“There’s life without Facebook and the Internet? Really? Send me the link.” – Anonymous

The above quote, although being sarcastic, aptly describes how popular Facebook is. With over 2.5 billion monthly active users worldwide as of March 2020, there is every reason for companies to come up with a solid Facebook presence. Hailed as the de-facto king of the social media platforms, Facebook commands viewership like no other. And that’s why it is imperative for businesses to meticulously design a page that can help them reach their goal.

The cover photograph is the first thing we notice on a Facebook page. The first dominant visual, even on a web page, catches our attention. And the cover photo on a Facebook page is the prime object. For businesses, they need to take care of every aspect to make a strong impression for the visitors.

A cover photo is the representative of the brand of a company and also works akin to a landing page. It also works as a CTA visual so that, when designed strategically, can make visitors visit the advertised website for any desired action. So how to start designing a cover photo that can make instantly work for your brand?

The following tips are important in this regard as they deal with factors that can make a page stand out amongst the fierce competition.

Guidelines

Facebook’s guidelines in putting up a picture as the cover photo are clearly defined. They are against the use of copyrighted pictures and putting up pictures of third parties or other brands without their consent. Also, the image you use should not be misleading or deceptive in any way. Be sincere with your target audience.

About the exact dimensions of the pictures, please refer to the right cover size section below.

Know your Audience

Think about your target audience before putting up any cover photo. Consider your product and then try to think about people from which age group or demographics are more certain to buy your product. You must have done some research about marketing your product to your potential customers. It would help if you used that same research to offer your customer a picture that he can relate to your product and instantly connects with it.

Through a Facebook business page and using the Insight tab, you can select “People” and then “Your Fans” tab. Through this, you can search for people who have visited your page from various backgrounds. This can also help you select a cover picture that resonates with your target market.

The Right Cover Size

Another critical aspect, you need to adhere to the following dimensions; otherwise, your image will not be accepted as a cover photo. The designated size by Facebook is 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall. Save the image files in either JPG or PNG, and make sure that size would be less than 100 KB.

The size for the profile picture is 170×170 pixels on computers and 128×128 pixels on smartphones. An image size of at least 180×180 pixels is recommended.

Pick a Photo that is True to your Brand

While you can select any picture, one which is close to your brand will make a difference. The image you will pick will make an impression about your product even before any visitor has seen any content, including a button or text. Just one cover photo can make a huge difference. Sample the below-mentioned picture and read how this company has simplified a need for their customers.

The above picture is of Freshly. The company offers fresh and cooked food to its customers, who just have to reheat it before consuming it. The use of vegetables instead of images of meat, beef, or chicken is a different approach from all the other food vendors in this category. It implies that they are close to nature and offer fresh and hand-picked vegetables in the food they prepare.

Finding Related Stock Images

Small businesses and startups may not have the budget to hire a professional photographer for high-quality pictures for cover photos and other purposes. Stock images are an excellent alternative so that you can find everything you need, and the quality will also satisfy your requirements.

One tip in this concern is about the use of images that you think are somewhat unique. Don’t go for the images which you have seen a million times before as this creates a bad impression for any visitor. Pictures with bright colors must be your choice.

Call to Action Buttons

Call to Action buttons are used on the website that leads visitors to make a response and lead them to another page or section, usually the order page. The cover photo itself can be a powerful CTA as you can put a link on the photo. The visitors can click that link so that he can visit your website or any particular section you want them to visit.

Promote your Business

You can promote your business easily through your cover photo in a variety of ways. You can publish a fun fact or a humorous quote to define your product. You can introduce your team in the image or offer new products or giveaways for boosting traffic to your website.

Your cover photo can mirror your web design, too, so that you can reinforce your brand identity. You can take inspiration from Facebook pages that you like the most but be original in your approach. Don’t just copy the idea and put it as your cover photo by just changing the color or font.

Avoid Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes by businesses is that they try to change the cover photos too often. As a business owner, you may think that your cover image should be changed monthly or need to catch up with trends. Your cover photo on Facebook is not just another image; it is one that makes your brand visible to billions of people using Facebook daily. That’s why you need to apply an image that can work for you for some time to come.

Keep the image simple enough so that it doesn’t look cluttered. Avoid adding too many elements like your logo, link for promotion, and small pictures of your various products. Keep the image clean so that it is clearly viewable and looks easy to the eyes.

Over to you

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