Ever posted what you thought was a killer photo, only to see it cropped weirdly or completely underperform on social media? Yeah, I’ve been there too. You spend all this time perfecting the lighting, framing, and caption. And then boom, the algorithm buries your masterpiece. One of the most overlooked reasons? The image format.

The dimensions and orientation of your images can drastically affect how they show up in someone’s feed. And whether they really pop or just sort of fade into the scroll. Let’s break it down and talk real-world examples, best practices, and the kind of tips I wish someone had told me years ago.

Before you shoot or design anything, stop and think about where it’s going: Is this photo destined for a Facebook post? An Instagram reel cover? A Pinterest board?

Each platform showcases media differently. You could use the same image across channels, sure. But without tailoring the format, you’re probably missing out on some serious engagement.

There’s also an algorithmic factor at play. Platforms tend to favor posts that fill more screen real estate. More visibility on a screen often means more time looking at your content, which boosts relevance in that platform’s eyes. That means the size and shape of your image might be just as important as what’s in it.

Let’s dig into the major players: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter (yes, it’s still around and making noise).

• Square (1:1): 1080 x 1080 px
• Portrait/Vertical (4:5): 1080 x 1350 px
• Landscape (1.91:1): 1080 x 566 px

Instagram’s OG identity is square, but vertical performs better. Why? Because it occupies more screen height. After running several A/B posts on a client campaign (retail apparel brand), we found vertical images averaged 28% higher engagement than landscape on the main feed.

Pro Tip: Keep text or vital elements centered, as cropping can occur in carousel thumbnails and previews.

• Recommended size: 1200 x 630 px (landscape)
• Stories: 1080 x 1920 px (vertical)

Facebook favors landscape when it comes to link previews and image posts. However, vertical photos in carousel ads often outperform traditional landscape formats because. Again. They take up more space.

I worked with a local food truck brand who saw 2.3x higher click-through rates when they switched their Facebook ad images from landscape to vertical. It was a small change with surprising payoff.

• Optimal Pin (2:3 ratio): 1000 x 1500 px
• Max Pin height recommendation: 1260 x 2000 px

Pinterest is where vertical truly reigns supreme. The entire UI is designed to stack tall images, giving them more surface area and scroll-time. Pins that are too short often get overlooked. According to Pinterest’s Creator Guidelines (as of early 2025), images taller than a 2:3 ratio may be cut off or deprioritized.

If you’re into DIY, recipes, or visual storytelling, lean into vertical. Our own tests with a wedding decor Pinterest client showed a 47% increase in repins when Pin height was maxed out (within platform limits).

• Recommended feed image: 1200 x 627 px
• Square and landscape both work, but square tends to feel more “mobile-friendly”

Unlike flashier platforms, LinkedIn is more buttoned-up. But it still likes clean, formatted visuals. Think less is more. From my experience consulting for B2B SaaS companies, square visuals with limited, legible text have proven to get more than double the click engagement than landscape banner-style graphics on desktop.

• Standard post image: 1200 x 675 px
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (landscape)
• Max display in stream: ~600 px height before cropping

Twitter likes wide and short, but it’s also notorious for auto-cropping. Their 2021 AI cropping tool update helped a bit, but previews still don’t always show your entire image.

If your image isn’t communicating value in the first few pixels, it might not hit. I’ve learned the hard way: always equip a Twitter image to speak before the caption does.

So here’s the million-dollar question: Can one image work across all social networks?

With careful planning, yes. But it’s tricky.

Here’s a go-to shortcut I use when my time (or client budget) is tight:

• Design in 4:5 (vertical) first. Works well for Instagram, repurposes decently on Pinterest.
• Then resize or crop for Facebook and LinkedIn as needed.
• Use wide crops (16:9) for Twitter/X.

Apps like Canva and Adobe Express now offer resizing tools that simplify this process. I’ve saved hours using batch export settings and keeping a library of flexible templates across ratios.

• Keep Important Stuff Centered: Especially text or faces. Avoid the dreaded awkward crop.
• Use High Contrast: Works better on mobile screens.
• Legibility is Key: Fancy fonts might look cool on desktop but are often unreadable on mobile.
• Preview Before Posting: Nothing ruins a good campaign like a poor thumbnail.

A golden rule I’ve learned: Design for mobile first. Over 80% of social media use happens on mobile devices (Statista, March 2025). If your format doesn’t look good there? It’s a no-go.

At the end of the day, you don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to optimize image format. But you do need to be intentional. The same photo can flop on one platform and soar on another simply because of how it fits the screen.

Start treating format as part of your strategy. Want more reach? Go vertical. Prioritizing shares? Think Pinterest-length. Looking for link clicks? Hit Facebook with the right ratio.

Formats don’t just frame your image. They frame your engagement.

Don’t let the algorithm crop you out. Take five extra minutes, resize your visuals, and watch your numbers thank you later.

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” image, but a vertical 4:5 (1080 x 1350 px) is often a good starting point. It performs well on Instagram, can be adapted for Pinterest, and easily cropped for Facebook or LinkedIn. Just be sure to keep focal elements centered for flexible cropping.

Based on multiple studies and real client campaigns, yes. On most mobile-dominant platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, vertical images get better engagement. They take up more space, which equals more attention. That said, landscape still works best for Twitter and Facebook link shares.

Absolutely. But sparingly. Keep any text large, legible, and mobile-friendly. Platforms like Pinterest or LinkedIn benefit from headlines in your visuals. But don’t overcrowd the image. On Instagram or Facebook, images without too much text often perform better with the algorithm.

Not ideally. Stories typically use a 9:16 ratio (1080 x 1920 px), which is much taller than most feed-friendly images. Repurposing can work, but always preview how it’ll look in Stories before publishing to avoid poor framing or awkward cropping.

Start A/B testing. Post two variations (like square vs vertical) of similar content at the same time on the same platform. Keep everything else identical. Watch which gets better reach, likes, or shares. Tools like Meta Ads Manager and Instagram Insights can give you the data.