How to choose an ideal Facebook cover and make it stand out!

How to choose an ideal Facebook cover and make it stand out!

The Facebook cover photo is not just a photo, it’s the first thing which people will notice when they visit your page. It is very important to make the best first impression possible so that the cover photo can convey exactly what your page is all about. And if you own a Facebook page you know how difficult it is to pick one image that is appropriate for your page and is visible perfectly in both desktop and a Smart phone. No worries, we’re here to help you.

Let’s cut to the chase and find out the best way to make the most out of your Facebook cover photo.

Ideal size:

The best image size to use for your Facebook cover is … well, it can vary depending on whether it is viewed on a desktop or a phone. The cover photo is best viewed at:

820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on your Page on desktops
640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall on smartphones

Other points you may want to know:

The cover photo must be at least 399 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall.
It loads fastest as an sRGB JPG file (851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and size <100 Kb)

It means that even though we upload only one photo, Facebook will use it in two very different ways. The rectangular format for desktop and the little smaller rectangle trimmed from left and right for smartphones. It is amazing that Facebook doesn’t stretch or squeeze the same image, they change the crop. This ensures that your image looks its best without being distorting.

This is how the cover photo will look on a Desktop vs a phone.

Cover video is a new feature that Facebook introduced a short while back.

Now it’s possible to use a video, instead of a static cover photo. A video is more versatile in a way and enables you to convey more about your business and share a longer story.

For the videos the specifications are:

It should be at least 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall
It can be 20 to 90 seconds long

Also if the dimensions of your image or video that you like are a bit off, you can still use it! Just reposition your cover photo/video the way to highlight the essential and your favorite parts of it.

Best practices while selecting your cover photo:

Follow Facebook’s guidelines and required dimensions
Stay mainly visual and have a clear focal point
Make sure your cover photo looks good on mobile phones
See to it that your cover photo design compliments the rest of your page

What type of images gets maximum attention?

Some components that will make images likable and shareable are:

Emotion: Making people feel, leads them to take action
Relevance: Including elements that will cater to your audience’s interest
Colors: Picking the right colors that will lead to the most engagement
Typography: Choosing suitable fonts will make your message clear
Hashtags and Text: Use Hashtags and apt words that will lead your audience to interact

For example, Coca-Cola wants to market their product by making people feel that drinking a coke means happiness and fun. Hence Coca-Cola India’s cover photo shows multiple happy looking young individuals clinking their coke bottles. Their approach is quite straightforward and effective. Also, they have used a Hashtag #TasteTheFeeling to promote their idea and increase audience interaction.

Some other things :

The cover photo is a great way to reach out to people and express your brand or your idea. Here are some ways you can use your cover photo to make them stand out: