How to Make a Social Hero Image for a Launch
Quick answer: A social hero image is the first picture a launch posts: the product and the one-line claim, composed for a feed. The same design is recomposed for each platform ratio, but the hierarchy stays the same.
The hierarchy
A hero image carries four elements, in this order:
- The headline. The one-line value proposition, short enough to read in the feed.
- The product. The product screenshot, the interface, or the product in context.
- The supporting line. A short second sentence, optional.
- The logo. Small, placed at the bottom.
The headline is the thing the reader sees first; the product is the proof; the logo is the signature.
The canvas by platform
| Platform | Size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| X | 1200 × 675 | 16:9 |
| 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 | |
| Facebook / OG | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |
| Instagram feed | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
The full set is in the 2026 image size table. A hero image is not a resize; it's a recomposition: the wide version puts the product on the right and the headline on the left; the portrait version stacks the headline on top and the product below.
Margin and safe area
Leave roughly 60 px of breathing room on the wide formats, and follow the story safe zones on the 9:16 formats. The headline sits inside the safe area; the feed crops the edges in small ways.
The headline treatment
- Two lines maximum. A one-line headline is best.
- Large, bold, high contrast. The text should be readable at a phone viewing distance.
- On a calm background. The headline should never compete with the product screenshot.
The readability rules are covered in text readability on images.
The product shot
- A clean screenshot or the product in context.
- Crop to the relevant part of the interface; a full window at 1200 px wide makes text unreadable.
- The product image should be framed with a shadow or a device frame, per the device frames guide.
Background and color
The background is the visual identity. It can be a solid brand color, a soft gradient, or a calm photograph, but it has to let the headline and product stand out. Color choices are in how to choose brand colors.
What to avoid
- A logo hero. A logo with a slogan tells nothing about the product.
- Paragraphs in the image. Two lines, not six.
- Too many elements. A launch hero is one claim; the carousel and the how-to post carry the details.
- Wrong ratio. A wide hero in an Instagram Story leaves black bars.
- Stock background photos unrelated to the product. They add visual noise.
The hero set for a launch
The hero image is one of the formats in the launch kit, along with the story, the carousel, and the link card. It's the Neatico launch kit default output from one product description.
Frequently asked questions
Can one hero image serve all platforms? A full-bleed 16:9 image works in the wide feeds, but Instagram and Stories need recomposed versions. The product and headline stay the same.
What's the difference between a hero and an OG image? The OG image is the link card, 1200 × 630; the hero is the directly uploaded post image. The wide versions overlap heavily.
Should the hero image include the price? Only when the price is a selling point (free tier, launch discount). The launch post carries it otherwise.
How long should the headline be? 4–7 words, legible in the feed.
Is the hero generated by AI? The composition can be; the product facts and the exact wording are better checked by the founder.
Compose the wide hero first, then recompose the same hierarchy for the portrait formats. The claim is the constant; the layout changes.
Related guide: the brand kit guide.