Social Media Image Sizes - Web Design in Worcester, MA - Digital Marketing Services, Social Media Management, SEO and Web Design

The Comprehensive Guide to Social Media Image Sizes

Looking for a guide on social media image sizes? Whether you’re running a brand promotion, video, news update, or even a meme, visual content rules the social media landscape. What has become so important is effectively conveying your brand on social media through images and video.

In this quick-scroll world of social media, the visual face of your brand is often the first thing your audience sees and possibly the one thing they remember. It’s hard to cut and paste an image and reuse it across your social networks unless you have a reliable digital marketing team to manage your social media.

Social Media Image Sizes Per Network

Use these links to jump to the specific social media image sizes you need:

Facebook Social Media Image Sizes

With 1.18 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the world’s largest social network. One bad image choice could spell the difference in attracting and engaging with this huge user base and being completely ignored.

One thing to remember when choosing your photos is that there is a difference between how things will display on your timeline and how things will display in a user’s newsfeed. Make sure that you choose dimensions based on where you want most viewers to see your image.

Profile Picture: 180 x 180 (Displays 170 x 170 on Desktop)

Say cheese: this is going to be the photo representing you or your brand on Facebook. This square photo appears on your timeline layered over your cover photo. Your profile picture will also appear when you post to other walls, comment on posts, or when your profile shows up in search results.

Image Guidelines

Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels.
The photo will appear on-page as 170 x 170 pixels on a desktop and 128 x 128 on smartphones.
Profile pictures are 16 pixels from the left and 176 pixels from your desktop’s top of your cover photo.
Profile pictures are 24 pixels from the left, 24 pixels from the bottom, and 196 pixels from the top of your cover photo on smartphones.
Photo thumbnail will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels.

Business Page Profile Picture: 180 x 180 (Displays 170 x 170 on Desktop)

Facebook recently changed its Profile image for Business Pages to appear on the left side of the screen. The new-look helps Facebook Business Pages stand out among personal accounts. However, the dimensions are the same, but the photo appears on the page slightly different.

Image Guidelines

Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels.
The photo will appear on-page as 170 x 170 pixels on desktop, 128 x 128 on smartphones, and 36 x 36 on most feature phones.
Photo thumbnail will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels.
Business Page images crop to fit a square.

Cover Photo: 820 x 312

Your Facebook cover photo will only appear on your Facebook timeline, but it is a lot bigger than the profile picture, which gives you more freedom to choose something creative. Your profile picture might be a good choice for a picture of you or a brand logo. Use this space to post something that speaks more toward you as an individual or as a brand.

Image Guidelines

Appear on page 820 x 312 pixels. Anything less will stretch.
Minimum size of 400 x 150 pixels.
Displays at 820 x 312 pixels on a desktop and 640 x 360 pixels on smartphones.
For best results, upload an sRGB JPG file less than 100 KB.
Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file.
Business Page dimensions are the same as personal accounts.

Shared Image: 1,200 x 630

A shared image is one of the most common forms of sharing on Facebook. These images will always appear on your timeline, and ideally, they will show up in most of your followers’ News Feeds — though, with the decrease in organic reach, it’s unlikely that everyone will see your post. The more people engage with your post, the more likely it is that the rest of your followers and their followers will see that activity.

Image Guidelines

Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 630 pixels.
Will appear in feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).
Will appear on page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).

Shared Link: 1200 x 628

Another great tool in your Facebook belt is the ability to share a link. It’s very similar to posting a shared image, but it gives you even more fields to use. You can choose to create a shared link with a small square image to the left and text on the right or with a larger rectangular image on top with text underneath.

Image Guidelines

Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 628 pixels.
Square Photo: Minimum 154 x 154px in feed.
Square Photo: Minimum 116 x 116 on-page.
Rectangular Photo: Minimum 470 x 246 pixels in feed.
Rectangular Photo: Minimum 484 x 252 on-page.
Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size.

Event Image: 1920 x 1005 (Recommended)

Facebook Events help capture the attention of users and cut through the noise on Facebook. Reminders send to your audience, so having a good space with an even better image is important. Make sure you have the right dimensions down for a Facebook Event cover photo.

Image Guidelines

Facebook will scale down to minimum dimensions: 470 × 174.
Shows in feed: 470 × 174.

Fundraiser image: 800 x 300 (recommended)

Facebook has added the ability to create a fundraiser for charitable organizations or personal causes. The cover photo for these fundraisers slightly varies from a typical Facebook cover photo, with a minimum size of 400 x 150. However, the best experience across many display types will come from a higher resolution image.

Looking for Facebook ad sizes?

Facebook ad formatting can be even more complex than organic posts. You can find more information on Facebook image sizes at the Facebook Help Center.

Twitter Social Media Image Sizes

Don’t let its logo fool you–Twitter is not just for the birds. In fact, with 313 million monthly active users, Twitter is one of the social media networks that your customers will most often use to discuss your brand. And recently, Twitter made some big changes to its overall layout.

Profile Photo: 400 x 400 (Displays 200 x 200)

Your Twitter profile photo is the main image that represents you or your brand across the network. It will be seen across the site in many places by many people, making sure it’s of the highest quality. Here are the places your profile photo will be visible on the site.

On Your Page: The largest display of your profile picture is on your homepage.
In-Stream: A smaller version of your profile picture appears in a follower’s Twitter stream every time you Tweet. It also appears in the stream of your followers’ followers every time you get a retweet.
Who to Follow: Your profile picture will appear in the “Who to follow” box. This box is located directly to the right of your Twitter stream. Choose a recognizable image here.

Image Guidelines

Square Image recommended 400 x 400 pixels.
Maximum file size 5 MB.
Image types include JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Header Photo: 1,500 x 500

Your header photo is the image that spans the top of your Twitter profile page. It’s quite a bit larger than your profile photo, so make sure to save it at the highest resolution possible. Because you have more room to be creative with this picture, and it will likely be the first thing your visitors see, make it something captivating.

Image Guidelines

Recommended 1,500 x 500 pixels.
Maximum file size of 5 MB.
Image types include JPG, GIF, or PNG.

In-Stream Photos and Shared Links

Twitter users can attach photos to any of their Tweets. Depending on whether you’re attaching one photo, multiple, or sharing a link, the way photos crop and display in-stream will vary slightly.

Fortunately, in 2021, Twitter made waves with #Twittercropisgone, eliminating the sometimes-unfavorable automated cropping for vertical images that had often become the subject of memes and in-jokes among users of the platform. Extremely wide or tall images with unusual dimensions may still get cropped. Still, for most images in standard 4:3 or 16:9 dimensions (or close to them), you won’t have to worry as much about centering subjects around automated cropping.

The following are some best practices to get an optimal result.

Recommended sizes for images by types of Tweets:

Image from a Tweet with shared link: 1200 x 628 pixels
Tweet sharing a single image: 1200 x 675 pixels (recommended, but most images with standard aspect ratios will not crop)
If you’re sharing two images: 700 x 800 pixels (both images)
For a Tweet sharing three images:
- Left image: 700 x 800 pixels
- Right images: 1200 x 686 pixels
Tweet sharing four images: 1200 x 600 pixels (per image)
- Four is the maximum number of images available on one Tweet
Recommended aspect ratio is 16:9.
Can edit images if tweeting from Twitter iOS or Android app.
Maximum file size of 5 MB for photos, 5 MB for animated GIFs on mobile, and 15 MB on the web.

Find more information on in-stream photos at the Twitter Help Center.

Instagram Social Media Image Sizes

Instagram is one of the most popular photo-sharing social networks. It’s the best place to showcase your visual creativity, even down to making a compelling grid out of the way your photos’ thumbnails display in sequence.

Profile Picture: 110 x 110

Instagram relies on visuals, which should indicate how important it is to follow these image size guidelines. Ensure your profile image is recognizable so users can find you even easier through search or explore.

Image Guidelines

Appear on your profile at 110 x 110 pixels.
Square photo: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1.

Photo Thumbnails: 161 x 161

When someone goes to your page, they’ll be present with all of your content arranged in rows of thumbnails. These smaller renditions of your images and videos will expand when clicked and include a place for people to comment.

Image Guidelines

The thumbnails will appear on the page at 161 x 161 pixels.
Square photo: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1 ratio.

Photo Size: 1080 x 1080

Instagram is all about the images and videos presented in your followers’ feed. Instagram higher resolution photos when taken from the native application. If you decided to upload a photo or video from any other device, the resolution would be much lower.

Image Guidelines

The size of Instagram images has been increased to 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Instagram still scales these photos down to 612 x 612 pixels.
Appear in feed at 510 x 510 pixels.
Square or rectangle photos: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio between 1:1 or 1.91:1.
For portrait (4:5) photos, recommended dimensions are 1080 x 1350 pixels.

Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920

With more than 300 million daily users, Instagram Stories are a popular source of visuals on the app. There are both video and image options available to publish. Even though these Stories only last 24 hours, it’s still worthwhile to customize your content.

Image Guidelines

Recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920.
The minimum resolution is 600 x 1067.
The aspect ratio is 9:16.

For those looking for more info on Instagram ad sizes, including video specs, check out this guide!

LinkedIn Social Media Image Sizes

With 467 million registered users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Where other social networks may be good drivers of traffic and customers, LinkedIn is a great place for you to source great employees and connect with other industry leaders.

Personal Profile Image: 300 x 300 (Recommended)

LinkedIn started using a new layout for personal profiles and kept the box logo with company pages (more on that below). However, the personal profile dimensions for LinkedIn are very straightforward. This main image represents you on your profile. So anytime someone takes a look at your profile for some quick info, this is the main image representing you. It’s important to get the size right.

Image Guidelines

Minimum 300 x 300 pixels
Maximum file size 10MB.
Image types include JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Personal Background Image: 1584 x 396

LinkedIn’s background image is a newer feature for your profile. It’s a little trickier to find something that fits that space well, but your profile will look great if you get it right.

Image Guidelines

Recommended 1584 x 396 pixels.
Maximum size of 4MB.
Image types include JPG, PNG, or GIF.

Company Logo Image: 300 x 300

One of the two brand logos that you should be uploading to LinkedIn is the standard company logo. This logo is the bigger of the two and will show up right next to your brand name on your LinkedIn homepage. This image also appears in the section called “Companies you may want to follow.” The more enticing the photo, the more likely you’ll gain followers.

Recommended 300 x 300 pixels.
Minimum 300 x 300 pixels.
Maximum 4MB (Square layout).
Image types include PNG, JPG, or GIF.

Company Cover Image: 1128 x 191 (recommended)

Unlike the personal background image, the company or standard business background image covers the entire top of the page. The image appears much larger than the personal dimensions, giving businesses a bit more space.

Image Guidelines

Recommended size 1128 x 191.
Maximum file size of 4MB.
Image types include PNG, JPG, or GIF.

Shared Image or Link: 1200 x 627 (Recommended)

This size works for LinkedIn posts that share a photo or a link with an image to a blog post or article to your company page’s feed.

Image Guidelines

The recommended size for images or links: 1200 x 627 pixels based on mobile scaling
Image types include JPNG, JPG, or GIF.

Life Tab – Main Image & Company Photos

The life tab on LinkedIn company pages lets you provide a more in-depth look at the day-to-day experience of your company’s employees. Currently, the two types of images you can upload here are the main image, which serves as a hero and highlight to your page, and the horizontal scrolling gallery of other company photos beneath.

Image Guidelines

The recommended size for the main image: 1128 x 376
The recommended size for company photos: 900 x 600
Image types include JPNG, JPG, or GIF.
The life tab only appears on the mobile app and not the mobile web version of LinkedIn so that that exact display sizes will vary by device. Upload the recommended size for the best experience.

Find more information in the LinkedIn Help Center.

Pinterest Social Media Image Sizes

Pinterest can be an amazing social tool for driving referral traffic to your site. This traffic is mostly because 90% of Pinterest pages are external links.

So you need to make sure you’re optimizing your Pinterest page regularly and using proper image sizes for your boards and pins.

Profile Picture: 165 x 165

When setting up your Pinterest account, you have the option to do so using Facebook, Twitter, or email. If you choose Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest will pull in the profile image you have set there.

If you’re using email or would prefer to use a different photo, you can do that too: just upload a square photograph (the larger, the better), and Pinterest will resize it to fit. Like other social sites, your profile picture on Pinterest should closely tie to you or your brand.

Image Guidelines

Recommended size: 165 x 165 pixels
Maximum 10 MB.
Image types include JPG and PNG for profile pictures.

Pin Sizes

When adding a pin to your board, it’s important to remember that Pinterest limits the image’s width but not the length. This pin allows you to add a photo that’s square or one that will scale to be even taller. Just remember to make sure you’re creating large images because they add more value, not just because you can.

Image Guidelines

We recommended using an image aspect ratio of 2:3 to 1:3.5
Expanded pins have a minimum width of 600 pixels, so to maintain an aspect ratio, we recommend 900 px.

Board Display

Creating boards is one of the most important things that you can do on Pinterest. It’s important to make sure you’re using an image that fits the size criteria perfectly. Not only is it important to choose a photo that is enticing to your audience, but it’s also important to choose one that’s relevant to that particular board.

Image Guidelines

222 x 150 pixels (large thumbnail)
55 x 55 (smaller thumbnail)

Find more information in the Pinterest Help Center.

YouTube Social Media Image Sizes

YouTube has more than 1 billion unique users every month and is available on hundreds of millions of devices. More than 1 million brands have already realized that YouTube is a great opportunity to reach their fan base.

Channel Profile Image: 800 x 800

YouTube allows you to select different profile image borders, but the dimensions stay the same. Ensure your YouTube has a profile image set up before you select your border.

Image Guidelines:

Recommended 800 x 800 pixels.
Image types: JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG.

Channel Cover Photo: 2,048 x 1,152

Spice up your YouTube channel with some channel art. When users click through your YouTube videos to your channel, some appealing images could entice them to stay on your page longer and watch more of your videos.

Image Guidelines:

Recommended 2560 x 1440 pixels.
Safe area for mobile and web (without text and logo cropping) 1546 x 423 pixels.
Maximum file size: 4MB.
Image types: JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG.

Across Different Devices

Users can stream YouTube on many different platforms and devices, so you must review your creative across devices and confirm that the most important parts of your image, such as text or logos, are displaying legibly in the ‘safe zone’ noted above.

Find more information in the YouTube Help Center.

Video Uploads: 1280 x 720 (Minimum HD)

Uploading your content to YouTube is one of the most important parts of establishing your presence on the site. Videos can tell viewers something about you as a person, or they could show off something that your business might offer.

Video Guidelines

Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio. Smaller videos such as 4:3 will pillarbox to fit.

Google My Business Social Media Image Sizes

Google My Business has become an essential platform for businesses with local, brick-and-mortar presences to gain visibility and conduct their review management strategy.

Types of Images for Google My Business:

Logo: Your recognizable logo image. It may not be available for all types of businesses–see Google guidelines for more detail.
Cover photo: A photo of your business that will typically be the first one visible. Choose a photo that gives the best overall representation of your place of business for this photo.
Business photo: You can use your other business photos to highlight different elements of your business or offices and help show off what local visiting customers should look for when they stop by.

Google’s official guidelines recommend the below specs for the best appearance on the platform for all three types of images.

Image Guidelines:

Recommended resolution: 720 x 720 pixels
Minimum resolution:250 x 250 pixels
File size maximum: 5 MB
Format: JPG or PNG.

Connect with Us

You can find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @WorcesterInteractive and on Twitter @WorcesterInter.

About Worcester Interactive

Worcester Interactive is a full-service digital marketing firm in Worcester, MA, specializing in responsive web design, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and digital advertising. We build websites and create online marketing campaigns for businesses looking to grow their online presence. We love taking on challenging projects that require full-on content strategy, thoughtful design, demanding development, and ongoing, interactive web marketing.

Digital marketing and social media marketing analytics for YouTube.

July 13, 2020

How YouTube Digital Marketing Can Grow Your Business

Over the last 15 years, YouTube has transformed content creation. Streaming and digital marketing are more accessible than ever to a broader audience. Since YouTube has become the world’s second-largest search engine (behind only Google), businesses are struggling to catch up to the blazing speed of YouTube’s algorithm changes.

It’s no surprise that YouTube is a powerful digital marketing platform because of its enormous web traffic. For this reason, we recommend adding the platform to your business’s social media and advertising toolkit. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown on how to get the most out of your YouTube channel.

Getting Started

The first step in leveraging YouTube as a viable digital marketing platform is to create a channel for your brand. You’ll be able to quickly post content about your products and services with the platform’s growing audience.

However, there are a few critical points you should consider before scheduling out videos as part of your content calendar. Above all, you should have a good handle on who your customers are and where you can reach them. Once you’ve hammered out this step, you’re ready to dive into the benefits that YouTube digital marketing can offer.

YouTube Digital Marketing Benefits

It is no great secret that using YouTube as a digital marketing platform has tremendous benefits. All you have to do is to make good use of these advantages, and it will bode well for your company’s exposure and recognition. Given these facts, here are several benefits of using YouTube as your central digital marketing platform.

Audience Size

Millions of users log in every day on YouTube. With this in mind, giving your company excellent exposure will net you more than a local audience ever could alone. Hence, it will also make your business procure an audience around the world. Reaching out to possible clients, future employees, and potential customers will ultimately aid your business to grow.

Search Engine Optimization

To reach an active audience of users on YouTube, you should engage with the website’s built-in SEO capabilities. Inputting the right keywords and tags will generate organic traffic for your company’s website. Once you have a solid grasp of your customer base, you can make your company or business more searchable, visible, and accessible.

Budget Optimization

While some methods of advertising may be cost-prohibitive, creating videos on YouTube is much more efficient and budget-friendly. Investing in video equipment is much more cost-effective compared to billboards, print ads, and commercials. The money and labor you dedicate will help you reach a wider audience at a fraction of the cost.

Engagement

Other than being able to post and watch videos, YouTube’s users can post comments on videos and stories. This comment section comes in handy when people ask about your company whenever they see one of your videos. They can also have a hand in promoting your company by sharing your company’s video through various social media sites.

Industry Research

Competitive analysis is vital if you want to get ahead of your competitors on YouTube. Fortunately, most of the information you need to identify industry best practices is readily available on similar industry channels.

Browse your competitors’ YouTube channels and jot down which videos have the best views. Watch these videos get an impression of what kinds of content your audience prefers (and what they don’t). That will serve as the basis for your content strategy.

As with your videos, roll up your sleeves and read the comments on competing videos. Maybe your brand received a mention; if so, make sure to respond quickly so potential customers can see you’re actively engaging with your community.

Live Broadcasts

Basic live streaming on YouTube is possible through Google+ Hangouts on Air. But there’s an even more reliable service called YouTube Live Events, equipped with more features for professional broadcasts. You can only use Live Events if your account is verified and has a good standing.

YouTube live events have all the scheduling options on Hangouts, plus more advanced features such as using multiple cameras.

To use live events, you must first enable the option. To do so, go to “video manager” -> “channel settings” -> “features.” Once there, scroll until you find live events. Once enabled, you can create a live broadcast under the video manager portal.

Key Takeaway

As more people are accessing their entertainment online, YouTube’s reach has become a dominating force. The new eyes on your company’s content can provide much-needed exposure. YouTube marketing will develop and evolve into something more prominent in the coming years. In this globally competitive generation, it is vital to have all the advantages that you can. As you leverage YouTube’s analytics to advertise your business, keep these stats in mind:

YouTube has more than a billion users who spend millions of hours on the platform per day.
Since 2014, there has been a 40% yearly increase in the number of unique YouTube viewers per day.
YouTube localization reaches over 70 countries and 76 languages.
It has greater reach than cable in the U.S.
Over 50% of YouTube views are on mobile phones.

With specific targeting tools like demographics, age, interest, and industry, YouTube marketing could be the secret weapon you need to out-perform your competition.

Connect with Us

You can find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @WorcesterInteractive and on Twitter @WorcesterInter.

About Worcester Interactive

Worcester Interactive is an award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency in Worcester, MA, specializing in responsive web design, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and digital advertising. The company builds websites and creates online marketing campaigns for businesses looking to grow their online presence. It has built a reputation for tackling challenging projects that require a creative content strategy, thoughtful design, demanding development, and interactive web marketing.

Female executive reviews her company's recession marketing strategy.

May 20, 2020

How to Increase Your Market Share During a Recession

How To Increase Your Market Share During A Recession

As governors across the country begin to reopen their states, business owners are re-examining their marketing budgets. But will recession marketing create an opening for you to reach new customers? Countless examples from history say yes. Entire industries are dealing with intense risks. Millions of Americans are preparing for extended unemployment. Business leaders, economists, and elected officials are predicting a major downturn for the global economy. Despite all this – or in fact, because of it – the time is now to expand your marketing budget.

Historians have counted at least 47 U.S. recessions since the mid-1800s. During a recession, the first major expense that a company cuts is typically its advertising. After the economic downturn in 2008, ad spending by U.S. companies fell by almost 13%. Today, we have access to almost 100 years of data that correlate short-term budget cuts with long-term market loss. The results have consistently favored companies with a long-term strategy in mind.

Recession Marketing Throughout History

There are a few examples of brands that catapulted to newfound success with recession marketing. Going back nearly one century, these brands demonstrate the benefits of recession marketing. Those advertisers that maintained or grew their ad spending increased their sales and market share during the recession and beyond.

Breakfast Cereal

In the 1920s, Post Cereal was the industry leader when it came to ready-to-eat breakfast. During the Great Depression, though, Post significantly shrank its marketing budget. Rival Kellogg’s Cereal during this period doubled its ad spend, investing heavily in radio. They even introduced a new cereal called Rice Krispies with colorful cartoon mascots. This move led to Kellogg’s growing its profits grew by 30%. Fast forward to today, Kellogg’s is still the the category leader, a position it has enjoyed ever since.

Automotive Manufacturing

The two-year American recession of 1973-75 was a consequence of the global energy crisis. Gas shortages became a normal part of life. At the end of 1973, the Toyota Corolla was second to the Honda Civic in fuel efficiency for the first time ever. Because Toyota was boosted by strong sales, their initial urge was to drop their ad budget. They resisted. By sticking to its long-term marketing strategy, Toyota eclipsed Volkswagen as the leader in U.S. car imports by 1976.

Fast Food Restaurants

In the recession of the early 1990s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut jumped ahead when McDonald’s decided to limit its advertising budget. During this market reorientation, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut increased their sales by 40% and 61%, respectively. McDonald’s sales, meanwhile, declined by 28%.

It’s easy to see that recessions are a golden opportunity to expand if you play your cards right. Don’t get swept up in the wave of businesses buried under the next economic downturn. Follow these tips to make sure you come out of the recession on top:

Take advantage of lower advertising costs

Advertising costs are already below their market average. With so many more Americans at home, cost-per-click metrics for both Google and Facebook are at record lows. There are fewer companies taking up inventory, which translates to fewer companies competing for consumer attention. That essentially means that paid media is cheaper and trending to stay this way for a while.

Social media platforms make a huge share of their revenue from advertising. Ad inventory is always available. Expert advertisers can take advantage of this newly saturated market to reinvent their brand at record low media costs.

Adapt to trending media platforms

Savvy brands look for ways to stay topical during difficult economic times. Today, millions of consumers are working remotely, shopping on Amazon, and communicating through video chat applications. This allows smart advertisers to create new opportunities where they can display empathy and connect with their consumer base. Only those who stay ahead of the volatile marketing environment will emerge unscathed. Interactive web design is a great example of a consumer-centric approach to meet heightened demand.

Expand your audience

During a booming economy, major brands have powerful budgets to experiment with their advertising strategy. This approach that makes media more expensive for smaller businesses to try and compete. As big brands reduce their spending, there is no clutter to cut through. Small businesses have an opportunity to speak candidly about a product or service. Once the economy returns to normal, you’ll have gained an entirely new customer base. Furthermore, this base will be difficult and expensive for your competitors to steal back.

Display strength through branding

Brands can project to consumers what we need most now: leadership, confidence, stability, and entertainment. Governments play a huge role in this, but brands that demonstrate strength always leave a lasting impression. We tend to forget the brands that go dark. To better compete, promotional offers and inspiring content can convey feelings of authenticity and security. Similarly, interactive web marketing can produce a visual appeal to capture new customers in your sales funnel.

Knock out your competition

Many small businesses have a limited budget for recession marketing. During a recession, it’s easy to hold back on advertising for short-term gains. But all that really accomplishes is to create a market opening for more savvy competitors. With effective interactive web marketing and interactive web design, companies can step in and build relationships with customers at their most vulnerable times. This also presents a significant opportunity for a brand to reposition and introduce new goods or services.

Recessions will always pose a fundamental risk to your livelihood. We can look to the past and see how others have navigated recession marketing. When we do, it’s clear that reducing ad spend will do more harm than good. Brands that stay the course get a long-lasting boost. By expanding your market share, you better position yourself for future recessions as well.

Connect with Us

You can find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @WorcesterInteractive and on Twitter @WorcesterInter.

About Worcester Interactive

March 11, 2020

Can Your Business Survive a Quarantine?

March 11, 2020
by Abtin Pazooki

As the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread, countries like China, Italy, and South Korea have enacted varying levels of quarantine. Governments have leverage to protect their citizens, but it falls on individual companies to protect their bottom line. So, what should your business do during a large-scale quarantine?

Keep Your Employees Safe

Encourage them to practice social distancing. For starters, here are a few guidelines you should take:

Limit physical contact

Avoid touching their faces
Cover their mouths and noses when sneezing and coughing
Practice liberal application of hand soap and hand sanitizer
Increase airflow in the workplace by leaving doors and windows open

Sanitize meeting areas

Hold meetings in well-lit, well-ventilated spaces
Consider postponing large group meetings and conferences
Cancel any pending appointments that require travel

Practice safe eating habits

Prevent food sharing
Emphasize health screening for food courts and cafeteria staff
Maximize hygiene regulations for any staff whose positions handle food preparation

Stay home if…

They’re pregnant or nursing
They’re displaying symptoms of an infectious disease
Someone in their household has symptoms of an infectious disease

Social distancing can limit cross-contamination among employees, but once a quarantine hits, these preventative measures might not be enough. To fully prepare your business for a quarantine, consider the following disaster-proof measures:

Have a Disaster Recovery Plan

A quarantine is an extreme last resort with potentially dire consequences for the economy. Under CDC guidelines, quarantines last an average of 2 weeks, but can extend to a month or more in particularly severe cases. If your company isn’t disaster-ready yet, you’ll need to develop a business continuity plan.

If you wait to disaster-proof your business, you could face a major disruption during a quarantine. You should work with your internal I.T. department to develop a backup and disaster recovery plan to protect your I.T. infrastructure. If you don’t have an in-house I.T. team, you should consult a managed service provider such as Cinch I.T. to protect your business. Every business owner should have a business continuity plan for a disaster, whether it’s a quarantine, fire, or inclement weather.

Digital Communications

The most industry-specific challenge of operating during a quarantine is communication. If you’re part of a business-to-business (B2B), software-as-a-service (SaaS), or direct-to-consumer (D2C) company, you’re only limited by the technology at your fingertips. Apps, emails, orders – these can all be accessed remotely during a crisis, quarantine or otherwise. For business-to-consumer (B2C) companies though, your storefront IS your business. Fortunately, there are still steps you can take to avoid disruptions, no matter your business model.

Cloud-Based File Storage

Cloud computing can host all of the tools, services, and documents for your day-to-day operations. Most businesses back up their important data through a file hosting platform like Dropbox or OneDrive, or SharePoint. If your company doesn’t have a subscription to one of these services, the lead-up to a quarantine is an extremely relevant time to fix that. With a decentralized file server, you can access all of your crucial reports, spreadsheets, and reminders from any satellite location.

Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) Phones

If you work out of an office, you can use a VoIP system to keep your telephone directory running. Providers like Grasshopper and Bria feature smartphone apps as part of their virtual phone networks. With total coverage, you’ll be able to reach your staff and clients as if you were still at your desk.

Video Conferencing

Another way to facilitate communications with staff and clients is via remote video conferences. Platforms such as Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx include options for video calls as well as screen sharing. If your business normally schedules a lot of face-to-face meetings, video conferencing is your best fallback plan.

Work from Home

Between full-time and self-employed positions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly 25 million Americans work from home on any given day. If your area declares a quarantine, the government will often designate “non-essential” personnel to stay home. Depending on your industry, this may be as easy as taking your work laptop home. For most industries, though, it requires a few more steps.

If you can’t work at your office, how should your business adapt?

Adapt Your Business Model

China’s Wuhan Province was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. During its initial quarantine, businesses that offered delivery services were the only ones left standing. When people can’t leave their homes, delivery apps like Instacart and DoorDash take off. Retailers that have eCommerce websites are able to mitigate the decrease in foot traffic by allowing consumers to place orders from home. If your website lacks an eCommerce platform, contact us today for a free website consultation that could transform your business.

The CDC recommends “an abundance of caution,” but it’s ultimately up to you and your employer to decide if you count as “essential personnel.” Doctors, police, and firefighters are always in demand. Gas stations need to keep their doors open. You may need to adapt your business model to focus on delivering your goods and services directly to consumers’ homes.

If your business relies on a point-of-sale (POS) system, consider switching to a mobile payment processor like Stripe or Square. This way, you can still sell to consumers while you’re away from your normal location.

Online Payments

Paper currency is a known contaminant in the spread of infectious disease. If you can find a substitute for cash – like eCommerce functionality or mobile credit card processors – you should roll it out sooner than later. If you delay, a quarantine might render cash payments impossible. Furthermore, by eliminating in-person monetary transactions, you can limit your public health risk.

Remote Deposit

Similar to the rationale behind online payments, you’ll want to avoid physical checks and invoices where possible. Have your accounting department sign up for online bill payments instead of old-fashioned paper statements. Likewise, if any of your employees receive their salary through cash or checks, you should update their payroll to direct deposit instead.

Security & Monitoring

Of course, it’s never ideal to leave your storefront or office totally empty for an extended period of time. Make sure you monitor your physical location with security hardware like SimpliSafe or ADT. As an added benefit, you can use these systems to monitor visitors to your business while it’s still open.

The CDC recommends an abundance of caution during any quarantine. Overall, be mindful of any contact you make in your workplace. Objects with high rates of microbe transmission, like doorknobs, faucets, and printers, should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

For more information on COVID-19, please consult the CDC’s website or contact a medical professional directly.