LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 690 million users worldwide. With such a massive user base, LinkedIn presents an excellent opportunity for professionals and businesses to build their brand, make connections, and share content. One of the main ways to share content on LinkedIn is through publishing posts. When creating LinkedIn posts, one of the key decisions is whether to include an image or not. In this article, we will examine if images are necessary for LinkedIn posts to be effective.
Do images increase engagement?
One of the main reasons to use images in LinkedIn posts is that visual content tends to generate more engagement. According to multiple studies, posts with images receive up to 98% more views and 94% more likes than text-only posts. Images help catch the viewer’s attention as they scroll through their feed. Posts without visuals tend to get overlooked more easily.
In particular, eye-tracking studies have revealed that people focus mostly on images when scanning social media feeds. They pay the most attention to photos, graphics, and videos rather than blocks of text. So including relevant visuals is an effective tactic to get your post noticed.
Should every LinkedIn post have an image?
Given that images boost engagement, it may seem like every LinkedIn post should have a photo or graphic. However, that is not necessarily the case. Some types of posts work just fine without visuals. It mainly comes down to the purpose and content of your post.
Here are some examples of LinkedIn posts that often don’t need an image:
– Status updates announcing news or events
– Job listings
– Simple quotes or inspirational messages
– Polls or questions to prompt discussion
– Links to articles, websites, or other resources
– Industry trends or data points summarized in a short post
The main goal of these text-based posts is to share information quickly and directly. A photo would be extraneous and would not add much value. However, many other types of LinkedIn content are enhanced by great images.
Types of LinkedIn posts that benefit from images
Here are some examples of LinkedIn post types where including visuals is highly recommended:
Industry or company articles
If you are posting an article or long-form thought leadership content, an eye-catching header image can draw attention and convey the essence of the piece. Other relevant photos and graphics within the article are useful as well.
Product announcements
When launching a new product, service, or feature, show it off with product photos, demo videos, or graphics with highlights and features. These vivid visual assets will convey what you are offering much better than a text description.
Event promotions
Announcing an upcoming webinar, conference, or other event? Share engaging photos from past events to illustrate what makes your event special. A graphic with event details will also be useful.
Behind-the-scenes company photos
Give LinkedIn followers an inside look at your company culture by sharing photos from team events, off-site meetings, office celebrations, and community service activities. These fun peeks inside your company help followers get to know your brand’s personality.
Employee highlights
Profile photos help personalize posts featuring individual employees. Share employee headshots along with recognizing their accomplishments, work anniversaries, awards, certifications, or promotions.
Company milestones
Commemorate major company milestones like anniversaries, new office openings, or reaching big revenue benchmarks by creating visual timeline graphics or showcasing celebratory photos.
Profile makeovers
Spotlight major profile updates by doing a before-and-after reveal of your new LinkedIn profile or cover photo. Share what motivated your new look.
Tips for creating effective LinkedIn images
Now that we’ve covered when images boost your LinkedIn posts, here are some tips for creating effective visual assets:
Choose eye-catching photos
Select high-quality photos with bright, vibrant colors and interesting compositions. Images should grab attention and draw the viewer in.
Focus on people
Photos featuring real people tend to perform better than generic stock images. Capture headshots, candid team moments, event activities, customer testimonials, etc.
Ensure relevant themes
Images should closely align with your post topic and enhance the content. Don’t just add random photos for the sake of it.
Use text overlays
Overlaying some text on photos helps convey key messages at a glance. Include concise headlines, captions, or quotes.
Optimize and resize images
Compress and resize large images to improve page load times. LinkedIn recommends images under 2 MB and minimum dimensions of 400×400 pixels.
Add some style
Jazz up ordinary images with filters, graphics, animations, or by combining photos into collages. But don’t go overboard with overly complicated visuals.
Provide attribution
If using photos from an external source, remember to credit the owner in your photo caption.
Test different options
Try out photos, illustrations, data visualizations, graphics, and videos to see which visual formats resonate most with your audience.
Ideal image dimensions for LinkedIn posts
LinkedIn displays images in posts differently depending on where they appear in the platform. Following are the recommended image sizes for each format:
LinkedIn feed post
| Width | 1000-1024px |
| Height | 562-568px |
This is for the main image in your LinkedIn post. Horizontal rectangle images tend to work best in the feed.
LinkedIn post thumbnail
| Width | 150px |
| Height | 150px |
This small square thumbnail appears next to your post title in the LinkedIn feed.
Shared image preview
| Width | 400px |
| Height | 400px |
When your post appears in another user’s feed, this preview image size is displayed.
LinkedIn profile picture
| Width | 400px |
| Height | 400px |
Use a professional headshot image for your profile picture displayed throughout LinkedIn.
LinkedIn cover image
| Width | 1584px |
| Height | 396px |
Upload a banner-style image to showcase as your cover photo atop your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn carousel post
| Width | 1088px |
| Height | 612px |
You can include multiple images in a carousel post that users swipe through. Ensure each slide is this size.
Sourcing high-quality LinkedIn images
To find stellar images to use in your LinkedIn content, here are some go-to options:
Capture original photos
Organize photo shoots featuring products, team members, events, office spaces, etc. Hire a photographer if needed.
Use existing company media
Repurpose visual assets you already have like product images, brand photos, employee pictures, and event coverage.
Search stock media sites
Stock photo sites like Getty Images, iStock, Adobe Stock, and Shutterstock offer diverse libraries of professional images at reasonable subscription costs.
Use illustration resources
For a more unique look, use animated illustrations and icons from platforms like Illustration.co and Icons8.
Leverage image creation tools
If you don’t have specific photos needed, create custom visuals using graphic design tools like Canva.
Search free image sites
Explore sites like Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay which offer royalty-free photos, illustrations, and graphics to use at no cost.
Hire a graphic designer
If you want completely customized designs tailored to your brand, partner with a graphic designer to bring your vision to life.
Should you always include a photo of yourself?
Some LinkedIn experts recommend always including your headshot or a photo of yourself in your posts to help build personal connection with your network. However, that approach is not universally agreed upon.
Potential downsides of putting your own face in every post include:
– Can seem narcissistic or self-promotional if overdone
-Makes posts seem less company-focused and more about you as an individual
– Draws attention away from your content and post topics
– Contributes to perception of spammy, low-quality posts
Rather than force your headshot into every single post, consider these alternative approaches:
– Only include your photo when it directly relates to the post subject (eg. celebrating a work anniversary)
– Vary photo subjects to keep things fresh and authentic
– Showcase other team members, customers, products, and events – not just you
– On personal profile posts, a selfie or headshot is fine, but keep company page posts focused outward
The best practice is likely a balanced approach. Don’t completely avoid using your photo but be selective about when it truly adds value. Keep the focus on your audience and what visuals would interest them most.
Copyright and attribution considerations
When sourcing images for LinkedIn posts, proper copyrights and attribution are crucial considerations. Avoid legal issues by:
– Only using photos you own or have explicit rights to use.
– Giving credit to third-party image owners by mentioning them in the caption.
– Not using copyrighted images without obtaining license or permission when required.
– Following the usage rights outlined on free image sites like Unsplash. Some require attribution while others don’t.
– Purchasing proper licensing for stock photos so you can use them multiple times.
– Using higher-quality original images when possible rather than generic stock photos used everywhere.
– Being cautious about closely imitating distinctive brand photography like logos.
While images can amplify engagement, improper use of photos raises legal risks. Protect yourself by maintaining meticulous records of image sources and usage rights. Also build up an original image library so you completely own the assets.
Should you spend money on images?
High-quality custom images clearly enhance LinkedIn posts, but does that mean you should invest in paid photos and graphics? Here are some factors to consider:
Potential benefits of paid images
– Gain access to much wider range of professional images not available for free
– Obtain full legal rights and license to use images multiple times without restrictions
– Convey a more polished, premium brand image
– Avoid issues of popular free images appearing everywhere
– Tap into deep well of stock image options covering every conceivable concept
– Custom images tailored exactly to your brand and needs
Downsides of paid images
– Recurring fees for stock image subscriptions can add up over time
– Costs involved with hiring professional photographers or designers
– Free sites like Unsplash offer plenty of great quality images
– Some legal gray areas if you modify or misuse stock images
Alternatives to reduce costs
– Use mix of free and paid images from both stock sites and free sources
– Purchase la carte images only for special projects rather than ongoing subscription
– Scope out free trial periods from stock services to test them out
– Negotiate discounted bundles or memberships offered by stock agencies
– Build up library of owned images over time so you rely less on stock sites
– Set up an employee photo sharing program to expand your custom assets
Carefully weigh the benefits against costs when deciding if paid images are worthwhile. Analyze your specific needs and budget to strike the ideal balance between free and paid sources.
Should you customize images for LinkedIn specifically?
With LinkedIn’s feed-centric format, some brands wonder if they should create customized images optimized specifically for LinkedIn rather than just repurposing images from other channels. Here are some pros and cons to consider regarding custom images for LinkedIn:
Reasons to create customized LinkedIn images
– Ideal image dimensions will display properly in feed
– Can add overlays with text optimized for small LinkedIn thumbnails
– Opportunity to highlight LinkedIn-specific news like new Showcase Pages
– Visually consistent image style reinforces association with brand
– Avoid blatant cross-channel repeats that may dilute impact
– LinkedIn-first approach caters content directly to this audience
Reasons repurposed cross-channel images may work
– Repeated touchpoints with unified visuals boost brand recognition
– Cross-pollination of content expands reach
– Saves time and resources to recreate new images
– Other channels like Twitter and Facebook also use feed formats
– Authenticity and quality matter more than format specifics
– Following constraints of each platform not always feasible
Evaluate your resources and goals. Custom images tailored for LinkedIn make sense for larger brands, while small businesses may be better served repurposing great content across channels. Focus on what resonates most with your followers.
Image design trends to try on LinkedIn
Visual variety keeps your LinkedIn feed engaging. Incorporate on-trend modern image styles into the mix:
Hand-drawn illustrations
Illustrations add a personal handcrafted touch. Try simple outlined drawings or more detailed full-color illustrations.
Bold typography
Turn inspirational quotes and text into graphic images using bold, striking typography.
Photo collages
Arrange collections of photos into dynamic multimedia collages to showcase events.
Pop art filters
Make ordinary photos pop by adding filters, textures, color tints, gradients, and other graphic effects.
Animated cinemagraphs
Animate select parts of images to create subtle movement that catches the eye.
Behind-the-scenes candids
Share fun, casual photos depicting company culture, team bonding, and unscripted moments.
Solid color backgrounds
Boost focus on main subjects by having images fade into a solid color background.
High-contrast shots
Play with bold shadows and highlights for dramatic black-and-white or split-tone photos.
Motivational quotes
Combine inspirational messages with matching photos to create engaging quote graphics.
Should you strictly follow brand guidelines?
For major companies with established brand guidelines, following documented rules for imagery and logos is critical to maintain brand identity. But for small businesses and personal brands, strict branding rules are likely excessive on LinkedIn. The platform’s conversational nature calls for a more personalized approach. Avoid having your images seem overly corporate, generic, and salesy. While basic professionalism is still important, don’t be afraid to show genuine personality. The ideal tone for LinkedIn is approachable, trustworthy, and authentic. Let your unique brand values shine through in imagery that connects on a human level.
Conclusion
In summary, featuring compelling visuals in your LinkedIn posts is a smart practice to increase engagement and impressions. But not every post necessarily needs an image. Focus on choosing great images purposefully tied to your content that enhance specific types of posts. Pay close attention to image quality, composition, relevance, copyrights, and dimensions optimized for LinkedIn. With a mix of original photos, thoughtful design elements, and some personality, your LinkedIn images will soon help captivate your professional community.
