The Do’s and Don’ts of Facebook Cover Photos for Brands

What are the do’s and don’ts for brands and their Cover Photo on the new Facebook Page design? Essentially, Facebook has asked that Covers not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. (Source: Facebook Pages Product Guide)

Pretty simple, right? But there is more to it then that. Facebook has four specific guidelines for brands to follow when selecting their Cover Photo, disallowing use of the following in Covers:

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

And much like personal profiles, the size for the photos are 851×315 pixels. What is unclear is if brands will be able to use the space to promote their applications or tabs. With the loss of the left rail navigation in the new Facebook Page design, the Cover Photo could be an excellent way to drive awareness and information about apps. While that may not be ideal for brands like Starbucks that is creating a level of aesthetic with the image, it could work for smaller companies.

An alternative could be to use Pinned Posts to feature apps, photos or events.

I’m curious to how closely Facebook will be policing their policies for Covers. What are your thoughts on the newly designed Facebook Page for brands and the use of Cover Photos? Here are some examples from major brands.

Dennis Jenders

With 15 years of digital marketing experience, Dennis Jenders provides strategic leadership and insights for clients on a regional and national level. He has significant experience in web design and development, online advertising, SEO, SEM, user experience (UX), information architecture, digital strategy, and analytics. Dennis is also leading the effort to educate the next generation of marketers as an adjunct professor at Marquette University. He is a founding board member of the Milwaukee Interactive Marketing Association, a frequent speaker on digital marketing, and the Vice President of Digital + Communications Strategy at Laughlin Constable.

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