The Complete Guide to Social Media Ad Sizes and Specs

In the modern age, it goes without saying that social media is at the forefront of our lives - and it’s likely to remain there for quite some time. Every single post we write, see or absorb has some kind of meaning, whether it comes through the algorithm or we actively seek it out. It sounds pretty intense, but it's hard to avoid as long as you’ve got a phone or laptop.

Because of that, businesses across the globe have decided to utilise this to their advantage. Everyone wants to create a buzz for their brand, and there are many different ways in which to do that, but few are as effective as social media. Something can go viral overnight, it can lead to a string of new clients coming through the door, and before you know it, you’re making more money than you ever could’ve dreamt of.

As such, we’ve decided to focus our attention on a very important piece of the puzzle: social media post sizes and specs. It’s not an overstatement to suggest that a piece of content can live or die based on these laws, whether that’s fair or not. So, today, we’re going to take the time to run through all of the big players and how you can best harness their capabilities.

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What is a social media strategy?

It might seem easy to jump headfirst into a project with nothing more than a few ideas and your own intuition. While we appreciate and respect the grind, this isn’t always the best route forward. For as good as your plans may be, you need to reinforce them with some actual statistics and data - which is where a social media strategy comes in.

At its core, a social media strategy outlines your social media goals, the techniques you want to use to achieve them, and the metrics that can be tracked to measure your performance; it doesn’t have to be overly complex or headache-inducing, especially if you sit down with your team and lay it all out - but you do have to keep a close eye on it throughout its shelf life.

For social media images and sizes, this comes in clutch. It can be quite tempting to slip into a routine that involves you posting from time to time without actively engaging with your audience; that’s a mistake. Instead of taking on this philosophy, why not take a few minutes out of your day to learn a bit more about the tech giants of this world?

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What sizes should social media posts be?

This isn’t likely to come as much of a shock, but everything surrounding this query changes depending on the platform. When rushing onto your Facebook, TikTok, Instagram or even Bebo page (shoutout to the oldies out there), you need to know what’s what. If something works within the layout of one, that doesn’t at all guarantee that it’ll work with the other.

Sure, some companies, such as Facebook and Instagram, are intertwined under the same banner, which makes them easier to manage. With that being said, it doesn’t mean they’re the same thing. Social media post sizes are delicate and need to be treated as such, which is why we’re focusing on the ‘big three’, if you will.

P.S.: For all Twitter lovers out there, we suggest an amusing quip here and there will do just fine most of the time. For all of the other players in town, we’ve got your back.

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What aspect ratio is TikTok?

Over the course of the last few years, TikTok has exploded into life. What was once a simple tool used to make amusing videos has become one of the most downloaded applications on the planet. Most of you reading this would’ve created one to kill time or entertain your friends, but you may not know how the dimensions can factor into the procedure.

On the face of it, TikTok recommends that the dimensions for their videos are 1080 x 1920 pixels. This corresponds to around 9:16 as an aspect ratio, coming in at the portrait size that fits the bill for nearly every mainstream smartphone device. It’s probably one of the most simple to stick to, especially when you consider just how short the videos tend to be.

Recommended size: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16) vertical videos

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What is the best size for an Instagram post?

Instagram has been changing with the times in a big way in the ‘20s. It was previously used to share fun imagery with your pals, but these days, it’s not unusual to see more videos and adverts than anything else. It can be annoying, but if you want your business to thrive through unlimited graphic design services or just a quick clip, then you’ll want to pay attention.

For most actual Stories, 1080 x 1920 with a ratio of 9:16 once again comes into play - which isn’t too dissimilar to TikTok. However, that isn’t the only tool in Instagram’s shed. For square posts, which have been their trademark for a long time, 1080 x 1080 at a 1:1 aspect ratio is the way forward. If you’re going landscape, which more and more people are doing, shoot for 1080 x 566 with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 - or perhaps even 1080 x 1350 with a 4:5 ratio.

Recommended sizes:

• Stories: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
• Square posts: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
• Landscape: 1080 x 566 px (1.91:1) or 1080 x 1350 px (4:5)
• Portrait: 566 x 1080 (1:1.91) or 1350 x 1080 px (4:5)

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What is the best size for a Facebook post?

Many readers will see Facebook as something that our parents or relatives use more than ourselves - when in reality, it’s an absolute gold mine for advertisements and making money. It’s been around for well over 15 years now; even with that being the case, monetisation on this platform has been shifting on a near-quarterly basis. So, you can understand why we can’t just push it to one side.

Recent studies suggest that, for a landscape post, 1200 x 630 is the most common spec to use. This shifts in the other direction at 630 x 1200 for portrait, with a square piece coming in at 1200 x 1200 - dominating the screen, as Facebook tends to do. If you want to post a Story, old reliable enters the conversation at 1080 x 1920 as the perfect social media post size.

Recommended sizes:

• Stories: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
• Landscape picture: 1200 x 630 px (60:31)
• Portrait picture: 630 x 1200 px (31:60)
• Square: 1200 x 1200 px (1:1) — also best for carousel posts!

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Need help with social media? Contact Hatchly

Social media can be an utterly terrifying prospect for some of you, and we can completely understand that. After all, the success or failure of your business shouldn’t necessarily rely on a quick scroll here or there - it should be about the product. At the same time, acknowledging its relevance is the first step to ensuring you stay in the game at the highest level.

At Hatchly, we take on a number of different roles with regard to our graphic design work. We can handle various assignments and construct them in a manner that will allow you to worry a little bit less about this sub-genre of the job. Between fair pricing and a committed team of professionals, we’re here to help, and we won’t stop until you reach your target.

So, if you want to learn a bit more about us, feel free to get in touch!