Optimising your video for social media is key for enabling your audience to see your video – this can materialise from how your video is presenting aesthetically on the feed to using appropriate tags and alt-text to gain further reach.
Social media sizes seem to be changing constantly – one day your cover image may fit perfectly, the next it’s been resized and now looks pixelated. When this occurs, trying to find the necessary information to keep on top of these changes is incredibly hard to come by.
We recommend checking out this Hootsuite article for advice on the ever changing social media dimensions.
What is social media aspect ratio?
The predominantly-mobile social network is perfect to share videos of any size organically to reach your audience. Video Guidelines. Minimum resolution for all formats is 1080×1080. Multiple aspect ratios are supported: Landscape aspect ratio is 16:9, square aspect ratio is 1:1, vertical aspect ratio is 4:5. (source from google)
Using Facebook cover photos as an example, the aspect ratio differs from mobile to desktop – the best and easiest way to adapt to this is beginning with a 16:9 aspect ratio horizontal image and prepare for the need to crop the top and bottom. We recommend keeping important elements such as text in the forefront of the image to allow these key features to remain in frame.
(following copy from source.)
Social media image aspect ratio, simplified
From most horizontal to most vertical, here are the aspect ratios and suggested sizes that work across social media. Some shapes work across several platforms: asterisked* means it’s the preferred shape on that platform.
1.91:1 ratioÂ
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter links shares*: 1200 x 628 pixels
Instagram and Twitter photo posts: 1200 x 628 works here as well
16:9 ratio
Twitter photos*, Facebook photos: 1200 x 675 pixels
Facebook cover photos (allow for cropping top and bottom!): 1200 x 675 pixels or larger
YouTube channel art*: 2560 x 1440
YouTube video thumbnails*: 1280 x 720
1:1 ratio (square)
Instagram photos*, Facebook photos: 1200 x 1200 pixels
Pinterest Pins (repurpose from Instagram)
All profile pictures* (allow cropping to circle): 500 x 500
YouTube channel icon*: 800 x 800