As businesses active in social media, we should always look for and take advantage of ways to get our audience’s attention. Utilizing Facebook Cover Photos to its maximum potential can help you with your goal. Check out five ways to make the most out of it.
Facebook Cover Photo Technical Guidelines
We need to refresh on some technical points about the Facebook Cover Photo before we get down to business. Size matters for this aspect. The dimensions aren’t fixed for viewing on different devices. This is because users access Facebook either via their desktops, tablets, or smartphones.
Facebook has several guidelines indicating the specifics for Facebook Cover Photos. For computers, it should be 828 wide x 315 tall, and 640 x 360 for smartphones. Pixels should be at 399 x 150. Covers load fastest when it is an sRGB JPG file that’s 851 x 315, and less than 100 kilobytes.
Facebook Cover Photos are public. Make sure these are not misleading or infringing another’s copyright. Make sure you adhere to that, as well as the Pages Terms.
#1 Cross-Promotion of Other Social Media Accounts and Sites
Recognizing the importance of social media marketing is part of the social media world. You most likely have more than one social media account. In all these accounts, you would want as many people to engage with you as possible.
Engagement makes your brand get more mileage. This also goes the same for knowing about your product or service too.
Your Facebook Cover Photo can be used to promote your other social media accounts. Since you can’t have active links in the cover photo, create a landing page. You may also have a simple Bit.ly or URL link that can be retyped easily.
Giving them more information about your online presence has a lot of advantages. Cross-promotion can help boost traffic to your other accounts which need more engagement. It also makes your brand more visible across the web, whichever platform they access you.
Ensure a strong call to action (CTA) in the Facebook Cover Photo’s image description. It entices people to be more proactive with what they see. You have to keep the CTA simple yet catchy for your fans to understand at a glance.
A business who used their Facebook Cover Photo this way is Short Stack. They incorporated their profile photo with the image for their cover photo, and designed it to invite their fans to their Twitter account. Their username for their Twitter account is simple enough for their fans to type it in the said social media platform.
#2 Announcement of campaigns or events
You’ve come up with brilliant and interesting ways to promote your brand and your product or service. You may have organized a special event to help boost your business. You may also think of a campaign to help attain your business goals. Putting your social media accounts into use is one of the most effective ways to publicize your latest gimmick.
Spread the word about your latest campaign or event using your Facebook Cover Photo. It catches the attention of your audience quickly. Make sure that you supply only pertinent information for them to get interested.
Take caution when you do this, though. Users log on to Facebook to be connected with their friends and family. They might be put off with an outright sales pitch.
At the end of the day however, you actually want them to conduct business with you. Sounds confusing? Just present your announcement in a way that the information you give is something fascinating to them. Make them want you, not you to want them.
In your Facebook Cover Photo announcement, use enthralling images. Keep the text to a minimum as well. Information you should include are the inclusive dates, venue, time, and speakers (if you have any.)
Don’t give away too much of what you’re announcing. It makes your Facebook Cover Photo too cluttered. Users tend to ignore a cluttered photo because there are just too many elements. You can share a link to direct them for more information.
#3 Post customer testimonials
Your business has touched the lives of a number of your consumers, one way or another. They have enjoyed the benefits of what they have availed. Their investment was worth it.
Some may have become excited with what they have experienced and shared with the public about it. They may have posted good reviews on their own account. There are several who have posted on your account as well. Some have given star ratings as well.
Feature testimonials of your satisfied clients as your Facebook Covered Photo. Capture a screen grab of the posted testimonial. You can also quote them and design the cover photo yourself.
Make sure you inform the customer of your plan for your Facebook Cover Photo. Let them feel the honor of having their experience featured in your official account. Emphasize in your communication your gratitude for engaging into business with you.
One of the most powerful tools in marketing is the word of mouth. People believe what their family and friends say more than what companies are telling the people. Take advantage of this fact and highlight your customer’s experience every now and then.
Let’s take that positive feedback for Vans Canada. Quoting this for a Facebook Cover Photo is a good idea. Vans was able to deliver quality after-sales service. The customer expresses that their loyalty has been reestablished to the company.
#4 Feature your new products or services
Keeping your customers updated became a lot easier with social media. Uploading only takes a few seconds, giving your fans immediate access to what you communicate with them. Your avid fans will be looking forward to those, and be liking or even commenting on what you have posted.
Remember that not all your fans are your customers. They may have been on your account for a while, but have not actually availed any of your offerings. However, some fans may have been drawn to your Facebook account because they are your customers. They want to be informed as soon as possible with your latest offerings.
Your Facebook Cover Photo can inform your audience of new products or services. Any upgraded versions of your products can be promoted here as well. You can also feature new accessories which can supplement the functions of your existing products.
If there are several versions of your new offering, update your Facebook Cover Photo according to each version. Highlight distinct features to attract your audience to learn more about it. As mentioned earlier, don’t crowd it with too much information. Direct your audience to a link with more detailed descriptions.
Domino’s Pizza had a mouth-watering Facebook Cover Photo to advertise their new product. The picture of their Specialty Chicken was worth a thousand words. They needed only to supplement it with the name of the product to get the people to avail it.
#5 Feature your team
Your business has gotten to where it is because of the people behind it. These people have helped you on your journey to achieve your vision, mission, and goals. They have dedicated a significant portion of their lives believing in your business. They stuck through good times and bad, growing not only as individuals but also as a team.
Featuring them in your Facebook Cover Photo adds a “human touch” to the account. Businesses utilize various metrics and tools to interact with and engage in social media. Showcasing the faces of the people behind the brand makes your fans feel more intimate with your business.
When the fans see your team in your Facebook Cover Photo, they can now make associations with their experiences with your business. When fans receive replies to their comments, they know it’s given by one of the people there. When customers look forward to another visit at your store, they are also anticipating that friendly face they have seen on your cover photo.
Stine Home + Yard have used their Facebook Cover Photo this way. JW Stine is photographed with his children and grandchildren who are in the family business. They also gave a link to know more about the business. This gives such a homey and intimate feeling to those who come across it.
Wrapping it up
These are 5 excellent ways to make the most of your Facebook Cover Photo. Be conscious of the technical aspects. You don’t want to waste your hard work due to overlooked technicalities or term violations. This makes it vital for you to be up-to-date with the latest Facebook guidelines.
You may conduct tests on your Facebook Cover Photo strategies. One may work well for a certain type of business while another might bring a different result. See how your fans and customers respond to your strategies. There are certain social media metrics you need to take note of to help you with that.
For concerns with your Facebook Cover Photo size, there are lots of free software available online to help you. Canva is a common go-to for social media marketers. They have pre-sized templates and layouts you can experiment with.