Display advertising on social media is a powerful way to reach and engage your target audience. But to make your ads stand out and perform well, you need to optimize your digital images for each platform and format. Here are some best practices to help you create and optimize your images for social media display advertising.
Different social media platforms support different image formats, such as JPG, PNG, GIF, or SVG. You need to choose the format that best suits your image content, quality, and size. Generally, JPG is the most common and versatile format, as it offers good compression and compatibility. PNG is better for images with transparency, text, or graphics, as it preserves more details and colors. GIF is ideal for animations, but it has a limited color palette and can be heavy. SVG is a vector-based format that scales well and is suitable for logos and icons, but it is not widely supported.
With the rise of Generative AI tools, all these processes will be automated. The right format won't matter as much, but the story we tell our customers will matter more than ever. It will be a refreshing time, in which the time we used to put doing manual work like this, will be used in creating what is the soul of marketing - a story.
With the increasing prevalence of Generative AI tools, many processes will be automated. Although the format may lose significance, the story we communicate to our clients will have a greater impact than ever before. This creates an exciting opportunity to concentrate on the core of marketing - creating a captivating narrative - instead of devoting numerous hours to manual tasks.
Prioritize the use of .jpg/.jpeg images in most cases. *.PNG (portable network graphics) can be a bit bulky even if they do have enhanced resolution that's ideal for text. Reserve *.SVG (scalable vector graphics) images for situations where they are essential.
-> In the digital ad world, understanding image formats is crucial. Why? Tailoring to device capabilities can skyrocket engagement! ?? Optimising "heavier" formats like PNGs boosts load times. Did you know? Platforms might favour certain formats, giving your ad an edge. As tech evolves, staying updated is a must. Interactive elements in SVGs? They can be game-changers! And remember, compression tools are your best friend, ensuring top-notch visuals across devices. Every choice counts in achieving ad success!
High quality images are better but, we have to keep them at an optimal size not too heavy because it will effect loading time. Secondly for image optimization for digital ads alt tags are important as that's explaining to the search engine or the platform what the image is about.
Each social media platform has its own specifications and guidelines for image sizes and dimensions. You need to resize and crop your images according to the requirements of the platform and the ad type you are using. For example, Facebook recommends a 1.91:1 aspect ratio for image link ads, a 1:1 aspect ratio for carousel and collection ads, and a 9:16 aspect ratio for stories ads. You can use online tools or software to resize and crop your images easily and accurately. Remember to keep the most important elements of your image within the safe zone and avoid unnecessary white space or borders.
When advertising on LinkedIn, it is crucial to adhere to the suggested dimensions and aspect ratio for images, which are 1200 x 627 pixels and 16:9, respectively. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that LinkedIn enforces more stringent rules regarding images, which must be polished and devoid of promotional text or hashtags. Instead, images should emphasize the worth of the content or service provided, rather than solely attempting to sell something.
Paying attention to optimal image sizes for each platform is good starting point. However, how each media type (image, gif, carousel, videos etc) preforms, changes over time. The media performance changes changes with how people interact with the platform. Features are still being added/removed/changed on nearly all platforms. A square 'meme' with the 2nd media as a video (elaborating on the nature of the meme) seems to preforming well on Instagram at the moment (Sept 2023) as pointed out by Gary Vaynerchuck.
LinkedIn has different size recommendations. The recommended image size for LinkedIn ads is 1200 x 627 pixels, and the recommended aspect ratio is 16:9. It's also important to note that LinkedIn has stricter guidelines around images. Images should be professional, and they should not contain promotional language or hashtags. Images should also be focused on the value of the content or service being offered, rather than focusing on selling something.
Some ways to get started: One thing I found helpful is using dedicated image editing software like Adobe Photoshop or free online tools like Canva to easily resize and crop images according to each platform's guidelines. An example I've seen that worked well was a brand that used the 9:16 aspect ratio for their Instagram Stories ads. They kept the key message and CTA within the "safe zone," ensuring that it was visible even on smaller mobile screens.
Before you decide on the dimensions for your creative assets, you should first research the platforms that you'll be publishing on, and cross-check with your targeted demographics to find out most common devices/resolutions. This gives you the main aspect ratio that your artwork should be designed around. Social media platforms tend to resize and compress assets to save space and bandwidth, and this compression will lower the quality of your artwork. What I found to help with quality degradation is doubling the dimensions of everything you create (so, 2x at export time) so the compression effects are less visible.
The loading speed of your images can affect your ad performance and user experience. You want your images to load as fast as possible, without compromising their quality. To optimize your images for speed, you need to reduce their file size by using compression techniques and tools. Compression reduces the amount of data in your images, making them lighter and faster to load. There are two types of compression: lossless and lossy. Lossless compression preserves the original quality of your image, but it does not reduce the file size significantly. Lossy compression reduces the file size more drastically, but it also lowers the quality of your image. You need to find the right balance between quality and size, depending on your image content and purpose.
Improving the loading speed of images is pivotal to enhance user experience and website performance. To accomplish this, compressing image files by reducing their size is imperative. The compression method to opt for depends on the nature of the content. If you necessitate the finest image quality, go for lossless compression. However, if your primary focus is to reduce file size, lossy compression is the way to go. Striking a balance between image quality and loading time is essential to provide an optimal user experience and maximize ad performance.
To improve a website's performance and enhance user satisfaction, it's crucial to optimize an image's loading speed. Achieve this by reducing image file sizes through compression techniques. The best compression technique for you will depend on your specific needs and content. If you need to maintain the highest possible image quality, you should use lossless compression. If you are more concerned with reducing file size, you can use lossy compression. Balancing quality and loading speed is key to delivering an excellent user experience and maximizing ad performance.
Some ways to get started: One thing I found helpful is using image compression tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim. These tools offer both lossless and lossy compression options, allowing you to find the right balance between image quality and file size. An example I've seen that was effective involved a brand using lossless compression for product images where detail was crucial, and lossy compression for background or less important images. This strategy ensured quick load times without sacrificing essential details.
Optimizing images for speed is a simple yet effective step to enhance both ad performance and user experience on your digital platform. The quicker an image loads, the better the user engagement, but you don't want to lose image quality in the process. Compression comes in two flavors: lossless and lossy. While lossless keeps the image quality intact but offers minimal size reduction, lossy gives you a smaller file size with a trade-off in quality. The trick is to strike a balance, choosing a compression level that maintains a good enough image quality while providing a significant reduction in file size. Tailoring this balance to the purpose of each image will ensure you’re delivering a visually appealing and swift user experience.
Color and contrast are essential components of your image design, as they can influence the mood, message, and attention of your audience. When using color and contrast in your images, you should consider the brand identity and style, as well as the tone and emotion of your ad. Moreover, it's important to select colors that contrast well with the background and text of your ad, as well as the platform you are using. Additionally, make sure you use colors that are relevant and appropriate for your audience, market, and culture. Contrast is also key to creating hierarchy, focus, and clarity in your image. Utilizing contrast can help you highlight the most important elements of your image, such as your logo, headline, or call to action. Contrast can also add depth, dimension, and interest in your image.
Here are a few tips for using colour and contrast in your image design: Choose colours that are relevant to your brand identity and style, as well as the tone and emotion of your ad.? Make sure your colors contrast well with the background and text of your ad, as well as the platform you are using.? Use contrast to create hierarchy, focus, and clarity in your image.? Use colours that are relevant and appropriate for your audience, market, and culture.
As much as it can get expensive quickly, I would recommend to use at least 2 core variants - 1 each for dark and light backgrounds. Resizing of the images to as many sizes as the platform permits is also very important. Today, resizing images is not very difficult, including with platforms like Canva, Microsoft Designer, etc. Also, as a marketer, it is important to provide a good brief of what you want in the creative to your (hopefully excellent) graphics designer. Often, we just give them the ad copy and let them run from there. I have seen a good image brief delivering incredible returns.
Some ways to get started: One thing I found helpful is using a color wheel or palette generator to identify complementary colors that not only align with the brand but also stand out on the platform's background. An example I've seen that was impactful involved a brand using high contrast between the text and the background in their ad. This made their call-to-action pop, leading to higher engagement rates.
The final and most important step to optimize your images for display advertising on social media is to test and measure their performance. You need to test different versions of your images, such as different formats, sizes, colors, or layouts, and see which ones generate the best results. You can use tools such as Facebook's Creative Hub or Google's Display & Video 360 to create and test your images across different platforms and devices. You also need to measure the performance of your images, such as their impressions, clicks, conversions, or engagement, and see how they contribute to your ad goals. You can use tools such as Facebook's Ads Manager or Google's Analytics to track and analyze your image performance. Based on your testing and measurement, you can optimize your images further and improve your display advertising on social media.
Image testing and measurement are essential for optimizing your social media display ads. Experiment with different versions of your images and track their performance to see what works best for your audience and goals. Use social media advertising platforms and analytics tools to make informed decisions about your image strategy.
Some ways to get started: One thing I found helpful is using A/B testing to compare different image elements like color schemes, text placement, and even the type of imagery used. Tools like Facebook's Creative Hub make this process straightforward. An example I've seen that yielded great results was a brand that closely monitored their ad metrics through Google Analytics. They were able to identify which images led to higher conversions and optimized their campaign accordingly.
To optimize your LinkedIn display ads or content impact, I'd recommend following these best practices: 1. Target your ads to a specific audience, based on criteria like job title, industry, or company size. 2. Use professional, high-quality images. 3. Use strong, clear calls to action. 4. Use concise and compelling ad copy. 5. Include a link to a relevant landing page. 6. A/B test your ads to see what works best. People are more likely to engage with an ad or image in an article, that tells a story or provides a solution to a problem they're facing.
It's very important to run accessibility tests on all artwork generated, as this addresses those users who might have trouble quickly capturing your message. There are free tools on the web where you can upload an example of your creative asset and it will report on contrast, colors, etc. Another thing I learned from A/B tests when developing creatives is to use elements that directly correspond to a basic human need your ad is using. For example, if your ad is using "hunger" to carry a message, using a photo of a nice looking steak on a plate gets a lot more clickthroughs than showing a hungry person.
When you think of creative testing, think of three parts: 1. Creative Format: The selected content format for the platform you are using- what type of creative performs best? EX: Tik tok= UGC with CTA 2. Copy- on & off screen: Long ad copy will take viewing time from the consumer, whereas a simple targeted message with a CTA; allows the creative to "explain" the offer. 3. Targeted Impressions: Who is your creative supposed to be viewed by? Are you testing with that audience, if not your creative will not resonate resulting in low engagement per test.
to optimize digital images for display advertising on social media, also should consider the several placements it can be in, where it can be placed! keeping these in head while posting digital image, will help you to increase reach of your content!
Optimizing images for social media ads involves resizing for specific platforms, compressing files to reduce size without sacrificing quality, and choosing the right format (JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics). Focus on vibrant, eye-catching visuals. Use descriptive filenames and relevant alt text for accessibility. Test images on various devices to ensure responsiveness. Consider the image-to-text ratio as per platform guidelines. Lastly, use tools like Adobe Photoshop or online platforms like Canva for easy resizing and editing. These steps enhance image quality and engagement in social media advertising.
To optimize digital images for display advertising, it's important to consider the following: Use JPG for versatility, PNG for transparency and graphics, GIF for animations, and SVG for logos and icons. Adhere to each social media platform's image size and dimension requirements. Use online tools or software to resize and crop your images accurately. Fast-loading images are crucial for ad performance and user experience. Reduce image file size using compression techniques, but find a balance between preserving quality and reducing size. By following these best practices and continuously refining your image optimization strategies, you can enhance the effectiveness of your display advertising on social media platforms.