Maximize Social Media Engagement with Perfectly Sized Graphics and Videos: Best Practices for Every Platform
- arenas7529
- Oct 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 17, 2024
The Importance of Accurate Social Media Graphic and Video Sizes for Performance
In today’s digital world, social media is one of the most powerful tools to connect with audiences, whether you’re a business, influencer, or brand. However, many users underestimate the impact that accurately sized graphics, images, and videos have on performance. It’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about ensuring your content is optimized for each platform’s algorithm, display dimensions, and user experience.
Why Size Matters
Using the correct dimensions for graphics and photos isn’t just about making your content look good. When your images are the correct size and format, they load faster, look crisper, and are more likely to capture attention. On the other hand, incorrectly sized images can appear blurry, pixelated, or cropped awkwardly, making your profile look unprofessional and reducing engagement.
Each social media platform has unique dimension requirements to display content optimally. While it may be tempting to post the same image across all platforms, resizing is necessary to maintain quality.
Below are the correct graphic dimensions for key platforms:
Profile Photo: 170 X 170 pixels
Background Cover Photo: 1200 X 628
Post & Timeline Images: 1200 X 630
Stories: 1080 x 1920
Event Page Image: 1920 x 1080
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, MOV, MP4
Profile Picture: 320 X 320 pixels
Feed Photos:
Portrait - 1080 X 1350 (Preferred)
Square - 1080 X 1080
Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920
Reels: 1080 X 1920 (aspect ratio of 9:16)
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, MOV, MP4 (Animated GIFs do not work on Instagram)
X/Twitter
Profile Photo: 400 x 400 (Displays 200 x 200) pixels
Feed Photo:
Landscape: 1920 X 1080 or 1600 X 900
Portrait: 1080 X 1350
Square: 1080 X 1080
Background Header Photo: 1500 X 500
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, MOV, MP4
The Role of Proper Video Ratios
With the rise of video content on social media, getting the right aspect ratio is crucial. Why is this important? Improperly sized videos may get cropped or stretched, affecting viewer experience and engagement. Plus, social platforms favor content that is natively optimized for their platform, meaning the right video format can improve your reach and overall performance.
Facebook Video Guidelines:
Stories: 1-120 seconds
Feed: Up to 240 minutes
Reels: 7-30 seconds (60 seconds max recommended)
1080 X 1920 (aspect ratio of 9:16)
1920 x 1080 (aspect ratio of 16:9)
Instagram Video Guidelines:
Stories: 1-120 seconds
Feed & Explore Videos: 1-120 seconds
Reels: Recommended length is 7-30 seconds, with a max of 60 seconds
1080 X 1920 (aspect ratio of 9:16)
X/Twitter Video Guidelines:
Max length of 2 minutes and 20 seconds
Repurpose Reels/Tiktoks
1080 X 1920 (aspect ratio of 9:16)
1920 x 1080 (aspect ratio of 16:9)
By using the correct sizes and formats, you enhance not only your brand’s visual identity but also your engagement and visibility. Taking the time to ensure every graphic or video is sized correctly will help improve your content’s performance on all social media platforms.
To make things easier, download our PDF one-sheets which provide the latest dimensions and best practices for each platform. These handy guides will help you keep your content looking sharp and performing at its best!
Ready to level up your social media game? Get your one-sheets now!
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