Facebook Images Driving You Crazy?
You work at a veterinary hospital, not a graphic design studio. If, like me, figuring out the sizing for Facebook photos on your animal clinic’s Facebook page drives you crazy – don’t worry! I have created a mini guide for you to follow about sizing photos for a veterinary Facebook page. The measurements of Facebook images are in “pixels”, a popular unit of measurement akin to inches for the internet. Before we go over the image sizes, let’s clarify what the various images your veterinary hospital’s Facebook page are.
What Are All of The Images At The Top of My Facebook Page?
Ok – if you’re totally new to Facebook for veterinary business, you might not know all of the terms for the various photos that are included on your page. Let’s start with the layout of your veterinary hospital’s Facebook page, using our friends at Brooklyn-Canterbury Large Animal Clinic as an example.
1.) The Cover Photo (851 pixels x 315 pixels): Marked as #1 above and outlined in orange, this large photo is what Facebook calls your “cover photo.” Your veterinary hospital’s Facebook cover photo is 851 pixels x 315 pixels.
This is a large image that is great for showcasing what’s currently going on at your veterinary practice. Whether you’re promoting dental health month or a new website, let people know here. PLEASE – I truly insist that you DO NOT use pictures of your hospital! I’m sure you have a beautiful facility, but veterinary clients like your Facebook page to connect with your patients, other clients and your staff. Make the cover of your veterinary hospital’s Facebook more personal than polished!
2.) Your Profile Picture (180 pixels x 180 pixels): Marked as #2 in the image above, your profile picture is what Facebook users will see when you post. The Facebook profile photo for your veterinary hospital must be at least 180 pixels x 180 pixels to upload, but only 160 x 160 pixels will show. Confused? Essentially only a very small boarder of your photo will not show in all versions. Just don’t put anything you wouldn’t want cut off on the very edge of your animal clinic’s veterinary Facebook photo, and you’ll be fine.
Using a featured patient as a profile picture
The majority of “marketing specialists” will tell you to “brand your veterinary practice” with your logo as your Facebook profile picture. I do not take this approach with the hospital I manage, nor with the clinics I consult for. Why? I find that using a logo as a Facebook photo is too impersonal for a veterinary hospital.
Users on Facebook will always see the name of your page, eg: BC Large Animal Clinic, next to your photo. They don’t need a logo to remind them of who you are! A logo isn’t any fun to engage with, and it only shows that you know how to hire a graphic designer for your veterinary hospital. We suggest using the profile picture to showcase staff members or patients. Imagine how special a client will feel if their own pet is your hospital’s Facebook mascot for a week. At Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital, I often use the pet postcards clients send me from The Vet App as profile pictures. Doesn’t that sound a lot more fun than a logo? It goes against traditional marketing logic, but hey – I’m not a marketing expert! I’m teaching what works for a veterinary hospital’s Facebook.
3.) Custom Apps (111 pixels x 74 pixels): A custom Facebook app can take the place of the “events”, “likes” or other photos that you see in the area marked as #3 in the photo I posted above. Although creating these apps is a slightly more advanced part of learning to use Facebook for your veterinary hospital, it’s important to know the size of the photo. If you are interested in creating your own free apps, I recommend Woobox.com. Want someone else to help you? Check out in-TOUCH mobile’s custom Facebook apps for veterinary hospitals. I will detail how to use custom Facebook apps in a later post, but you can always check out the SNOUT School social media tools section for ideas.
What About The Images I Post to My Veterinary Facebook Timeline?
Veterinary Blog Post Facebook Photo
Including images in just about EVERY Facebook post you make is a great way to increase engagement. Since your animal clinic’s Facebook posts won’t show up in your clients’ feed unless they’ve proven to be engaging, this is important!
Facebook Image Posts (401 pixels x 401 pixels): Photos can be used for a variety of reasons on your veterinary hospital’s Facebook. Whether you’re sharing a patient picture, showcasing a blog that one of your veterinarians wrote or welcoming a new vet tech to your hospital’s team – USE A PHOTO!
Photos that are other sizes will upload, but they will be cut off into a square to fit that space. I recommend starting with an image that is 401 x 401 to begin with to avoid losing any of the important information that you want your veterinary clients to see.
Highlighted Facebook images (843 pixels x 403 pixels): If a veterinarian or vet tech at your hospital wants to ensure that pet parents see a certain post, you can choose to “highlight it.” This expanded version, which will go across your Facebook page instead of in 1 column, is 843 x 403 pixels.
Where Am I Supposed to Find Images & Edit Them?
Including great images on your animal hospital’s Facebook is important. Photos will undoubtedly increase engagement in any post your hospital makes. If you need an easy place to create images for free online, check out PicMonkey.com. You can get stock images from iStockPhoto.com, but clients love to see pet pictures, staff photos and more of your hospital’s own content. Simply make a Facebook status asking your clients to post photos to your Facebook wall that they give you permission to use in social media and on your website. You will get a surprising amount of great photos. If your hospital has a custom smartphone app, like the Vet App, you can always have clients send fun photos in that way, too!
Find this helpful? I would really appreciate it if you shared this post on Facebook, tweeted it, pinned it or told another veterinary professional all about it in REAL life!
If you have any questions about sizing images for your veterinary clinic’s Facebook page, please feel free to leave a comment below. I strive to check them, but I can also be reached at Danielle@SnoutConsulting.com. If you found this post useful, please like it, share it or pin it to your Pinterest! Be sure to enroll in SNOUT School to get these great bits of information before anyone else in the veterinary industry.
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