3 best times to update your Facebook cover photo (+ design tips)

Your Facebook cover photo is the first thing someone sees when they come to your business page. It may seem like only a minor element of your page’s look, but really, it’s a lot more than that. A cover photo is essentially the first impression that you make in front of a potential customer, which is why it must be flawless and up to date. 

A good cover photo tells your customer what your business is about. It narrates everything from products and services available, to branding and customer experience. So when do you know it’s time to update your Facebook cover photo? Simply put, when you feel like your cover photo is not sending the right message about your company.

In this blogpost, we’ve listed down the conditions under which you should update your Facebook cover photo. We’ve also provided some design tips for creating the perfect cover photo.

When should you update your Facebook cover photo?

1. When you’re launching something new

This can be a new product or service, a new branch or store, or even a whole new brand. Any time you’re making changes to what your company is offering or what it looks like, your cover photo should be updated accordingly. 

Now of course, you can’t tell the entire story with just one cover photo. For that, you will have to curate a special marketing strategy that stretches beyond Facebook. However, in this case, the cover photo will serve as a brief window into whatever new and exciting thing you have to offer.

If you’re worried about how to create this window, find a good Facebook cover template online and customize it to create something that’s perfect for your brand. 

2. When you’re celebrating

Let’s say your company hits 20,000 followers on Facebook. Mentioning this on your cover photo will show new customers that you’re popular and that your brand can be trusted. A cover photo that says “Thank you for helping us reach 20,000 followers!” also shows that you care about your customers.

Your cover photo should also be changed if you’re celebrating a new season or an upcoming holiday. This is especially important if those seasons or holidays are relevant to your brand. For instance, if you’re a beer company, you will have to create extra hype about St. Patrick’s Day. And you start by switching up your cover photo – add a shamrock or a leprechaun, or turn the background green for the day. 

These, of course, are temporary cover photos and they should go back to the original after the celebration is over. 

3. When you’re promoting an event

In the days and weeks leading up to a corporate event, you need to use every platform available to you to promote it. This includes your Facebook cover photo. For these days, your entire brand is about the event you’re promoting. 

The goal with any event is to get as many people to attend or tune in as possible. So use your cover photo to make that happen. Mention the date, time, venue, and any other details people would need to know to show up. Like we mentioned before, the cover photo is the first thing someone sees when they come to your page. Hence, an updated cover photo is the perfect way to get fresh interest in your event.

How to create the perfect Facebook cover photo

1. Pay attention to size

A cover photo is no good if it comes out heavily pixelated, or if it gets cropped out midway. So make sure the size of your cover is accurate so that you can then begin to focus on other details.

A good cover photo is 820 px by 461 px. Leave about 75 px of space at the top and bottom so that people will be able to view it easily on whatever device they’re using. 

2. Leave out the logo

Do not add your logo to your cover photo. Add it as your profile picture instead. This creates a neater look and makes your cover look more modern and professional. Plus, you have more space to get creative and add whatever other elements you want to. 

3. Focus on visuals

Keep your text as limited as possible in your cover photo. Humans are visual learners and they’ll get the message of your company a lot quicker through visuals rather than text. 

The best visuals have three key elements:

• Emotion – they make customers feel a certain positive emotion toward the company
• Relevance – the visuals should be relevant to your corporate brand and the products or services you’re selling
• Colors – the tones and shades of your visuals should blend in with your company’s overall aesthetic.

This cover photo on Tesla’s official page is the perfect example of a great Facebook cover photo. You’ll notice that the design is kept minimal, and the company is letting their product do the talking.

Your Facebook cover photo can make or break the look of your Facebook page. So make sure to be smart about creating the right one, and know when to update it according to your needs.