Constant Contact recently hosted a Facebook chat on using images to boost your online marketing. A lot of the questions we got were about Facebook’s cover and profile photos and how to size images for them properly. Here are some tips to help you size images the right way:
Cover photo
The Facebook cover photo is a great way to show off what you do by using images of your products, services, customers or supporters. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your cover photo:
1. The rules have changed: In the past, Facebook had limits on how much text you could have on a cover photo, but now there are no restrictions. However, Facebook’s terms for pages still state that cover photos cannot be misleading or infringe on copyright.
2. Size: Cover photos are 851 X 315 pixels, but your image doesn’t have to be that size. Facebook automatically stretches the width of your photo to fill the cover photo space, and you can drag the photo to reposition it also.
3. Tools: If you want to edit your photo for a perfect fit, there are some excellent tools you can use on your computer or phone. PicMonkey is a free app for desktops that allows you to crop a photo to the size of a Facebook cover photo. To crop, just select the crop tool, pick the Facebook Timeline size, and adjust your photo.
If you’re using a photo from your smartphone, try a photo app to resize it to fit the cover photo space. The PicStitch app for iPhone has a cover photo crop feature. To resize for Facebook, start by choosing a collage type. Then, in the editor, click Edit to select your photo. Next, click the Aspect tool and scroll until you find the Facebook cover size. When you’re done, export your photo to Facebook.
Profile photo
Ideally, your organization’s logo should be the profile photo for your Facebook Page. But some logos were designed long before Facebook, and might not fit into the profile photo space. Here are a few tips on how to optimize your logo for your Facebook profile photo:
1. Size: The profile photo is displayed as 160 X 160 pixels, but the image you use must be at least 180 X 180 pixels. This means that the photo you’re adding will be displayed at a smaller size. To make sure your image doesn’t get cut off by the display size, you might try adding a little space around your logo so it’s not cropped awkwardly.
2. Modify your logo design: If you’ve got a horizontal logo — like Boloco — you may want to create a square version by moving some elements around to make it fit the profile photo size. Try stacking the words and graphics in your logo like they did.
Or you could just use a section of your logo like MarketMeSuite. They took out the words and left the graphic for their profile photo.
3. Use a picture that shows who you are and what you do: If you don’t want to use your logo for your Facebook profile photo, try a picture of a product, service, location or the most recognizable face from your organization. The Manchester Animal Shelter features adoptable pets for their profile photo.
Need more help with Facebook marketing?
I hope these tips will help you create a great Facebook cover photo and profile photo. For more help on Facebook marketing, check out our guide, 25 Things that Make You Look Dumb on Facebook.
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