Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog

Resizing Social Media Images: Easier Than You Think!

You know the saying “Use the right tool for the job”? That adage can easily be applied to social media on every level. For example, if you are looking for deep engagement with a solid ad campaign, Facebook is your best bet. For those more interested in quick-style connections and hashtag marketing, Twitter might be more their speed.

But it is also relevant when looking at features within social platforms. Especially visual content, which is an increasingly important part of social media use. You need the right image sizes for the right platform.

I know what you are probably thinking: image size can’t be that important. Actually, it is. Social media platforms have tailored their size recommendations for the best possible viewing and use based on their own design. Having the wrong image can completely ruin the look of an entire page in an instant.

Don’t worry, resizing social media images is extremely simple. Just follow these quick and dirty tips.

Your Quick and Easy Tool to Use

Thankfully the days of using Paint or Photoshop are over. You can do it a lot faster and better without installing (or buying) any extra software.

Image resizer (Twitter, Facebook, Linked, and more!)

Image resizer

You can upload your photos here, and resize or crop them from a single window. You can drag and drop the image from your desktop, or import an image from a URL.

Now, just select a social media network (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube) and what you are resizing for (profile picture, cover photo, update photo, board thumbnail, etc.). And you have an option to resize to a custom size.

Basics: Know The General Rule For Social Sizing

Even if you have these tools above at your disposal, it can help to have a general idea of how the sizing works. The rule of thumb for the big five networks is pretty simple:

Square: Instagram and Facebook

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Landscape: Twitter and Facebook

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Portrait – Google Plus and Pinterest

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Square Landscape Portrait

Use This Social Media Image Resizing Infographic

Here’s the most recent one.

All social media sites have different size requirements for optimal viewing. In fact, they have several: profile images, timeline or profile cover images, post images, embedded images… the list is more comprehensive than you may realize.

This infographic is extremely handy. It takes all the major networks and it creates a template of their pages complete with the sizes of each photo. It takes away all guesswork, and gives you an idea of how the image will look on the page once they are published.

You will notice that Facebook is pretty versatile when it comes to sizes, taking either square or portrait. But it doesn’t look good using portrait style; not surprising, given how common videos are becoming for visual content. Those follow by the square or landscape rules, as well.

Do you have any quick and dirty tips for resizing social media images? Let us know in the comments!

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7 Responses

  1. Great resources here, Ann! I have been using Ribbet.com to resize images, but will have to give this tool a try – Looks a lot more straightforward 🙂 Thanks!

  2. I’ve recently started making a different image size just for Pinterest. For the other platforms I used the default featured image because it was too much work to make them all.

    Now I have no excuse. Thanks Ann.

  3. interesting. i just learned something similar today using canva. 1200×1200 images that can be used as advertisment on fb

  4. Perfect! The right image sizes of a social media are very important for the right platform. This will provide the best possible viewing online. In Australia, these social networks are a growing area where you can further your own website and business needs while getting direct feedback from the public. You need an appreciation for this area as this expanding media field is full of prime marketing opportunities, and having a Social Media Plan managed by experts in SEO and online visibility will have you set above the rest.

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Jim Boykin
Jim Boykin

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Ann Smarty
Ann Smarty

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