How to make a great first impression in less than one second 

Cover photos. Profile pictures. They’re the first things your fans see when they come to your social media channels. And according to a study out of Princeton University, it only takes people 1/10 of a second to form an opinion about a person, page or brand—and that opinion is based solely on an image.  

So, how can you make sure that opinion is a good one? 

1. Pay close attention to dimensions. 

As you may or may not know, a cover photo is the banner image that extends across your social media site’s page, while a profile picture is the smaller, square icon that accompanies your posts. And unfortunately, in the social media world, almost every site has different dimensions for these photos. For example, a Facebook cover photo is a different size than Twitter’s. LinkedIn’s is a different size than YouTube’s. And the list goes on. So, how can you keep track? We recommend using this cheat sheet to make sure your images are sized appropriately. (Note: These sizes are subject to change as social media sites make modifications.)

2. Make sure they’re “on brand.” 

If you haven’t already established brand standards for your agency, social media creates a great opportunity to select your corporate colors and fonts. And if you decided your brand color is Navy and your brand font is Tahoma, make sure your cover photos and profile pictures utilize them. 

3. Keep consistent across your channels. 

Are you managing multiple social media channels for your brand? If so, it’s important to keep them consistent. Your cover photos and profile pictures should be the same on each site—or at least, very similar—so users can easily identify they belong to the same brand.

4. Change them quarterly, or by campaign. 

Promoting watercraft and recreational insurance in the summer? Why not use a photo of a boat as your cover photo? Focusing on commercial insurance in the fall? Feature an image of employees on a job site. Keeping your pages refreshed and relevant will keep fans coming back to engage with you. 

Has a company’s profile picture or cover photo ever caught your eye? Tell us in the comments below.