The Facebook cover photo is 851×315 pixels of potential. You have the opportunity to make a major statement about your company. It’s the first thing your Facebook fans and the world sees on your fan page. It’s also, arguably, the most important.
Some pages get extremely creative in what they choose and some seem to just throw anything up there. While you might not think yourself capable of the first, you better work hard not to be the latter. Serving as a first impression, your cover photo is something you should be putting some thought into.
Represent your company
Too often page admins take the task of choosing a cover photo too literally. It doesn’t have to be – and in many cases shouldn’t be – a direct representation of your company. For example, if you own a pizza shop, it shouldn’t be a shot of your shop’s sign. Rather, think about what your company offers. In this case, it offers great Italian food. So whip up your signature dish and shoot away. Or gather your freshest ingredients and create a beautiful piece of art to display.
Your cover photo should offer a glimpse into what your company’s all about. It can convey the services you offer, the people you help or the people who make it all happen. This is where it pays to think outside the box.
Represent your community
It doesn’t always have to be about your company; it could be about the community you serve or a subject that’s important to it. For example, you can change your cover photos to denote holidays or upcoming festivals that you’re sponsoring or participating in. Heaven forbid, but if there’s a tragedy that strikes your community, pay respects to your neighbors with a commemorative cover photo for a short period.
Showing your community that you care about it and the people who live in it will help build trust in your brand. And isn’t that why you’re on Facebook in the first place?
Our do’s and don’ts
When you’re brainstorming for the perfect cover photo, follow these simple guidelines to keep you on the right track.
- DO change cover photos regularly. It’ll help keep your page fresh.
- DON’T think it has to be a photograph. It can be text or graphics, or both. You’re limited only by your imagination.
- DO get creative. We love to see pages embrace the connection between the profile and cover photos.
- DON’T represent your company as something it’s not.
- DON’T use someone’s photo without getting their permission in advance.
Get brainstorming
Now that you know the rules and have a better understanding of what makes a good cover photo, here are some quick tips to get the creative juices flowing on how to switch it up:
Make an announcement: Have something cool happening in your business? Maybe you’re expanding to a new market? Create a cover photo letting everyone know about what you’ve got going on.
Show some love: Find a way to incorporate the profile pictures of your fans into a catchy cover photo.
Logo it up: Using your logo and company name you can create an interesting graphic to use instead of a photo.
Be inspirational: People love sharing inspirational quotes and photos on Facebook, and when they’re together, it’s even better.
Go behind the scenes: People don’t love companies; they love people who work for them. So, show them who you are by sharing photos of your employees.
Two is better than one: Can’t think of the perfect image to represent your company as a whole? Maybe you can think of many photos that tell a small part of the story. One word: collage.
A final thought
Coming up with a cover photo often proves a daunting task for a page manager. But using these tips and getting your team together to brainstorm, you’ll find it’s not as hard as you had feared. You might even have some fun with it.
Thanks for reading,
