When someone visits your Facebook page, the first matter they see is a big splash paradigm taking up most a quarter of the screen: your Facebook comprehend photo. This is your profile'south headline, a big, assuming banner image that introduces your brand to potential Facebook followers.

You tin characteristic a lot in your Facebook cover photograph: images of your product or squad, ads and promotions, or even something equally simple as graphic that sets the right mood. A good comprehend photo can result in increased date, whether that's more page likes or boosted traffic to your website or other social channels.

So, how do you make Facebook comprehend photos—and go the most out of them?

This article will go over everything you demand to know about Facebook comprehend photos.

facebook cover photos

We're also sharing five gratis templates created by our in-business firm design team to assistance you get started.

Let's start with the basics: making sure your paradigm fits the Facebook encompass photo size guidelines (and their other guidelines, also).

Bonus: Download your free pack of 5 customizable Facebook comprehend photograph templates at present. Relieve time and hands promote your brand with a professional pattern.

Facebook cover photo size: 851 x 315 pixels

The minimum dimensions for a Facebook cover photograph (sometimes referred to as "Facebook banner size") are 851 x 315 pixels. This is the best size to choose if y'all're making a cover photo and want to know exactly how it will look earlier yous upload it.

For the highest quality photographic experience, Facebook recommends using a PNG file. Choose this pick if y'all desire to display a high definition logo in your embrace image, or if your cover prototype contains re-create that really needs to stand out.

On mobile, information technology's often meliorate to prioritize prototype types that load quickly and don't use a lot of data. In this case, Facebook recommends uploading an sRGB JPEG file that as well follows these two requirements:

  • Dimensions: 851 10 315 pixels
  • File size: less than 100 kb

Remember, on desktop, Facebook embrace photos are more rectangular, bookkeeping for larger/widescreen displays. On mobile, the cover photo is more than square, allowing it to fit on a portrait-oriented screen.

While 95 pct of Facebook users access the site via mobile, that doesn't hateful y'all should ignore the 31 percentage of users who as well browse via desktop. For a Facebook cover photo that looks good on whatever screen, Facebook recommends an image that's 820 pixels x 462 pixels. This likewise applies to the platform's newer cover format: Facebook cover videos.

Facebook cover video size: 820 x 462 pixels

Facebook embrace videos are another fashion to grab a user's attending and drive user interactions on your folio. On desktop, comprehend videos definitely look more than engaging than static photos, and can actually bring your page to life. However, they're less constructive on mobile, as they don't autoplay, and instead load equally a thumbnail.

Here's Facebook'southward recommended settings for cover video size and elapsing:

  • Dimensions: 820 x 462 pixels (820 x 312 minimum)
  • Duration: 20 to 90 seconds (no more, no less!)

Annotation: Facebook cover videos can have audio, but it won't play unless you really click on the video. For best results, make sure the video you upload works equally well with or without sound. This is something you should keep in mind fifty-fifty outside cover videos: 85 percent of Facebook users watch videos with the volume turned off.

Other requirements for Facebook cover photos and videos

Besides these technical requirements, there are specific rules for the kinds of content y'all can display in Facebook cover photos and videos. These rules are fairly standard:

  • Brand sure you're not violating anyone'south copyright.
  • Make sure your cover photograph or video is family unit-friendly and safe-for-piece of work.
  • Brand certain that if y'all're advertising a product with your embrace photograph or video, you're not breaking whatever of Facebook's advertising rules.

For a full breakdown of these policies, check out the Facebook page guidelines.

How to use the Facebook comprehend photo templates

Starting with a professionally designed template makes it easier to create your own Facebook cover photo. Here's how to customize our templates for your brand. Y'all will need Adobe Photoshop to become started.

Bonus: Download your free pack of v customizable Facebook encompass photo templates now. Save time and easily promote your brand with a professional pattern.

ane. Subsequently you've downloaded the templates, y'all'll discover that the fonts and paradigm files are separate. Double click on the font file of your selected theme to upload the font to your computer. Click install font.

facebook cover photo template

2. Double click the paradigm file to open information technology in Photoshop.

3. Select the Facebook cover photo template that you lot'd like to work with first.

iv. To edit text: double click the text you would like to edit. You can change fonts and colors in the bill of fare on the left-paw side.

facebook cover photo template

5. To edit a colour block or background: double click the color cake you would like to edit. Change the size or utilize the menu on the left-hand side to change the colour.

facebook cover photo template

six. To edit a photo or image: double click the photograph you would like to edit and click insert new prototype. Resize paradigm as necessary.

facebook cover photo template

seven. To save the template: Select the template you would like to utilize and get to Save>Export As>Artboard to Files. Make sure to save equally a .jpg or .png.

facebook cover photo template

viii. Upload your Facebook comprehend photo following the steps below.

How to upload Facebook cover photos

In one case you lot're finished making your Facebook comprehend photograph, uploading it is piece of cake.

  1. Navigate to your Facebook business folio and mouse over the cover photo space at the top.
  2. Click Add a Cover in the height left corner.
  3. Click Upload Photo/Video and select the photograph you'd like to upload.
  4. A preview of your photo volition announced in the cover space. Click the photograph and drag it up or downwardly to the vertical orientation of your liking.
  5. Click Publish.

If yous don't like how your Facebook embrace photo is positioned after y'all've published it, y'all can click Update Embrace then Reposition, which will return you to step 4.

As y'all upload more than cover photos, yous'll build up a library. If you ever desire to replace your current embrace photo with an older one, click Select Photo instead of Upload Cover Photo in step 3, and you'll be able to choose from previously uploaded images.

Finally, the Select Artwork push button contains a number of premade background images for your comprehend photo space. These look fine in a pinch, but I'd recommend creating branded images for your business page that showcase your arrangement's personality, products, or services.

How to upload Facebook comprehend videos

Uploading a Facebook encompass video is almost the same equally uploading a embrace photo, with a couple of extra steps.

  1. Navigate to your company page and mouse over the infinite at the summit.
  2. Click Add a Cover in the top left corner.
  3. Click Upload Photo/Video and select the video you'd like to upload.
  4. A preview of your video will announced in the cover space. Click the video and drag it upwards or down to the vertical orientation of your liking.
  5. Choose a thumbnail from the x available options Facebook provides (hint: pick the one that's nigh likely to pique interest and reel someone in).
  6. Click Publish.

Facebook cover photos: best practices

Now that yous know the basics of creating and uploading cover photos, it's time to look at some powerful examples, and the strategies behind them.

1. Use a unproblematic image with a clear focal point

The whole point of your contour banner is to catch attention and arm-twist curiosity so people take action on your page. Apply memorable imagery with colors that reflect your brand, and don't be agape to make use of negative space, specially if you're including copy: it'll help your words stand out.

Bonus: Download your free pack of 5 customizable Facebook cover photo templates now. Save fourth dimension and hands promote your make with a professional person design.

Go the templates now!

Zendesk Facebook cover photo

This playful encompass photograph from Zendesk uses bright colors and negative space to make their copy pop.

2. Pair your Facebook comprehend photo with your contour picture

A Facebook cover photo that matches with the profile picture ever looks professional person and put-together. It might sound limiting, merely it'southward too a skilful opportunity to go creative.

Target Facebook cover photo

Target'due south eye-catching Facebook cover photo makes clever utilise of their bullseye logo. The optical illusion caught me off-baby-sit, earning this cover photo my full attention.

three. Optimize your cover photograph for mobile

When you lot're choosing an image for your Facebook comprehend photo, remember about how it'southward going to expect on the screens of Facebook'south 1.xv billion smartphone users. If at that place'due south tiny text, volition it be readable? How will the finer details look on a smaller screen? What'southward being cut off when your embrace photo is panned-and-scanned to mobile format?

I was surprised to find that many companies (big companies!) don't actually bother to optimize for this, making information technology an piece of cake way to provide a better page feel than your competitors.

Duolingo Facebook cover photo

Duolingo Facebook Cover Photo mobile

Duolingo has smartly chosen an epitome that doesn't change as well much betwixt desktop and mobile. Cypher is lost in translation, providing both audiences with an equally good browsing feel.

Every bit an added bonus, the brand proper noun in the imprint leaves the profile movie open for Lingo (their company mascot) to greet visitors to the page.

4. Residual your Facebook cover photograph with right-aligned elements

Centered images work well on cover photos, simply aligning your epitome content to the correct is aesthetically pleasing and has strategic value. Facebook'south call-to-action buttons appear on the right side of your profile; ideally, your images should draw the eye to that department of the page. If possible, include elements that describe attention to your CTA.

How to Cake it Facebook cover photo

Here, YouTube star and block-decorating sensation Yolanda Gampp uses the comprehend photograph to advertise her new cookbook, How to Block It. This banner effectively leads the center, starting with the copy, then to the book encompass, which is placed right over the Lookout man Video CTA. It'due south a straight road to her YouTube aqueduct—and an invitation join her iii.half-dozen million subscribers!

five. Update your cover photo regularly

Your Facebook cover photo is the ideal place to denote what's new at your company. Keep this space updated with fresh content, whether you lot're promoting a new product or service, or referencing electric current events in relation to your brand.

Here, KFC uses their comprehend video to advertise the Canadian launch of the latest twist on the infamous Double-Downwardly. This profile video works well because the animation is on a brusque loop so information technology'due south not too distracting. It really creates a mood!

6. Link out from your Facebook cover photo

Including a link inside the cover photo folio itself is a good way to bulldoze traffic to your other pages via Facebook. Utilize a link shortener similar ow.ly to create a customized URL format that'south unique to your brand. It makes links more manageable, and conceals the UTM code y'all should exist using to track your traffic sources.

Threadless Facebook cover photo

Here, Threadless uses an all-too-relatable drawing of a cat to drive traffic to their website. When you lot click the embrace photograph, you find a link directing you to purchase the T-shirt. The link contains a UTM lawmaking, assuasive Threadless to track page views from their Facebook cover photo.

Threadless Within Cover Pic

Although they haven't done it here, some other strategy is to have this URL straight to the same folio as the CTA on your main contour, offering another chance for conversion. This besides lets yous experiment with other CTAs on your Facebook page (Facebook currently has seven to choose from).

Check out this mail if you want to more than nigh how to write an irresistible call to action.

7. Pin important updates beneath your Facebook cover photo

Remember, the goal of a headline is to get you to read the article below, and Facebook cover photos are no different. Pin your nearly important current content to the height of your Facebook page.

When people are drawn in by your cover photo, they'll see the most relevant information as presently as they scroll down.

Hootsuite pinned post

Hootsuite is currently promoting an upcoming webinar serial on Demystifying Social ROI. In improver to a cover video highlighting the event, we've pinned information technology as the get-go post on our page so people retrieve to sign up.

Manage your brand'southward Facebook presence and your new Facebook cover photo with Hootsuite. Appoint followers, track results, and schedule new posts from a single dashboard. Endeavour information technology costless today.

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With files from Shannon Tien.