Having an eye-catching and effective cover photo for your Facebook page is crucial for making a great first impression on visitors and representing your brand. The cover photo is one of the first things people will see when they land on your page, so putting thought and effort into selecting the right image is time well spent.
What are the requirements for Facebook cover photos?
When creating or selecting a cover photo, it’s important to be aware of Facebook’s requirements:
- The image must be 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall. Anything smaller will be stretched to fit, and anything larger will be cropped.
- Facebook recommends using high resolution images that are at least 1080 pixels wide. This will ensure the image looks sharp on high resolution screens.
- The file size should be less than 100KB. Larger files will slow down load times.
- JPG, PNG, GIF and BMP file formats are supported.
- Text on the image should comprise less than 20% of the area. Too much text will get cut off on some screens.
- The image must follow Facebook’s community standards – no nudity, hate speech, etc.
Keeping these requirements in mind will ensure your cover photo meets Facebook’s specifications and looks great on all devices.
Should you use a logo or text?
Using your company logo and/or name in the cover photo is an easy way to reinforce brand recognition. However, it’s generally recommended to keep text to a minimum, for a few reasons:
- Too much text will get cut off on some screens and may not be legible on mobile.
- Text makes the image cluttered and less aesthetically pleasing.
- People connect more with images of real people and scenes.
The best practice is to focus on selecting a beautiful, high quality image first, and add a logo or text overlay secondarily if needed. The image itself should take precedence.
What types of images work best?
The most effective Facebook cover photos are:
- High-Quality: Use the highest resolution image available to avoid pixelation or blurriness.
- Relevant: Choose an image that reflects your brand identity and relates to your audience.
- Eye-catching: Go for something visually striking and vibrant to grab attention.
- Authentic: Images of real people, products, and places resonate more than stock photos.
- Inclusive: Photos representing diverse groups relate to a broader audience.
Some specific examples of effective cover photo types include:
- A professional shot of your products or services
- A behind-the-scenes look at your business location and team
- An infographic or statistics relevant to your industry
- A motivational or inspirational quote overlaid on a photo
- A photo from a recent event, conference, or activity
Should you use a seasonal or holiday image?
Using cover photos tied to seasons, holidays, or current events is a great way to show your brand personality and connect with your audience during specific times of year. For example:
- Heart imagery for Valentine’s Day
- Fireworks displays for July 4th
- Fall leaves or pumpkin spice lattes for autumn
- Santa hats and decorations for Christmas
That said, seasonal images work best when your brand has a logical connection to the holiday. Don’t force it or use unrelated imagery just for the sake of having a seasonal cover photo.
How often should you change cover photos?
Facebook does not limit how often you can change your cover photo. However, constantly changing it can come across as disjointed or indecisive. Here are some best practices:
- Major brands: Every 1-2 months
- Small businesses: Every 2-3 months
- Change for holidays/events as relevant
- Test new images first to see what performs best
Periodically updating your photo keeps your page looking fresh, without changing it so often that it loses brand consistency.
Where can you find high-quality, free stock photos?
Great photos don’t have to cost a fortune. Here are some excellent resources for free, high quality stock photos:
Be sure to check the licensing on free images to determine how they can be used.
Should you create cover photos yourself or hire a designer?
If you don’t have a skilled graphic designer on your team, it may be worth hiring one to create customized, high-quality cover photos. Some benefits of hiring a professional include:
- Unique, original imagery that represents your brand
- Properly sized and formatted for Facebook requirements
- Cohesive look and feel across multiple images
- Creates visual tie-in with your website
- Can add stylistic flourishes like filters, lighting, textures
However, if you have basic graphic design skills and access to photo editing software, you can DIY your cover photos to save money. Use the design tips in this article to make something eye-catching!
What tools can you use to design cover photos?
If you want to DIY your Facebook cover photos, here are some user-friendly design tools:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Canva | Drag and drop templates, easy text tools, large stock photo library |
| PicMonkey | Photo editing features like touch up and filters, graphic templates |
| Creative Market | Premade Facebook cover templates from designers |
| Adobe Spark | Customizable design templates for social media graphics |
Each of these tools makes it simple to quickly create eye-catching graphics, even if you don’t have professional design experience.
How can you A/B test different cover photo options?
A/B testing different cover photo variations is the best way to know what works for your audience. To test and compare cover images:
- Upload 2-3 cover photo options through Facebook Business Suite.
- Apply each one to your page for 3-7 days at a time.
- Use Facebook Insights to compare metrics like reach and engagement.
- Ask fans to vote for their favorite in a poll post.
- Go with the image that gets the most positive response.
Testing cover photos will reveal what resonates best with your target demographic and drives the most interactions.
What metrics help determine an effective cover photo?
Analyze these key Facebook Insights metrics to evaluate how well a cover photo is performing:
- Reach: How many unique people saw your page or content?
- Engagement rate: Percentage of people interacting vs. just seeing.
- Link clicks: How many clicked your call-to-action button?
- Follows: How many new page follows occurred?
- Reactions: How many Likes, Comments, Shares on your posts?
Photos that score higher on these metrics clearly resonate better with your fans.
What call-to-action options work best?
Your Facebook cover photo offers prime real estate for a strong call-to-action. Here are some effective options:
- “Shop Now” – Drive traffic to your online store.
- “Learn More” – Send them to key pages to browse.
- “Contact Us” – Have them reach out for information.
- “Sign Up” – Get more email subscribers.
- “Apply Now” – For recruiting fans as job candidates.
Craft your CTA to redirect fans to your most important destination or conversion goal.
Conclusion
Your Facebook cover photo gives every visitor a vital first impression when they land on your page. Putting thought into selecting the right image, following Facebook’s guidelines, showing your brand personality, and periodically changing it out will ensure your cover photo works hard to engage your audience.
With a top-notch photo that intrigues and delights fans, you’ll convey the essence of your brand and keep people eagerly coming back to your page.