There’s no arguing that Facebook is one of the most popular social media networks in existence. At the end of 2016, the platform had close to 2 billion active users. With this much competition, using attention-grabbing profile pictures and amazing Facebook covers is a must.
If you’re not making the most of your Facebook cover photo, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Here’s everything you need to know about optimizing your Facebook cover photos.
Why You Need Amazing Facebook Covers
Humans are visual creatures with short attention spans.
It’s estimated that 81 percent of internet users scan online content. Most of us get distracted after somewhere between 2.8 and 8 seconds. This means the amount of time you have to present your message is extremely limited.
Many profile creators spend time carefully completing their contact information, creating the perfect business description, and gathering five-star customer reviews. While all of these things are important, your efforts are wasted if users don’t stay on your page long enough to read it.
Amazing Facebook covers capture the reader’s attention. They present the perfect amount of information in a way that is easy to absorb.
13 Secrets to Help You Design Amazing Facebook Covers
Hopefully, by now, you understand how important it is to have an awesome Facebook cover photo. However, you may not know exactly how to create one. These 13 tips will help to get you started.
Create Custom Photos
Some of best Facebook covers use creative photo effects. Try customizing your photos using Photoshop templates. You can also add custom information using design sites like Canva or Snappa.
Keep Things Fresh
If your Facebook profile is effective, users will be visiting regularly. Plan to change your cover photo at least every few months to keep things fresh and prevent boredom.
Update your cover based on holidays, sales, or special events. Channel your creativity, and remember that it’s okay to reuse covers with evergreen content.
Wow Them with Video Covers
Facebook now allows you to upload a video in place of the static cover photo. This opens up a whole new world for business owners who want to share their story in a truly engaging manner.
Ideally, videos should be 820 pixels by 312 pixels and can run between 20 and 90 seconds in length. The “reposition” feature allows you to use videos that aren’t quite the right size.
Take advantage of video covers before they become commonplace to put yourself one step ahead of the competition.
Show Off Your Products
If you have a fabulous product that you know people are going to want to buy, use your cover photo to show it off. Sharp, brightly colored photos work the best for this purpose.
Add some text with details about the product, and you’ve essentially created an online billboard.
Make a Collage
Can’t decide on one product to promote? Facebook covers give you enough space to make a collage featuring your favorites. This allows you to subliminally market your business without looking like a product-pusher.
Promote Special Offers
Use this space to advertise upcoming events or promote special offers. This is even more valuable if the offer is exclusively for Facebook fans. Not only does this help drive traffic to your page, fans will get used to checking back frequently for new information.
Use Your Value Proposition
If you had to describe what makes your business awesome using only a single sentence, what would it be? Get creative and come up with a few catchy taglines or value propositions. Use your Facebook cover photo space to boldly proclaim them.
Keep your design simple and incorporate your company colors and logo. Be sure to use a font that is large and clear enough so it’s easy to read at a glance.
Promote Social Campaigns
Take after some of the biggest name brands and create a social media campaign. Add hashtags to your cover photos and promote the campaign across multiple social media platforms.
Introduce Your Staff
Make a connection with your customers by showing them the people who make your company great. Use your Facebook cover space to humanize your brand by sharing a recent photo of you and your staff.
Incorporate Your Fans
Include photos of your fans using your products or attending an event you hosted. This makes them feel like they are a valued part of your company’s “family” and creates a personal connection.
An added benefit is that those who are pictured are more likely to share your page with their friends.
Remember That Size Matters
Make sure the cover photo you upload is the correct size and shape. This will ensure that it looks great on all devices.
Many design programs offer an auto-size feature. If you need to manually produce a photo that will work on all formats, 820 pixels by 462 pixels seems to be the optimal size.
Double-Check Your Design
In a perfect world, your cover photos would look great on both mobile and desktop versions with no effort required on your part. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Once you’ve uploaded your cover photo, always check it on multiple devices to make sure it looks the way you want it to.
Outsource to a Professional
Most business owners don’t have the time or knowledge needed to create amazing Facebook covers. Outsourcing the design to a digital marketing company like DBL07 will give you excellent results without the headache.
It’s Time to Set Yourself Apart
Are you interested in learning more about how design, interface, and special effects can set your business apart from the crowd?
PSD Learning has all the information you need. Check out our resources page to stay on top of the latest industry trends to help take your marketing to the next level.
