A picture is worth a thousand retweets. When Facebook and Twitter first launched, they were text-only and word-heavy. Now, virtually every social network has become more and more streamlined and picture-friendly. Pictures dominate social networks and consistently see more engagement.
We’ll say it straight out: if your images aren’t optimized for social media, then you might as well not post at all. Sounds harsh, but pictures are among the most engaging content on social media. Posts with visuals see 180% more engagement than text posts alone. People want images when they browse social media, and they expect them to look good.
Think about all the high-quality images you see on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. every day. If your competitors are using beautiful, eye-catching images, can you afford not to?
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube all have different size requirements for posts as well as profile pictures and banner images. This cheat sheet by Azure Collier of Constant Contact gives you the full run-down on what sizes your pictures need to be to look their best on social media.
Once you’ve got your image the correct size, remember to save it in the correct format! All of the above social networks allow PNG, JPG or GIF file types. Not sure which to use?
- JPG: Best for small images, photography and images with many colors.
- PNG: Best for images with transparency and detailed photography.
- GIF: Best for small images, pictures with limited colors and illustrations.
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