As a digital marketer, I am inevitably drawn to the fast-paced and dynamic environment of social media.  Everything is constantly changing and even the most minute size change to a sponsored Facebook post can be a game changer.  Whether you are managing a massive brand with hundreds of thousands of followers or just starting to get your feet wet in the digital world, it is so important to familiarize yourself with the various types of social content.

There are several cheat sheets and infographics you can find online that provide dimensions for social properties.  My personal favorite is Sprout Social’s guide which always has an up-to-date Google doc with the creative specs for Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest,  LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr.  This is extremely helpful when creating or managing visual content on each of your platforms (including your personal pages!).  In addition to these basic graphics, you also must stay informed on all social advertising sizes.

When you’re dealing with paid digital media, an essential reference is the Facebook Ad Guide which clearly lays out each type of ad and it’s recommended dimensions. 

The new specs for Instagram ads are also included.  Google provides a similar guide for their display and video ads.  However, if you do not have the capabilities to create 10 sizes for each display campaign, the sizes that are most effective are 336x280, 300x250, 728x90 and 300x600.