A valuable element to many social media platforms is the cover photo. They present the largest visual area on your social media profiles and create a lasting impression. Whether you’re using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you should know that each social network is different. Here’s a guide to creating powerful social media cover photos.
Know Your Social Media Cover Photo Dimensions
One of the biggest headaches when creating social media cover photos is sizing them correctly. For every social network, there is a recommended pixel size. It looks much more professional when your images are sized properly. You don’t want your image to be cut off due to a social media platform’s cover dimensions.
Facebook Cover Photo Dimensions
The recommended dimensions for a Facebook cover photo is 820 x 312 pixels and less than 100 kilobytes for the file size. This is also called the Facebook banner size. If you want to display a high-definition cover photo, you should use the PNG file format. This file format is much less pixelated than JPG or GIF.
Keep in mind that 95% of Facebook users browse via mobile devices. On smartphone devices, the cover will display at 640 x 360 pixels. Before you add the photo to your profile, it is a great idea to see how it looks on devices other than desktops.
Twitter Cover Photo Dimensions
For a Twitter cover image, the recommended size is 1500 x 421 pixels. An image of 1500 x 500 pixels also works well too. The problem with a higher pixel size is that certain windows can shave off the top and bottom edges.
Besides dimensions, the photos should be in JPG and PNG formats. Twitter doesn’t support GIF for header and profile images. Make sure there’s ample space at the top and bottom and try different screen resolutions.
LinkedIn Cover Photo Dimensions
For LinkedIn, the recommended image size for a cover photo is 1536 x 768 pixels for pages. To avoid any problems with image sizes, you should ensure your browser is up to date. Remember, you have just a few seconds to capture the attention of viewers, so you should let the image do the talking. Finally, pay close attention to how your cover photo interacts with your profile picture.
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Use Colors That Match Your Brand
If you’re using a cover photo to improve your brand recognition, don’t underestimate the power of brand colors and consistent messaging. If the color of your Twitter cover doesn’t match with your Facebook cover, visitors may think you don’t care about the quality and consistency of your social media presence. Therefore, you should reinforce your visual brand across all platforms to catch the attention of your target audience.
Use solid colors to make your profile stand out from the competition. The color you use should pair well with the color text you decide to use. Typically, most brands prefer to use white or black text for their social media cover photos. When designing a Facebook cover photo, you should ensure the background works well with the company logo. Also, make sure the logo is crisp and central.
If the images don’t mesh well with each other, you may want to use a complementary color palette. Avoid limiting yourself to full-color overlay, as you can also make the text transparent. The same strategy should apply to Facebook and LinkedIn.
Be careful when choosing the color scheme. Use graphics and color schemes that share the values you stand for. If the color is distracting, people will click off the page. Because your social media accounts are part of your business, they should give the right impression to visitors.
Stay on Message
No one can dispute the fact that Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn cover photos say a lot about your brand. Even the most casual visitor should be able to determine the products and services you are offering. When you stay on the message, you’ll be boosting your brand recognition.
A good strategy is to use your Facebook cover photo to promote a giveaway. This is a simple way of generating responses from your target audience. Another tactic for reinforcing your brand identity is by using cover photos that mirror your products and services. Let your cover photo do the talking. You can use it as an opportunity to design an eye-catching visual. It’s also worth mentioning that your Twitter cover will grab the visitor and present them with a compelling call to action.
With the perfect cover photo, you don’t have to use text at all. The image you use should be simple and emotionally driven. The audience will remember a social media cover with prominent human subjects. Whether you decide to use images of people or another image, you must create a striking first impression.
Update Your Social Cover Photos
Many businesses set their cover photo, and never change it again. It is important to update your cover photos to stay on top of the latest trends. If you ever change your branding guidelines, your cover photo should be changed as well. If you have an upcoming event, you should consider updating your cover photo across all of your social media platforms as a form of advertising the event. Use the white space to highlight the features you’d like to showcase.
Changing your profile covers is a straightforward process. Because Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are essential in marketing, you should change them frequently to attract new customers. Make sure your social media platforms show something current. It’s worth noting that every time you change the photo, you’ll be sending out a message that you’re attuned to the market and you’re on top of the game.
Other than that, you can consider doing weekly or monthly cover updates to feature a specific testimonial or customer review, if applicable. The same applies to Twitter. When you upload a photo, it will be visible on visitors’ desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. If you’ve had the same cover photo for the past 5 years, you could be sending the wrong message to your target audience.
Align the Objects in Your Cover Photo
You should ensure the objects are properly aligned in your cover photos. When the focal point of your photo is aligned, it will bring balance to your image. Another benefit of aligning your photo is that it will draw attention close to your call-to-action page. Make sure your cover photo is not too far to the right or it will get chopped off when using mobile devices. On Facebook, the profile pictures overlap the cover photo to create a cohesive piece. Make sure your profile picture isn’t overlapping any important information on the cover.
Design Reusable Templates
While it can be time-consuming to create templates for every social network, a good cover photo will attract more visitors to your business so it’s worth taking the time. Also, once you have a template, creating updated covers will be much quicker each time you create a new one.
How do you design a template for your social accounts? One option is through Canva. Here is the process:
- Open an account with Canva.
- Choose which social media platform you are designing the cover photo for. Canva has different templates with different dimensions for each social media platform.
- Choose an appropriate background image. For example, if you have a travel business, make sure you use a travel-themed image.
- Drag the photo on the image area.
- Once you have finished designing your template, enable the ‘Publish as Template’ feature.
- Make templates for different designs and life will be a lot easier.
If you’d prefer to use Photoshop for your templates, you can higher a graphic designer (or us) to create this for you.
Final Thoughts on Social Media Cover Photos
It’s estimated that more than 2.8 billion people use social media platforms daily. Therefore, creating a powerful cover photo can potentially drive a lot of people to your business. This is the first thing a consumer sees on the page. It should not be distracting, muddled, or confusing. Whether you’re using Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to generate leads, make sure you optimize your cover photo.
If you ever have any questions about cover photos or social media marketing in general, please feel free to contact us. Our social media professionals will gladly help you
