The cover photo is the largest photo on any Facebook page, and as a business it’s your best tool to initially grab the attention of your consumers. When it comes to business pages, Facebook doesn’t make big announcements, but rather patiently waits for businesses to notice the changes.
Last year there were several restrictions that Facebook put upon business pages regarding their cover photo. The old rules included no copy and no call to action. Then, they quietly began allowing these things. As of August 2013, the rules have changed again. Below, Big Red SEO discusses these changes.
New Facebook Cover Guidelines
Facebook guidelines from their site are as follows:
Use a unique image that represents your page. This might be a photo of a popular menu item, album artwork or a picture of people using your product. Be creative and experiment with images your audience responds to well.
All cover photos are public, which means anyone visiting your page will be able to see the cover photo. Cover photos can’t be deceptive, misleading, infringe on anyone else’s copyright or be in violation of the Pages Terms. You may not encourage people to upload your cover photo to their personal timelines.
What Facebook Doesn’t Tell You
Size and readability is Important! The Facebook cover photo size is 851 X 315. Please, don’t just stretch any photo, make sure your image looks good at this size. Check the space where your profile image is portrayed and don’t allow anything important on your cover photo to be covered. Utilize a font size that’s readable. Keep style in mind when creating your cover photo, as well.
Pictures Rule on Facebook
Many marketers are very excited that a “call to action” is now acceptable, but don’t forget that Facebook is a social network. It’s important to be social, not pushy. The cover photo is where you extend your hand out to greet the consumer. Remember to make the “call to action” less than 20% of the content.
A great example is Zappos, Inc., as they use their Facebook cover photo as a culture cultivator. Their cover photo clearly shares the culture they promote. Even now, with the new copy allowances, Zappos uses just a photo because that image speaks for them. Another example Inc. shared is the Facebook page for Skullcandy. Skullcandy has embraced the copy provisions in the form of graffiti to match the mood and style of its fans.
The bottom line is: Facebook users respond to images first and foremost. Always promote your image.
Change is Good
Don’t forget to change your cover photo frequently. Every time you change your cover photo it posts to your subscribers feed and gets indexed by certain search engines. It keeps your brand fresh in the minds of your fans. It also brings attention to a new idea, contest, or product. Take the time to focus on what your community wants to see. Users can comment and share your cover photo like any other post, so always consider creating conversation when posting images to your social media sites.
Use it to Your Benefit
Facebook has again opened the door for your business message to be seen. Use the old rules to force creativity and the new rules to encourage engagement with your community. Take this opportunity to create, invite and build your presence within the largest networking platform in the world. If you have any questions feel free to contact our team at Big Red SEO (402) 522-6468. We’d love to assist you in any way we can.