When sharing content on LinkedIn, the thumbnail image is an important factor that can help draw attention and increase engagement. The thumbnail acts as a visual preview alongside the title and description of your post. While LinkedIn will automatically select a thumbnail from the content you share, you may want to customize it to make the post more eye-catching.
What is the LinkedIn thumbnail image?
The LinkedIn thumbnail image appears in three key places:
- In the main LinkedIn feed next to your post title and description
- In notifications members receive about your post
- When your post is reshared by others
This small square image lets viewers quickly visualize what your content is about. It gives an initial impression of your post before they click to read more. The image dimensions for the thumbnail are 150 x 150 pixels.
Why choose the right thumbnail image?
Selecting an effective thumbnail image for your LinkedIn posts has several benefits:
- Makes your post stand out visually in the feed
- Grabs attention with eye-catching imagery
- Conveys what the post is about at a glance
- Encourages more engagement and clicks
- Creates a more professional, polished look
In contrast, a poor thumbnail image can:
- Look amateurish or low quality
- Fail to represent the content accurately
- Appear blurry or pixelated at small sizes
- Cause viewers to scroll past your post
Putting thought into your thumbnail demonstrates your brand and enhances how your posts are perceived.
How does LinkedIn automatically select thumbnails?
When you share new content on LinkedIn without uploading a custom image, the platform will automatically generate a thumbnail for you. Here is how it chooses:
- For website links, it pulls a relevant image from the page
- For images you upload, it uses the image itself
- For text-only status updates, it shows your profile picture
- For links to documents, it displays the LinkedIn logo
This auto-selected thumbnail will appear after you publish your post. You can then change it if you wish.
Can you change the thumbnail after publishing?
Yes, it is possible to change the thumbnail image after publishing a post on LinkedIn. There are a couple of ways to do this:
Change thumbnail via desktop
If posting from LinkedIn’s desktop website:
- Click the three dots “More” icon next to your published post
- Select “Change thumbnail” from the dropdown menu
- Upload the image you want from your computer files
- Crop the image if desired and click “Save”
The new thumbnail image will now display with your post.
Change via mobile app
To update thumbnails when posting from LinkedIn’s mobile app:
- Go to your profile and find the published post
- Tap the three dots icon next to the post
- Choose “Change thumbnail” and pick a new image
- Crop the image as needed and confirm the change
This will override the previous thumbnail with your newly selected image.
Tips for ideal LinkedIn thumbnails
To create effective thumbnails that help promote your LinkedIn content, keep these tips in mind:
- Use high-quality, eye-catching images that are relevant to your post topic
- Make sure the subject is clear and centered
- Add text overlays sparingly, if needed
- Pick images with the right aspect ratio to avoid cropping issues
- Upload images that are at least 600 x 600 pixels for best quality
- Avoid busy backgrounds that distract from the main focus
- Double check that images look clear on mobile screens
Things to avoid in your thumbnails
There are also some common thumbnail mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of on LinkedIn:
- Pixelated or blurry images
- Stock photos that look generic
- Outdated memes or overused graphics
- Photos with inappropriate or unprofessional content
- Hard-to-read overlays with too much text
- Misleading imagery that doesn’t match the content
- Anything potentially offensive or controversial
Custom thumbnail benefits
While the automatically generated thumbnails from LinkedIn may sometimes meet your needs, creating your own custom images has some advantages:
- Allows full control over the look and messaging
- Lets you maintain visual brand consistency
- Opportunity to reuse quality images across posts
- Performance testing of different thumbnails is possible
- Can optimize images for readability on various devices
Putting in the extra effort up front to design excellent, tailored thumbnails that complement your content is worth the investment.
Should you change old thumbnails?
For existing posts on your LinkedIn profile, it’s a good idea to audit how your thumbnails are performing over time. If you notice low engagement on posts with certain images, it may be wise to update them. Here are some signs it’s time for a thumbnail makeover:
- Clicks and reactions decrease over time
- Imagery appears outdated or low-resolution
- Thumbnail doesn’t represent the content well
- Design aesthetics have changed for your brand
- Testing new images results in more engagement
Evaluating your thumbnails regularly and iterating on their design can help breathe new life into old posts.
Conclusion
Thumbnails are a vital component of any LinkedIn post. Choosing compelling imagery or designing custom graphics that capture attention gives your content an added edge. While LinkedIn will generate a default thumbnail when you publish, you have the ability to change it afterwards through the LinkedIn website or mobile app.
Leveraging this option to update old thumbnails or continuously test new ones allows you to optimize the impact of your posts. Combine this with best practices for creating quality, effective thumbnails, and your LinkedIn content will become that much more engaging.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
What is the LinkedIn thumbnail image? | The small square image that appears next to posts in feeds and notifications. |
Why choose the right thumbnail? | To make your post stand out, convey what it’s about, and encourage more engagement. |
How does LinkedIn pick thumbnails automatically? | It pulls relevant images from linked websites and uses uploaded images or profile pictures. |
Can you change the thumbnail post-publish? | Yes, you can update thumbnails after publishing via LinkedIn’s website or mobile app. |
What are some thumbnail best practices? | Use high-quality, eye-catching, and relevant images with good composition. |
Should old thumbnails be changed? | Yes, if they underperform over time or no longer fit your brand aesthetic. |
In summary, while LinkedIn provides default thumbnails, you have control over customizing them by changing the images after publishing. Putting thought into creating and updating compelling thumbnails can significantly enhance the impact of your LinkedIn content.