Best Images to Optimize Images for Social Media Sharing
Next month I am speaking at Affiliate Summit 2016 in Las Vegas, which is a semi-annual marketing conference. My session is called, “How to Optimize Images for Social Media Sharing.” Optimizing images for for social media is very important for your social media strategy as well as your search engine optimization (SEO) plan. Even if you do not have a formal SEO plan, it is still a good idea to at least be mindful of you image file sizes so you do not inadvertently slow down the load speed of you web page(s). Load speed is a Google ranking factor.
There are three “homes” for social media images. They are:
- Social post images
- Social profile images
- Website images
Each one needs to be optimized. All three are important to your marketing plan.
Posts with photos, links, check-ins, and videos we save on social media newsfeeds and streams are the images most people think of these images when talking optimization. We have to be careful because each social site has a particular range of sizes that are optimal. The ideal image sizes can be found in my social media post image size guide.
Most social sites have both a profile (small) photo and a larger banner image at the top of the social account. Here is a link to my metrony.com Facebook account. Facebook calls the large banner image, a “cover photo.” metrony YouTube does not have a profile images. Pintalk Pinterest does not have the banner image.
Social profile and banners are another set of images that are also important for optimizing. Many do not consider this when they think of optimization, but your profile photos deliver a critical first impression of you. Social profile photos users a lot about what your business. Be sure that the profile photo and other page elements (like a follow button) do not block anything important on the cover photo.
Remember that old saying? You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well, it is true, sort of. The great part of being online is we can change up content and images as often as we like. When we get a better headshot, we can change our profile photos too. If your social profile photos do not tell users what you do, sell, or stand for, the consider replacing them and get some professional photography or graphic artist help if needed!
Your website is also part of the optimizing for social media plan. Although you have little control over what your readers share online as user-generated content, you can at least encourage them to share good quality images from your website. Include an image in portrait (taller than it is wide) and landscape (wider than it is tall) layout on each page. This gives the user the ability to share an image appropriate for the layout of the social site.
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