We understand–you’re looking for your Google+ fans to engage with you. Your profile and cover photos can make or break if someone adds your business to one of their circles, so it’s important to take your photos seriously. It’s so tempting to just pin up your company’s logo everywhere and call it good, but it’s more of an art than that. You’re looking for comments, +1s, anything. It’s frustrating to believe you’re doing all you can to get people to talk to your small business online, and then–crickets. 
First of all, size matters.
There are some people who will tell you that size doesn’t matter, but they are just being polite. Google+ may not be as strict about image size as some social media channels, but there are still size recommendations worth paying attention to.
Profile photos
Your profile image is the smaller photo on the top left corner of your Google+ page. The smallest your profile image can be is 250 x 250 pixels. We at SocialNicole recommend going at least a little larger than 250 x 250 if you can, just to make sure you have the highest quality image possible. As the Google+ official guide says, “Bigger photos look better.”
Cover photos
Although the smallest image you can use is 480 x 270 pixels and the largest can be 2120 x 1192 pixels, there is a very specific image size Google recommends, and that is 1080 x 608 pixels. Now, is it going to make that much of a difference if it’s 1080 x 610? No, but if there’s a specific size given, it’s best to get as close to that as possible.
Give a face to the name.
More important than the specific size of your Google Plus photos is what the images are depicting. [Tweet “Your logo may have been expensive, but it is not your only branding asset.”] For some companies, it does work best for them to have their logos as their profile pictures, but don’t be afraid to get more creative. The image should be professional, as this profile photo will accompany all comments your business page makes, and it will in many ways represent you. By saying you don’t necessarily have to use a logo, I don’t mean anything goes–I just recommend evaluating what’s best for your company. Let’s say you’re a dentist. The name of your dentistry will be all over your business page anyway, so your followers won’t soon forget it. Even if you have a nice professional logo, you have some other options on what your profile or even your cover photos could be. Here are some ideas that come to mind:
- Bad teeth
- Good teeth
- Dentist memes
- A photo of your dentistry building
- A mirror selfie of you
- A professional photo of you
- Toothbrush
- Happy attractive people smiling
These are not all good ideas. These are just ideas. Let me talk about a few of them and perhaps the wisdom will apply to your business as well (assuming you’re not a dentist). You may be tempted to use a funny dentist meme as one of your Google Plus photos because you want to show your audience you have a sense of humor. That sentiment is great, and if a sense of humor fits your brand (it fits most!), then finding a way to get that across to your audience is an excellent idea. However, memes do not make for good profile photos. Please do not use a meme. While memes can be funny, their lifespan is short and sweet. They do not make for good profile photos because they’re only relevant for a small amount of time. Also, if your audience is not up on the whole meme thing, they might not get the point. Instead, you may be tempted to use a toothbrush. Toothbrushes are an important part of your dentistry, are they not? If one were to play word association with the word “dentist,” the word “toothbrush” may not be far behind. But let me ask you this: who the hell wants to talk to a toothbrush? The answer is very safely NOBODY. Brushing one’s teeth is considered a chore by many, and toothbrushes just aren’t that interesting. They are plastic sticks with bristles. And if they are electric, they are overpriced plastic sticks with bristles. Hardly anyone would engage with a toothbrush unless there was some great incentive to do so. Instead, you need a profile photo and cover photo that people can actually have a relationship with. This brings me to my third and most recommended profile photo idea, if it fits for your brand. If you’re a dentist, put a nice, professional photo of yourself on your Google+. This goes for both profile and cover photos. Especially if you’re a small business that provides a service like that, your face is that your clients will be seeing! Being friendly and approachable online and using your face to do so is important. Hiding behind your logo or a toothbrush is not using your tools as wisely as you can. Best of luck to you in choosing your Google Plus photos. If you’re looking for advice more specific to your business and not a dentist’s, shoot me an email or give me a call! — Photo Credit
