How to create an awesome Facebook Timeline cover photo

August 20, 2012
|In Content Marketing Strategy, Facebook, Social Media Services
|By Trevor Cherewka

We have all received the Facebook request from a friend who is launching a new online business. Everything is in place for their Grand Opening and they need you to Like their Fan Page and help them promote whatever it is they are promoting. Personally, I have no problems with Liking their page but often when I click the link I find that I don’t “like” their page and it has nothing to do with their company / business and everything to do with the low resolution graphics they choose to use as their Cover Photo and Profile Picture. As a marketer I find that very disturbing for a few reasons.

  1. These are the first images I see when I land on your page and they set the tone as to what I should expect to see. Whether that tone is correct or not it is implanted in my head.
  2. Your online exposure and traffic is replacing traditional brick and mortar traffic but the fundamentals of business are still the same. You would never ask me to the Grand Opening of your business at a traditional location without making sure everything is perfect and in place. So why do it online?

We have put together a little “cheat-sheet” that will help you rock out your Facebook page. The information is readily available on Facebook but sometimes hard to find and confusing so we have taken the time to simplify it.

 

facebook cover photo template

Cover Photo Dimensions

Cover photos are 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall. If you upload an image that’s smaller than these dimensions, it will get stretched to this larger size and may appear fuzzy or low res. The image you upload must be at least 399 pixels wide.

To get the best quality image and fastest load times for your Page, upload an sRGB JPG file that’s 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes.

Profile Picture Dimensions

Yes. Your profile picture must be at least 180 pixels wide. If you are unsure of whether or not your picture meets this requirement, you can right-click on the picture to see the photo properties, which should include the photo dimensions (ex: 100 x 91 would be too small).

If you can’t find the photo’s dimensions, try uploading the picture and assigning it as your profile picture. You will see the following error message if the image is too small.

Facebook Page Terms for Cover Photos

Facebook has created some new terms that must be followed. All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can not be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines.

Covers may not include:

  • Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”;
  • Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section;
  • References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; or
  • Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

Basically, Facebook wants your Page cover photo to be an eye-catching photograph and they want to help you get as many followers / fans as possible.

There you have it. You are now ready to setup your awesome Facebook Cover Photo and Profile Picture and when you do, be sure to let us know.

 

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