How To Optimize Your Facebook and Instagram Images

So you're looking to breathe new life into your social media profiles, set it apart from the spam on user newsfeeds and drive user engagement then images are a good way to do all of that. The first step is to dive in and select your images and prepare which images you would like to use for your posts and which you would like to use on your profile. Once you've sourced a stunning set of images it's time to resize and optimise.

Protip! If you need to find images that won't get you on any copyright trouble and don't want to break the bank check out our post on free stock photos

Facebook image optimisation guidelines

To spruce up, your Facebook profile and posts use the following as your design guide Facebook: Profile page images

• Cover Photo
• Recommended image size: 851 x 315

• Profile Picture
• Recommended image size: 180 x 180

Facebook: Text posts

• Design requirements
• Caption: 500 characters max

Facebook: Click to website/conversions

• Design requirements
• Image Ratio 1.9:1
• Headline: 25 characters max
• Link Description: 30 characters max
• Text Length: 90 characters max

• Display requirements
• Image Size: Desktop: 470 x 246 - Mobile: 560 x 292 - Right Column: 254 x 133
• Text Length: Desktop: 500 characters - Mobile: 110 characters - Right Column: 90 characters
• Headline: Desktop: 1-2 lines - Mobile: 1-2 lines - Right Column: 25 characters
• Link Description: Desktop: 2-3 lines - Mobile: 1 line

Facebook: Page post engagements

• Design requirements
• News Feed Image Size: Desktop and Mobile 1200 x 900 - Right Column 254 x 133
• Image Ratio Desktop and Mobile: 4:3 - Right Column 1.9:1
• Text Length: 90 characters max

• Display requirements
• Image Size: Desktop: 470 x 470 - Mobile: 626 x 840 - Right Column: 254 x 133
• Text Length: Desktop: 500 characters - Mobile: 110 characters - Right Column: 90 characters

Facebook: Carousel Posts

• Design requirements
• Image Size 600 x 600
• Image Ratio 1.:1
• Headline: 40 characters max
• Link Description: 20 characters max
• Text Length: 90 characters max

• Display requirements
• Image Size: Desktop: 200 x 200 - Mobile: 460 x 460
• Text Length: Desktop: 500 characters - Mobile: 120 characters
• Headline: Desktop: 1-2 lines - Mobile: 1-2 lines
• Link Description: Desktop: 1 lines - Mobile: 1 line

Bonus: Facebook: Video Posts

• Design requirements
• Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 / 4:3 / SDTV, 1.375:1 / film, 1.77 / 16.9 / HDTV, 1.85:1 / Film, 2.39:1 or 2.40: 1 / Widescreen, no pillar boxing or letterboxing
• Thumbnail Image Size: Must match video aspect ratio
• Audio: AAC 128kbpsx
• Text Length: 90 characters max
• Video Length: 45 minutes max
• File Size: 1.75GB Max

• Slideshow requirements
• News Feed Image Size: 1280 x 720
• News Feed Image Ratio: 16:9 (max 4:3)
• Text Length: 90 characters max
• Images of the same size and ascpect ratio are recommended to avoid cropping

• Display requirements
• Image Size: Desktop: 470 pixels wide - Mobile: 560 pixels wide - Right Column: 254 x 143
• Text Length: Desktop: 500 characters - Mobile: 110 characters - Right Column: 90 characters

Instagram image guidelines

To spruce up, your Instagram profile and posts use the following as your design guide Instagram: Click to website/conversions: Carousel

• Design requirements
• Image Size: 1080 x 1080
• Caption: 125 characters max
• Image Ratio 1:1

• Technical requirements
• Minimum number of images: 3
• Maximum number of images: 5
• Image Ratio 1:1
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 600
• Maximum Resolution: 1936 x 1036
• Caption: 2 200 characters max
• File Types: .jpg or .png

Instagram: Mobile App Installs / Engagement

• Design requirements
• Image Size: 1080 x 1080
• Caption: 125 characters max
• Image Ratio 1:1

• Display requirements
• Image Ratio 1:1
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 315
• Maximum Resolution: 600 x 600
• Caption: 2 200 characters max

For moble newsfeed

Instagram: Page post engagement

• Design requirements
• Image Size: 1080 x 1080
• Caption: 125 characters max
• Image Ratio 1:1

• Technical requirements
• Image Ratio 1.9.1 to 1:1
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 315 (1.9.1 landscape)
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 600 (1:1 square)
• Maximum Resolution: 1936 x 1936
• Caption: 2 200 characters max
• Max File Size: 30MB

Instagram: Clicks to website: Links/ Conversions

• Design requirements
• Image Size: 1080 x 1080
• Caption: 125 characters max
• Image Ratio 1:1

• Technical requirements
• Image Ratio 1.9.1 to 1:1
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 315 (1.9.1 landscape)
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 600 (1:1 square)
• Caption: 2 200 characters max

Bonus: Instagram: Video View Posts

• Video Design requirements
• Aspect Ratio: 1:1
• Audio: AAC 128kbps
• Max File Size: 1.75GB
• Caption: 125 characters max

• Technical requirements
• Caption: 2 200 characters max
• Video Aspect Ratio 1.9.1 to 1:1
• Video Length: 60 seconds max
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 315 (1.9.1 landscape)
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 600 (1:1 square)
• Maximum Resolution: 1936 x 1936
• Bitrate: There is no limit if you're using two pass encoding, as long as the file size is less than 1GB. Otherwise, 8mbps for 1080p and 4mbps for 720p is the general rule
• Frames: 30fps max

The visual appeal

Now that you know where to source stunning images and how to optimise them to get the best out your social posts what will be your first task? Share your updated social profiles with us in the comments section below, we'd love to see what you've come up with.

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Tags: facebook, instagram, Social Media