A Facebook cover photo is one of the first things people will see when they visit your business page, so it’s important to make a good impression. The cover photo appears at the top of your Facebook page and is a great opportunity to showcase your brand visually. When designed well, your Facebook cover photo can help tell your brand’s story, convey your mission, highlight products or services, and connect with your target audience.
Cover Photo Dimensions
Facebook cover photos have very specific size requirements in order for them to look correct on desktop and mobile:
- Width: 820 pixels
- Height: 312 pixels
Keep these dimensions in mind when designing your cover photo. If your image is any smaller, it will get stretched to fit and may appear distorted. If your image is larger, Facebook will automatically crop it to fit, which may cut off important parts of your photo.
Design Tips
Here are some tips for designing an effective Facebook cover photo that represents your brand:
- Showcase your products or services. For example, a restaurant may feature a mouthwatering dish or a retail store may show off their latest products.
- Use your brand colors and logo. This helps reinforce brand recognition.
- Include relevant text like your company name, slogan, or promotional text. Make sure text stands out and is easy to read.
- Feature people using your product or service. This connects emotionally with your audience.
- Use high-quality, non-pixelated images. This looks more professional.
- Avoid cluttering the cover photo. Keep it simple and eye-catching.
Image Types
There are a few approaches you can take with your Facebook cover photo:
- Product or service imagery: As mentioned above, featuring your products or services in action is an effective cover photo strategy. Hero shots of your offerings grab attention.
- Behind-the-scenes: Give customers a peek behind the scenes of your business with photos of your office, employees at work, an event prep, etc. This feels more real and personal.
- Infographics: Infographics with statistics, facts, timeline, processes, or other data visualizations related to your business can make informative cover photos.
- Motivational or inspirational quotes: Pair an inspirational quote, your company’s motto, or words of wisdom with appropriate imagery for an uplifting cover photo.
- Community: Photos showing customers interacting with your business, sponsored events, or company culture helps humanize your brand.
Cover Photo or Video?
Facebook also allows you to set a video as your cover photo. A short looping video can be a more eye-catching option than a static image. Consider using video for:
- Product demonstrations
- Customer testimonials
- Behind-the-scenes look at your company
- Highlight reel from an event or conference
However, keep in mind videos may not convey as much specific information upfront as a well-designed image. Test both image and video cover photos to see what resonates most with your audience.
Tips for Text
If you include text on your cover photo, keep these tips in mind:
- Use high contrast colors that stand out against the photo background.
- Avoid lengthy bodies of text. Keep it short and readable.
- Use large, bold fonts that look clear at small sizes.
- Text should be aligned to the left or right side so it doesn’t get cut off by usernames.
- Place important text higher up since it may be hidden on some devices.
- Double check for typos and accuracy.
Changing Your Cover Photo
Facebook allows you to change your cover photo as often as you like to keep your page looking fresh. Consider updating it seasonally, for promotions and events, or as your brand evolves. Here are some best practices for changing it up:
- Don’t change it too frequently or it could seem random. Find a good balance between freshness and consistency.
- Add a call to action if relevant, like an event date or sale.
- Tie new cover photos to holidays, time of year, or current events when appropriate.
- Test different options and analyze engagement data to see which cover photos resonate best.
Cover Photo Apps
Creating a customized Facebook cover photo doesn’t require advanced graphic design skills. There are many user-friendly apps and tools that can help you quickly create on-brand graphics:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Canva | Intuitive drag and drop interface, tons of templates and stock imagery, ability to resize to Facebook cover dimensions. |
| Adobe Spark | Graphic, video, and web stories options. Resize and add design effects. |
| Snapseed | Photo editing app for mobile. Crop, tune image, add text overlay. |
| Over | Graphic design platform with templates, illustrations, and collaboration features. |
| Figma | Cloud-based design app with robust features and team workflow options. |
Many of these apps have free basic versions with premium upgrades available as well. Try out a few options to find the best cover photo creation workflow for your brand.
Cover Photo Ideas and Inspiration
If you need some additional inspiration for your Facebook cover photo, look at what other successful brands are doing in your industry or with similar target audiences. Here are some great examples:
- In-N-Out Burger uses fun illustrations that highlight their iconic burger and milkshakes.
- GoPro frequently updates their cover photo with cool outdoors action shots taken with their cameras.
- Burt’s Bees uses motivational nature quotes over backdrops of their classic branded imagery.
- FOX uses eye-catching graphic text with promotional messaging for popular TV shows.
- Dunkin’ incorporates seasonal food photography and text about their latest offerings.
Think about what makes these examples effective and how you can apply similar strategies tailored to your own brand’s look, voice, and audience.
Tracking Performance
Once your cover photo is set, it’s important to monitor its performance and engagement. Facebook offers analytics so you can see how many people viewed and engaged with your page and cover photo over time. Track metrics like:
- Page views
- Post reach
- Engagement rate
- Clicks
- Reactions
- Shares
- Comments
Evaluate what works well and what can be improved so you can refine your approach over time. Continually optimizing your cover photo for maximum impact will help attract more eyes to your brand on Facebook.
Conclusion
Your Facebook cover photo is valuable real estate to make a stellar first impression and convey your brand image. Dedicate time to crafting a high-quality, visually appealing, effective photo that represents your business. Use relevant imagery, include engaging text, keep it aligned with your brand identity, and optimize it for the right size and platform. With a thoughtful strategy and design process, your Facebook cover photo can become a standout asset that promotes meaningful engagement.