When you’re planning social media posts, knowing the guidelines and limits by social media platform help you immensely in knowing what you can share, and how you can help more people see it.
All social platforms are different – LinkedIn has a maximum of 10 minutes for an uploaded video, and landscape format works best. TikTok and Insta do better with portrait-style videos, and the limits keep changing and increasing. There are also different requirements (or recommendations) for content-based posts – how long can they be? What kind of content is more likely to be seen by your audience?
You could work for days on a beautiful calendar with social media posts about your firm, your team, client quotes, success stories, and “day in the life videos”, and then come to post them and discover oh…this one is too long. That one is too short. This one you included a link which no one can click on.
So here are a few quick guides for you (click to jump to the guide):
Use these to understand quickly what image sizes, video lengths, type of posts, and types of links you can be sharing on each platform: from LinkedIn to Twitter (X) to Instagram and Facebook and TikTok.
Bear in mind as you read:
- Social media platform mins and maximums change all the time. We’ll do our best to keep this updated, but always double check before you spend hours on something that it’s current. Just search “length of instagram reel” or “do i put a link in the post or the comments on linkedin”.
- There’s a difference between “words” and “characters”. Word count is as it sounds: the actual words. Character count includes spaces and returns, so every keystroke matters.
- Every platform is different, so use “stackable content” to share the same content in different ways. Stackable content means you take one piece of content you’ve already created (a blog post, a video, a social post), adjust it for another platform and share it again in a different way. For example, we could write this blog post about all the social media platforms, and then create imagery to show you each platform individually, and post the image and some of the core content on the relevant platform (LinkedIn guide information shared on LinkedIn, Insta guide information shared on Insta, etc).
Here’s a quick visual summary of the mins and maximum for specifically posting video across different social media platforms!
LinkedIn: recommendations for content & video posts
The LinkedIn platform is one of the favourites for accountants. It’s best used for: (read the how-to guide here)
- Making connections with people in your industry and audience
- Building a presence to become recognisable and known for your expertise
- Continuing relationships you’ve started, or built in the past
LinkedIn: Length of post:
- The maximum length of a LinkedIn post is 3000 characters
- After 140 characters, your post will cut off and show the ‘see more’ button, which people will need to click in order to keep reading your post
- This isn’t about being click baity (although some people choose to go that route): it’s about getting to the point, FAST.
LinkedIn: Type of content that works best:
- Thought provoking content
- Polls: people love to give their opinion! Plus you can see what individual people voted
- Videos: helps people feel like they are connecting with you personally
LinkedIn: Article content length:
- You can post a LinkedIn article, which is like a blog post sitting within the LinkedIn platform, so your followers can read it and not leave the app (LinkedIn will prioritise this content)
- One downside is that content you post in a LinkedIn article stays on LinkedIn – it’s not YOUR website. At a bare minimum, make sure to save this content in a Google doc or elsewhere so you always have it.
- You can take content you’ve shared in a blog post on your own website, and repurpose the same content into a LinkedIn article. Unlike other sites, you won’t be penalised by Google for this as “duplicate content”.
LinkedIn: Image type & size:
- Using an image can help to draw attention, especially if it’s of yourself personally (sometimes people add a selfie image just to get more views!)
- Size limits: 1200 x 1200 pixels (square), 1080 x1350 (portrait)
LinkedIn: Hashtags:
- Using hashtags can help get you more views, clicks and connections
- Sprinkle the #hashtags throughout your #content, #likethis. (Rather than putting them all at the end, as you’d do on an Insta post.)
- When someone clicks on a hashtag, it brings up all the posts about that specific topic and they can search for other content using those hashtags
- (You can do this too, if you’re looking to find what hashtags are best to use)
LinkedIn: People & user mentions:
- The more people you tag, the more your post will be seen as it’ll be shown to their network as well as yours
- Be cautious with this and keep it authentic: only tag people who are genuinely connected to the post, not randomly just to get more views
- You can tag individual people you’re connected to by typing @ followed by their name (ie @karen reyburn), or a company (@we are pf)
- You can also tag people you are NOT connected to (such as @brene brown): again, use this judiciously. If you’re writing a post about a book it makes sense to tag the author.
LinkedIn: Video length and style:
- 10 minute maximum (app uploads), 15 minute maximum (desktop uploads)
- Often the shorter the better (30-90 seconds)
- Upload your video “natively” (upload the original video directly to the platform, rather than sharing a YouTube or other video link)
Twitter (or X): recommendations for content & video posts
X is a favourite for accountants talking to each other (see the #taxtwitter hashtag!). It’s best used for: (read the how-to guide here)
- Posting short form content which sparks conversations
- Starting & building relationships via comments and shares
- Connecting to people at events
X: Length of posts
- The maximum length of a X post is 280 characters (including spaces, emojis, symbols)
X: Type of content that works best
- Short form, conversational content
- “Threads”: when you have more to share than will fit into one 280 character tweet, you can click “add a tweet” and have a whole series of tweets which can be read in order. (This is basically like a X note, broken up into pieces.)
X: Video length
- Max length: 2 minutes 20 seconds
- Portrait or landscape work well
- You’re not quite as penalised for embedding a video from another platform, so you can either upload it natively, or share a YouTube link
X: Subtitles/captions
- X doesn’t offer the option to add subtitles
- Get your subtitles/captions ahead of time by using something like Happyscribe or another tool to get your subtitles (SRT file)
- Upload the video along with your SRT file (click “upload caption file” once you’ve uploaded your video)
X: Images
- Images help get visibility on X
- You can share up to 4 images or videos in one post (or mix and match – ie 3 photos and 1 video)
- Image size recommended: 1600 x 900 pixels
X: Hashtags
- These trend on X and people often use them to search for posts about that topic
- You can see what hashtags are trending within the X app
- Use 1 or 2 hashtags at the most in a X post – you don’t want to overdo
X: People & user mentions
- Like LinkedIn, you can tag people or companies you’re connected to by typing @ and the name (ie @karen reyburn will bring up @karenlreyburn username)
- When you upload a photo, you can tag people in that photo (max of 10 usernames). Some people or companies have settings which prevent them being tagged in photos
- Tagging people in your posts sends them a notification and means they can easily reshare your post to their feed
- Remember adding tags (unless it’s tagging a photo) adds to your character count, so it gives you less room for your content
Instagram (Grid): recommendations for content & video posts
Instagram is well known for being visual – images and videos take priority. It’s best used for: (read the how-to guide here)
- Visually expressing yourself (your purpose, your brand)
- Helping the right type of client find you
- Day to day updates on life & business (particularly stories – read on below)
Instagram Grid Posts: Length of posts
- 2200 character limit for a post caption (the content which goes along with your image or video)
- Your post will be truncated at 125 characters, and viewers can click “see more” if they want to read the rest
- You can add more in the comments (ie “continued in comments”), but this is a difficult viewer experience because your comments will get lost amongst other popular comments, which rise higher in the list
- If you have a longer post to share, take the first (or best) 2200 characters and use those as your caption, and then provide a link in your Insta bio
Instagram Grid Posts: Links
- Links are NOT clickable in a post (or video) caption. If you paste one in, people will see it but not be able to click on it
- You CAN post links in Instagram stories – read on below!
- Instead of including a URL in your post, you can add up to 5 links to your Instagram bio
- You could also say “Link in stories”, but that will only be visible for 24 hours
Instagram Grid Posts: Type of content that works best
- Visual & eye-catching posts
- Primarily visuals and video – not ideal for long form content (see above)
- Videos get a higher priority on the grid
Instagram Grid Posts: Image size
- Insta uses square images: Size 1080 x 1080 pixels
Instagram Grid post: Hashtags
- Users often search for inspiration on Instagram using hashtags
- It’s typical for an Instagram post to have 20-30 or as many as 40 hashtags
- Make sure the hashtags are connected to the message of your post
- Use Insta to search for popular hashtags to look for those which are popular and will be seen by more people
Instagram Grid Post: People & user mentions
- Tag other accounts and they’ll be able to share the post to their account. Either as a ‘collaborator’ (meaning it shows up on their own grid), or to their story which means your post is shared to their followers for 24 hours
- Like other social platforms, you can tag people or companies you’re connected to by typing @ and the name (ie @karen reyburn will bring up @karenlreyburn username)
- When you upload a photo, you can tag people in that photo (max of 20 usernames)
- Tagging people in your posts sends them a notification and means they can easily reshare your post in their Instagram Story for that day
Instagram (Reels): recommendations for video reels
An Instagram video is called a “reel”. Reels get a higher priority within the app and these are best used for: (read the how-to guide here)
- Building relationships & being present
- Following trends – creating content to a trending theme/style and adjusting it for your style or audience
Instagram reel length: 90 seconds to create a reel on Instagram (any video uploaded under 15 minutes will be posted under ‘Reels’)
Instagram reel style & size: Portrait, 1080 x1920 pixels
Instagram reel captions:
- You can add captions once you’ve uploaded your video
- There’s a button which looks like a smiley face document, which you click and have lots of options, from captions to location to time to temperature to GIFs
Instagram (Stories): recommendations for images & video
Instagram Stories are a place for you to share images or short videos, which are shown to your followers for 24 hours, and then disappear. These are best used for: (read the how-to guide here)
- Showing up daily/weekly to stay in front of your followers/audience
- Sharing “a day in the life” sort of content so your audience feels like they’re getting to know you personally
- Sharing posts from your own grid, and posts from others you follow
Instagram Story Length & Style:
- Max 60 seconds for Story videos (no minimum)
- You can post up to 100 stories per day
- Stories disappear after 24 hours (but you still have access in your archives)
- You can also post images onto your story
Instagram Story Video & Image style: Portrait style video and photos work best
Instagram Story Captions
- Once you’ve uploaded your video, you can add captions
- There’s a button which looks like a smiley face document, which you click to automatically detect captions and choose a caption style you like
- You have additional options for photos and video – from captions to location to time to temperature to GIFs and stickers – adding these can often get your followers more engaged
Instagram (Threads): recommendations for content and posts
Similar to certain features of Twitter (X), Threads is a text-based social sharing app that can be linked to your brand’s Instagram account. It’s a good space for:
- Maintaining engagement with your audience
- Offering glimpses of behind-the-scenes moments
- Sharing tips and tutorials
- Hosting Q&A sessions
- Promoting events hosted by your firm
Instagram Threads: Length of posts
- The maximum length of a Threads post is 500 characters (including spaces, emojis, and symbols).
- You can include links, photos, and videos in your posts.
Instagram Threads: Video length:
- Maximum video length: 60 seconds
Instagram Threads: Images
- You can upload up to 10 images per thread
- Recommended image size is 1080×1920 pixels
TikTok: recommendations for content & video posts
TikTok is the video platform: It’s used for short, fast, relevant videos and many people use it as a replacement for a Google search. It’s got great video editing capabilities so it’s ideal if you’re getting started with video. It’s best used for:
- Teaching your audience something while having fun
- Showing off your brand’s personality
- Video editing & learning to use video better
Length of post: Up to 2,200 characters in caption
Type of content which works best: Creating trending videos (very visual, engaging)
Video length:
- Minimum 3 seconds
- Recommended ideal is 21 to 34 seconds
- Most people move on after 1-3 seconds, so that’s about how long you have to capture their interest
Style of video & size: Portrait, 1080 x 1920 pixels
Subtitles and captions: There’s an auto caption feature you can use while creating your post on the app, which allows you to add and edit subtitles during the content creation process
Hashtags: Share your content wider and help others find your content faster by including relevant hashtags (similar to other platforms)
If that feels like way too much work….
Whew!! We’re guessing now you have gone through all this it seems like a massive investment of time and effort and detail and who’s got the time to do all that anyway? If you’re feeling like that, you might want a little coaching support or a strategy session to make sure you’re going in the right direction with what you’re posting on socials, then fill out this discovery form to book a chat with one of our creative team!