How To Create An Awesome Facebook Timeline Cover Photo

We have all done it. We have all visited a Facebook fanpage and been in awe of how great their cover photo looks. Then we click back to our own page and wonder why ours sucks. Well, wonder no more. Facebook has leveled the playing field – it wants all of our covers to look awesome. Now is the time for you to shine and here are a few reasons why you must.
Your cover photo is the first image visitors see when they land on your page. It sets the tone for what they should expect to see.
Whether that tone is correct or not, it is implanted in their head.
Your online exposure and traffic is replacing traditional brick and mortar traffic, but the fundamentals of business are still the same. You would never ask customers to your business at a traditional location without making sure everything is perfect and in place. So why do it online?
We have put together a little “cheat sheet” that will help you rock your Facebook page. The information is readily available in Facebook’s Terms and Conditions, but we have taken the time to simplify it for you.
Cover Photo Dimensions
Your cover photo must be 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels tall. If you upload an image that is smaller than these dimensions, it will be stretched to fit the larger size and may appear fuzzy or of poor quality. The image you upload, must be at least 399 pixels wide.
To get the best quality image and fastest load times for your page, upload a standard RGB jpeg file that’s 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes.
Profile Picture Dimensions
Your profile picture must be at least 180 pixels wide. To verify your image size, simply right-click on the picture and check the photo dimension included in the properties (100px x 91px would be too small, for example).
If you can’t find the photo’s dimensions, try uploading the picture and assigning it as your profile picture. You will see an error message if the image is too small.
Facebook Page Terms for Cover Photos
Facebook has created some new terms that must be followed. All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers cannot be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines.
Covers may not include:
• Price or purchase information, such as “40 percent off” or “download it on socialmusic.com.”
• Contact information such as a website address, e-mail, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section.
• References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”
Facebook wants your page cover photo to be an eye-catching photograph. They want to help you get as many followers/fans as possible. Remember, the more fans you have, the more fans Facebook has too.

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Trevor Cherewka