You’ve got your Facebook page set up, you have a great profile picture chosen, but you’re wanting to do something more with your cover photo. You want an image that exemplifies your practice, but you want it to be creative, striking and memorable.
It’s one of the first photos patients will see when they visit your page. This is important because the average American spends about 40 mins a day just on Facebook! It doesn’t seem like a great deal of time, but in comparison to other social media platforms, it’s more impactful than you would think.
Image Courtesy of Sprout Social.
So how do you go about creating an effective cover image for a better Facebook presence? Well, we have a few guidelines you should stick to when creating a cover image, and a few ideas you can swipe. Let’s go over some best practices to creating a wicked cover photo for Facebook…
Get the Cover Photo Size Right!
The last thing you want is a photo with wonky dimensions that don’t fit properly into the allotted space. Make sure the image is optimized for the right dimensions!
- Desktop: 851 pixels wide x 315 pixels tall
- Mobile: 640 pixels wide x 360 pixels tall
It’s okay if the image is SLIGHTLY bigger, but you definitely don’t want it to be smaller. If it’s smaller, Facebook will stretch the photo to fit the space. But to get it perfectly, stick with the proper dimensions.
Let’s also make note of where your profile picture, business name, sign up button, like button and message button appear on your cover photo. If you have important features along the bottom of the cover photo, it’s most likely going to be covered or obstructed. Be aware of your photo content and how it’ll appear once it’s on your page.
If you’re creating the image yourself, you can use a nifty online tool like Canva that will have a Facebook cover photo template ready for you to upload images, add text and create basic graphics. Canva is immensely user-friendly program. You don’t have to be a graphic design wizard to use it’s functions.
Let the Images Speak for Itself
Putting text on your cover photo can be really effective, but don’t bombard it with copy. Keep the image simple and concise. You can stick with the “text should not be more than 20% of the image” rule if you want to be consistent. But don’t be afraid to let the image tell the story for you.
Having some trouble finding photos? Sites such as Flickr, Pixaby or Free Images are all great databases for creative commons images that you can use, free of charge. Although most photos do not have license restrictions, always double check on the photos you find!
Or get creative and snap your own pictures for the front page. There’s always something unique about genuine, well-photographed image.
Be Consistent with the Rest of Your Page
Your cover photo is not a stand-alone piece. It should be consistent with your profile picture and your brand. Think about colour schemes, business values and overall branding. If your cover photo doesn’t meld well with the rest of the page, you’ll have a patchy and disconnected display – it won’t represent you or your practice well.
Now how can you put your Facebook cover photo to use?
7 Creative Ways to Use Your Facebook Cover Photo
1. Sell a Product or Inspire a Purchase
The image of Vitafusion’s cover photo above clearly indicates what they’re selling, which is a great approach, or you can choose to be subtle about it.
In the image below, Edible Arrangements used “Father’s Day” as a way to inspire a purchase. Their team uses special occasions to their advantage because that’s what their products are suited for!
2. Encourage a Lifestyle
Your cover photo can demonstrate what lifestyle your services and products want to put into motion. Drive your audience by inspiration and goals; that’s what New Balance does to promote their fitness attire.
3. Showcase Your Personality
YouTube is a platform for a variety of videos and content. You can find a video on almost everything and anything. And that’s how they showcase who they are on their cover photo. They demonstrate all the content that aligns with their brand.
YouTube is a space for people to share thoughts on politics, education, entertainment and lifestyle. If you have a strong brand and sense of business personality, then highlight this unique quirk.
4. Promote a Hashtag
You can also use your cover image to send a message and spark a conversation, just like Calvin Klein. Hashtags can be a powerful tool for online engagement, especially if you’re about to start a new marketing campaign. Make your hashtag prominent in the cover photo so that your audience can key in on it immediately.
5. Feature Your Audience
If your patients or customer are a big part of your brand and business model, then this is a great way of showing your appreciation. It shows your involvement with the community, your connection with people and it’s a great way for those featured to share your page. Science World in Vancouver puts a huge emphasis on educational fun with their guests. Incorporating their audience into their campaign is a way of expressing their brand, highlighting their values and involving the community.
6. Highlight the Experience
Another fantastic way to promote your brand is by highlighting an experience. If one of your services is an experience – taking your customer through a journey or lifestyle change, then showcase that exciting step in their life. Sell an experience to them so that they don’t want to miss out on it. Zumba Fitness is a high profile organization that motivates people by the hundred with their events. You might be a smaller scaled business, but the photo still has a similar effect.
7. Share Events
There’s no question as to why Madison Square Garden would want to promote an event on their Facebook page, but this could work for your practice as well. If you have a special single-day promotion, or if you’re hosting a volunteer led event at the office, let people know! Tell them where, when and what time and use an image to illustrate what kind event it will be.
You have full control of what you want to put on your Facebook business page cover photo, so be creative with it. Try different images and test to see which one performs better and which one you like better. Switch it up every month or so to keep it fresh. You never quite know how your audience will react!
If you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, build authority, become a celebrity in your town, and build a 7figureclinic and beyond, then you need to get in touch with me. I’m currently taking on a few private clients right now. It’s been almost 12 months since I’ve open up space in my 7figureclinic growth system and it won’t be long until the few spots I have are filled up. Complete the application here to see if you qualify.
