As more small businesses bring their brands to Facebook, the challenge of being able to stand out from the crowd becomes greater. Your cover photo on your brand’s Facebook page is prime real estate for expressing the mission, the style, and the personality of your company, so maximizing that space is critical to gaining followers and keeping customers engaged.
For over 15 years, Lysa Miller of Ladybugz Interactive Agency has developed marketing strategies for brands that maximize the use of social media, SEO, web design, and more, to help them reach their sales goals. She shares her 5 top tips for picking your brand’s Facebook cover photo below.
Tip 1: Make it relative to your brand
Cover photos you choose to represent your company on Facebook must have visual relevance to your brand. The social media landscape is no place for mystery, so don’t pick a photo or graphic that will leave people guessing what your company is about. When people see your feed on Facebook, the visuals you choose will help determine if they decide to click or not. If they like what they see, they might just like you, too.
Tip 2: Make it timely
Keep your Facebook cover timely, with photos that relate to current events as they happen when it makes sense for your brand. Whether it’s Gay Pride, Breast Cancer Awareness, or Mardi Gras, show a photo that appeals to supporters of that cause or event. Be careful not to politicize your photo, and avoid any off-brand support that may seem insincere, as that could turn your Facebook fans away.
Tip 3: Make it seasonal
If you update your cover more than seasonally, be sure all of your photos relate to the season at hand. This can be trickier for national and international brands, but think about seasonal photos for each region your brand is represented in, and then use visuals from around the world. For example, if it’s winter in the northern regions of the USA, create a fun postcard for customers in sunny Australia. Make it fun, and it will bring your international fans together.
Tip 4: Make it for everyone
Make sure whatever photo you use for a Facebook cover speaks to all of your customers. Try to target different audiences by changing the cover weekly, or even daily, perhaps even targeting one specific type of customer at a time. Be careful not to use photos that might alienate another target audience.
Tip 5: Make an emotional appeal
Think warm. Think fuzzy. Think about what makes your brand engaging. It’s Facebook, after all, the social media platform for quirky personality quizzes and “awww-inspiring” cat videos. The right cover photo can create an emotional appeal within your followers. If you sell pet supplies, use photos that show a love for pets, or support local pet rescue organizations and use their photos in your cover. Everyone loves a good story, so be sure to tell one with your cover photo.
Of course, each of these quick tips may not work for every brand, but the keys here are variety, timeliness, and understanding both your brand and your audience. So have some fun.
About The Author:
Lysa Miller is a social media and online marketing expert, increasing bottom lines for small and medium-sized companies.
She has served as a social media expert for publications such as Entrepreneur, Forbes, CIO online, Fit Small Biz, and she is a regularly featured blogger on MassVacation.com.
Follow her on Twitter at @LadybugzInc.
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