Your Facebook cover photo is one of the first things people will notice when visiting your profile. It represents you or your business and can make a strong first impression. With regular profile picture updates being commonplace, many users don’t think to change their cover photo as often. But updating it periodically can have benefits. So how often is optimal to refresh this banner image? There are pros and cons to switching it up frequently or keeping it consistent. We’ll explore guidelines based on different goals.
How Often Facebook Recommends Changing Cover Photos
Facebook does not issue a mandate on cover photo updating frequency. The company states you are free to update it as often as you wish. However, there are a couple factors to keep in mind:
- Cover photos are cached, so changes may not appear immediately to all viewers. It can take several hours for new uploads to propagate through Facebook’s servers.
- If you change it multiple times in one day, the old images may still show for some users. Spacing out updates allows time for the new version to fully publish.
Based on these technical aspects, changing your cover photo once every few days to weeks is reasonable. Daily changes are inadvisable. The platform can handle a high frequency of updates, but you risk different images displaying to your connections at the same time.
Frequency for Personal Profiles
For personal Facebook profiles, cover photo update frequency comes down to personal preference. The average user changes theirs every few months. Here are some factors to consider:
Special occasions
Updating in conjunction with major holidays, seasons, vacations, etc. can keep your profile looking fresh. For example:
- New Year’s Eve or other holidays
- Seasonal: winter, spring, summer
- Major family vacation
- Special events: reunion, wedding, graduation
Connecting your cover photo to what is timely allows you to celebrate and share these occasions.
Profile updates
If you update your profile picture, you may want to also change the cover photo to match visually. Or if you do a major profile redesign, overhaul the cover photo as well.
Frequency fatigue
Too frequent profile picture changes can seem excessive. Find a balance between freshness and overkill. For most users, every 2-3 months is reasonable.
Life milestones
Major life events can call for a cover photo refresh, signaling your new chapter.
- New relationship
- Engagement/marriage
- New child
- New home
- Career change
- New pet
Mark these occasions with meaningful imagery. But don’t feel compelled to change it simply for change’s sake.
Frequency for Business Pages
For brands, companies, organizations and public figures, cover photo updating requires more strategy. This prime profile real estate can promote your products, events, offers and more. Here are tips for businesses:
Link to holidays/events
Refreshing your cover photo to connect with seasons, holidays and cultural events shows your awareness.
| Event | Examples |
|---|---|
| Holidays | New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Halloween |
| Seasonal | First day of spring, summer beach scenes, fall foliage |
| Cultural | Pride Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month |
| Societal | Mental Health Awareness, Earth Day, Election Day |
Relevance shows you are timely, thoughtful and engaged.
Promote special offers/events
Limited-time sales, special events, new menu launches – feature these prominently with custom cover imagery. Shows dynamism.
Showcase new products/services
When you launch new products or services, creating launch announcements as cover photos spotlights the news. Keep branding cohesive across images.
Frequency considerations
Balance staying fresh and relevant with overkill. Some brands opt for weekly updates, while monthly or quarterly works for others. Know your audience.
Visual Variety
Regardless of your updating frequency, use cover photos to showcase different sides of you or your business.
Photography vs. graphics
Mix real photos with designed graphics and artwork. Adds visual interest.
| Photographs | Graphics |
|---|---|
| Behind the scenes pictures | Infographics |
| Profile headshots | Charts/data visualizations |
| Product imagery | Icons |
| Event/location photos | Typography-focused designs |
Color schemes
Use a consistent color scheme for branding. But vary the tone, mood and specific hues across updates. Compare warm and cool palettes, muted and bold colors.
Call to action
Some cover photos can include direct promotional messaging, calls to action or contact information. Others will aim for a more subtle brand signal. Finding balance helps avoid over-commercialization.
Show range
Demonstrate the breadth of your offerings, expertise and personality through your image selection over time. Show you are multi-dimensional.
Sizing Specs
Cover photos display at 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on desktop, and 640 x 360 on mobile. Keep written content towards the bottom third, as the top area will be covered by your profile picture and other UI elements. Avoid too much text overall, as the long landscape orientation suits graphical visuals best.
Conclusion
Your Facebook cover photo can make a strong visual impact. For both personal and business pages, updating it periodically keeps your profile looking fresh and relevant. Be strategic if using for promotions. Find a balance between frequent changes and sticking with images long-term. Use it to highlight different sides of yourself or your brand. With mindful updating approaches, this banner image can make a stellar first impression.