For some, the word “optimization” conjures up thoughts of complicated mathematics and data analysis. It can seem like one of those things that only a true “data geek” could ever hope to understand.
At its core, however, the science of optimization is really quite simple: It’s all about making improvements. It’s about taking what you already have and then — through experimenting and measuring — figuring out ways to make it even better.
Use the Proper Image Dimensions for Social Profiles and Posts
If you don’t pay attention to the dimensions of the images you’re uploading and sharing, you could end up with unpleasant cropping or distorting. This is especially true when it comes to social media cover photos.
To ensure your social profiles showcase your brand and business in the best possible light, stick to the recommended image dimensions (in pixels) that the social networks provide. Here’s a list of dimensions for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube. All dimensions are given as width x height.
Cover photo: 851 x 315
Profile picture: 160 x 160 (upload as 180 x 180)
App icons: 111 x 74
Timeline: 504 x height is up to you (shared image), 484 x 252 (shared link)
News feed: 470 x 394 (shared image), 470 x 246 (shared link)
Header image: 1252 x 626, 1500 x 500 (redesign)
Profile picture: 250 x 250
Image in feed: 1024 x 512
Banner image: 624 x 220
Logo: 100 x 60
Link Thumbnail: 100 x 100
Cover photo: 1010 x 608 (recommended), 480 x 270 (minimum), 2120 x 1192 (maximum)
Profile picture: 250 x 250
Image post: 4:3 aspect ratio (800 x 600 minimum)
Board cover: 217 x 147
Preview image: 51 x 51
Banner image: 2560 x 1440 (TV), 2560 x 423 (desktop), 1546 x 423 (mobile)
Figure Out the Best Times to Post
In addition to having calculated ideal post frequencies, Zarrella looked into the best days and times to post to various social media channels.
For example, his data showed that when it comes to expanding your reach on Twitter, 5 p.m. is the best time to tweet. (That’s when the highest percentage of retweets occur.) For Facebook, noon and a little after 7 p.m. are the two top times for maximizing your reach, as those are the two times of day when Facebook shares spike.
Ultimately, however, there are many different studies that all point to different ideal days and times for posting. So, as was the case with post frequency, you’ll need to do some testing to figure out your ideal post times.
To start, open up your social media publishing tool and sort your past posts by the number of clicks they’ve received. By scrolling through this list, you should be able to identify any prominent trends related to post timing. For example, if you see that seven of your top ten most-clicked LinkedIn posts were shared between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., that’s a good indication that 1-2 is your LinkedIn posting “sweet spot.”
However, keep in mind that clicks don’t equal customers. To truly understand the impact of your post timing, you’ll need a social media publishing tool that can talk directly to your database of contacts (if you’re a HubSpot customer, that technology is already in place). This connection between your publishing tool and your database will allow you to focus your efforts and figure out ideal post times for engaging existing leads and customers, and not just your audience at large.