and keeping continuity across digital and printed media. She did a short presentation in August about “Social Media Branding” at SoPro Networking and part of what she spoke about was the correct dimensions and orientation for social media imagery – including banner images and avatars (profile pictures).
“Your social media is an extension of your business and should reflect your branding. If you don’t have branding, simply start with your logo and a simple colour scheme to match. Then translate that design across your website and all other elements [printed and digital].” – Esther Orridge, Social Progress.
Top Tips from Esther for Simple Social Media Branding:
- Continuity is Key! – People are looking for you! Can they easily identify you? Translate your branding across your social media platforms.
- Keep it tidy – knowing dimensions means you’re more aware of the space you have to work with – take advantage of it! And try avoid pixelated/fuzzy photos! They look unprofessional and messy – does that reflect your company correctly?
- Colour scheme – If your branding/colour scheme is blue and green, on the whole, stick to it across the board. Be proud of your branding! See our social media for examples of how to be creative with your branding online – we use a lot of yellow and blue!
Below this post is a basic breakdown of the dimensions for each of the main social media platforms. You may require a graphic designer if you’d like professional graphics done or you can use your existing artwork or, as said above, relevant photos… The choice is yours.
If you don’t have a “brand” it might be worth finding a graphic designer to start you off with a logo and go from there. Did you know we work alongside a variety of associates? So if you require a Graphic Designer, Web Developer, CRM Expert or anyone else, do let us know and we will happily recommend top quality businesses and individuals to you. Just ask!
Social Media Branding Dimensions 2015:
Profile Pic: 180 x 180 pixels (scales down to 160 x 160) square
Cover Photo: 851 x 315 pixels (note: space where profile pic goes will be blocked from view)
Post Photos: 940 pixels / 788 pixels (will display at width = 470 pixels / height = 394 pixels) you can upload whatever size photo you like however Facebook will automatically crop it to suit their viewing dimensions on the timeline/wall. Maximum file size is 25MB.
_______________________________________________________________
Profile Pic: 400 x 400 pixels (scales down to 200 x 200) square
Cover Photo: 1500 x 500 pixels (not as tall as Facebook!)
Tweet Photos: 1024 pixels / 512 pixels (will display at width = 506 / height = 253 pixels) you can upload whatever size you like however the image will be cropped to a thin rectangle when displayed within the Twitter feed.
_______________________________________________________________
LinkedIn User Profile (Individual)
Profile Pic: 200 x 200 pixels square
LinkedIn User Profile (Individual) PREMIUM
Profile Pic: 240 x 240 pixels square
Background: 1400 x 425 pixels – this is the wider, thinner banner right at the top (partly covered by the profile box though!)
_______________________________________________________________
Linked In Company Page
Tiny Logo: 100 x 60 pixels (tiny logo in top left corner of company page feed)
*Cover Photo: 646 x 220 pixels* – this is the smaller banner with Janet on
_______________________________________________________________
Google Plus Profile Page
Profile Pic: 250 x 250 pixels (cropped into a circle)
Cover Photo: 1080 x 680 pixels
Shared Image: Max width = 426 pixels / height varies (max 2048 x 2048 pixels)
_______________________________________________________________
Pinterest Profile Page
Profile Pic: 200 x 200 pixels (scaled down to 153 x 153) square
Pinned Pics: Fixed width of 236 pixels and height varies
Expanded Pin: Max width = 736 pixels / height varies (maximum ?)
_______________________________________________________________
Instagram Profile Page (Desktop)
Everything used to be cropped square on this platform! You now have the choice to crop images or not.
Expanded Pic: 640 x 640 pixels (scaled down to 612 x 612)
Shared Photo: 510 x 510 pixels
_______________________________________________________________
Youtube Channel Page (Desktop)
Profile pic: 100 x 100 pixels
Banner/Cover: 2560 x 1440 pixels (scaled down to 1546 x 423)
Youtube Channel Page (Tablet)
Banner/Cover: 1855 x 423 pixels (wider than desktop banner)
_______________________________________________________________
With “80% of internet users owning a smartphone” and “47% using a tablet” (Mobile Marketing Statistics 2015, Danyl Bosomworth) it’s important to remember that all social media platforms are now mobile responsive! With this the platforms will have a slightly (or very) different layout on a device compared to a desktop. The above dimensions are for desktop versions and may look different on mobile devices.
We hope this post has been useful for you and will help you kick-start your branding on social media. The digital world develops and changes constantly so please note that these dimensions are as we are aware of them now. If they change we will update this blog asap. If you spot any changes first do let us know!
Are you looking for social media training to learn how best to optimise your social media and how best to reach your target audience? We have a programme of “Social Media for Business” Workshops coming up! Click here to find out more about the social media workshops covering Social Media Strategy, Content Marketing, Facebook for Business, Twitter for Business, LinkedIn for Business, Google+ for Business, Effective Blogging for Business, Video Planning. Video Editing, Video Marketing.
——-
Are you on social media? Do get connected and say hello to us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest & Instagram. We’d love to hear from you! #SoProHigh5!