Your Facebook cover photo is one of the first things people will see when they visit your business page. It’s a valuable marketing opportunity that you don’t want to waste. With some strategic planning, you can create a Facebook cover photo that makes a great first impression, communicates your brand messaging, and inspires viewers to engage with your content.
What are the key elements of an effective Facebook cover photo?
There are a few key elements that go into designing an eye-catching, effective Facebook cover photo:
Reflects your brand identity
Your cover photo should reflect your company’s brand identity and personality. Think about your company colors, logo, products, services, causes – what visuals represent your business? Incorporate those into the design.
Conveys your brand messaging
What key messages do you want to get across about your company? Come up with 1-3 key messages and find a creative way to showcase them visually in the cover photo. Maybe it’s a tagline, product showcase, or vision statement.
Directs viewers where to click
Since you can’t add clickable links to a cover photo, you need to provide visual cues guiding people where to click next. This could be an arrow pointing them to click on your profile picture to see more, for example.
Looks good small and stretched
The cover photo appears at 820 x 312 pixels on desktop, but will be smaller on mobile. Make sure any text/logos are still clear and readable when shrunk down.
Encourages engagement
Give people a reason to stop scrolling and engage further! Ask a question, create something eye-catching, tie it to a campaign, etc.
What are some best practices for Facebook cover photos?
Here are some best practices to follow:
Choose high-quality images
Use only high resolution, professionally designed images. Pixelated, amateurish photos will reflect poorly on your brand.
Keep text minimal
Cover photos look best with minimal text. If you must add text, make sure it’s big, bold, and easy to read. Stick to 30% text at most.
Update it frequently
Facebook suggests changing your cover photo every 90 days. Regular updates keep your page looking fresh.
Make it cohesive
Your profile and cover photos should complement each other and align with your branding.
Check dimensions
Always double check that any designs fit the 820 x 312 pixel cover dimensions.
Use high contrast colors
Dark text on light backgrounds tends to be the most legible. Make sure viewers can easily read any text.
Be consistent across networks
Your Facebook cover photo design should align with your imagery on other platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
What types of cover photos typically perform well?
Certain kinds of cover photos tend to get more engagement on Facebook. Consider using:
Faces
Photos featuring real faces tend to perform better than generic images. Showcase your team, employees, or customers (with permission).
Offers or promotions
Special deals and sales are great at driving clicks from your cover photo.
Behind-the-scenes
Give viewers a peek behind the curtain at what goes on at your company. Show your office, team, or work culture.
Event imagery
Using photos from recent company events or campaigns makes the content more timely and relevant.
Customer testimonials
Pull an awesome customer review quote and feature it visually in your cover photo.
New product teaser
Introducing a new product, service or initiative? Tease it in your cover image.
What types of images should you avoid in Facebook cover photos?
There are also some types of images you’ll want to steer clear of, including:
Stock photos
Generic, cheesy stock photos look unprofessional and disconnect viewers from your brand. Always use custom images.
Outdated information
Don’t talk about old promotions, events or products that are no longer relevant. Keep it timely.
Unclear messaging
If the image doesn’t clearly convey your brand or messaging, viewers will just get confused. Keep it focused.
Dark, cluttered images
Bright, clean images work best. Avoid dark and cluttered photos that are hard to decipher.
Pixelated images
Low resolution photos will cheapen your brand. Invest in professional photography.
Overly sales-y offers
Avoid being overly promotional. Focus on creating value vs. announcements about sales.
How can you create a Facebook cover photo?
Here are some options for actually creating a cover photo:
Design it yourself
Use Photoshop or an online design tool like Canva to create your own cover photo. This gives you full creative control.
Hire a designer
A graphic designer can help develop a high quality, professionally designed cover photo tailored to your brand.
Use a template
Social media template sites like Snappa offer pre-designed Facebook cover layouts you can customize yourself.
Take original photography
Hire a photographer to do a brand photoshoot and capture original images you own.
Repurpose existing assets
Look at photos and creative you already have – infographics, product shots, office photos, etc – that could be adapted into a cover image.
How often should you change your Facebook cover photo?
Facebook recommends updating your cover photo about every 90 days. Here are some reasons you may want to switch it up more frequently:
- You have a new product, promotion or initiative to showcase
- You’ve undergone a rebrand or refresh of your visual identity
- You want to complement new profile pictures or content
- Holidays, seasonal events, or cultural moments provide branding opportunities
- Competitors or other brands are starting to copy your design
Some brands change their covers weekly, while others only refresh every 6 months. Test different frequencies and see what works best for your audience. The most important thing is keeping it fresh and on-brand.
Should you include text on your Facebook cover photo?
There are pros and cons to including text on your Facebook cover photo:
Pros:
- Clearly communicates your key messaging
- Allows you to include a call-to-action
- Pops more than just imagery alone
- Provides more context
Cons:
- Can look cluttered if too much text is included
- Text won’t be legible at smaller sizes
- Viewers may not take the time to read it
- May date the image more quickly
Use text sparingly – stick to 30% or less of the image covered in text. Make the font large and legible with high contrast. Include a strong call to action. Test text vs non-text versions to see what performs best.
How can you encourage engagement with your Facebook cover photo?
Here are some ways to create Facebook cover photos that grab attention and get engagement:
Ask Questions
Include questions like “What’s your favorite product?” to spark discussion in the comments.
Run a Contest
Promote a giveaway, contest or sweepstake for users who like/share/comment.
Use Fill-in-the-Blanks
Post incomplete sentences and encourage users to fill in the rest.
Try Quizzes or Polls
Interactive polls and quizzes can boost engagement.
Show User-Generated Content
Display customers using your products or services.
Leverage Nostalgia
Post throwback photos or anniversary content tied to your history.
Go Behind-the-Scenes
Give a sneak peek at what goes on inside your company.
Highlight Your Team
Put faces to your brand by introducing employees.
How can you optimize your cover photo for mobile viewing?
More than half of Facebook users access it exclusively via mobile. Here are some tips to optimize cover photos for mobile:
- Keep text big and minimal – aim for 20-30 pt font size
- Avoid long paragraphs
- Make sure any important elements are near the center
- Add white space around key points
- Check it looks good on the smallest mobile size
- Make sure actionable elements are prominently placed
- Use contrasting colors
The most important information and calls-to-action should be front and center where they are visible on mobile screens when users first land on your page.
How can you track and measure your Facebook cover photo performance?
It’s important to track how well your cover photos are performing so you can identify what works. Here are some metrics to measure:
Engagement Rate
Calculate the likes, comments, clicks and shares divided by total reach.
Click-Through Rate
See how often people click from your cover photo to your profile or website.
Traffic Sources
Analyze if traffic is being driven to your website from social media.
Brand Lift Studies
Survey how your branded content impacts brand awareness and perception.
A/B Testing
Try two different cover images with a portion of your fans and compare engagement.
Continually test and optimize your cover photo strategy using data-driven insights into what resonates most with your audience. This will maximize the value of your Facebook presence.
Conclusion
Your Facebook cover photo gives you a prime opportunity to catch your audience’s eye and communicate your brand story visually. Put thought and care into properly showcasing your company and what makes it special. Aim to frequently update it with targeted messaging and compelling calls to action that get people talking about and interacting with your business. With a strategic approach, you can turn your cover image into a valuable marketing channel.