Specs for an Optimized Facebook Profile Picture

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Optimizing a profile picture on your Facebook Page is important to maximize your branding on Facebook. The profile picture is not only prime real estate on the Wall tab – the default landing tab for your page’s connections/fans – but it is also responsible for the thumbnail picture. The thumbnail picture is the small picture that appears by every status update from the Page. This picture along with the Page’s name brands every status update on Facebook from your page, regardless of where the connection/fan reads the update (i.e. their home page, the actual page or from their smart phones). It’s important to maximize this space because Facebook status updates help your company stay top-of-mind with your connections/fans.  The thumbnail serves as an optimal visual cue for your connections/fans to associate all of your status updates with your company.

The maximum size of a profile picture can be 200x600px; the maximum file size is 4MB. However, to optimize the thumbnail, whatever you’d like to fill this space (logos are often used) should be 175x175px and can live anywhere within the overall profile picture design.

If you upload pictures other than 200x600px Facebook will automatically resize the photo. Using the “edit thumbnail” option, you can select what part of the profile picture you’d like to feature as the thumbnail. Just remember that the thumbnail is a small picture so you want to choose an image that will look good sized down to 50x50px.

It’s recommended to strategize how you’d like to use your profile picture. Do you want to simply share your company’s logo? Or maybe feature a connection/fan photo? Or maybe you want to feature a product? Is there something else compelling that you want associated with your company?  Below are three examples of companies using their profile pictures well. Have you seen any other companies doing anything clever with their profile pictures?

Keep in mind that the thumbnail picture is just 50x50px. You want to make sure that your logo or whatever image you select for your thumbnail looks good in the profile picture AND the thumbnail picture.

 

We love how Keen features fan photos with the caption on the photo. Featuring fan photos is a great way to encourage fans/connections to upload photos to your Page.

 

Victoria Secret does a great job with their PINK page’s picture by rotating out the image above the logo to reflect that season’s featured product.

 

Dunkin Donuts also uses their profile picture to feature fans. We love how they incorporate the fan photo with their branding in the profile picture.

Post written by Helen Todd aka @helenstravels. To learn more from fbadz.com, connect with us on Facebook!

Written By:

Helen Todd

Helen Todd is the co-founder and CEO of Sociality Squared, a full service social media agency based in New York City since 2010 who understands the magic of people coming together around what they value and love. Helen is an award-winning marketer, international speaker, and also an advisor and speaker for SXSW Interactive. Helen holds a Master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College.