Mastering The Cover Photo

While many PR pros have given up and consider Facebook a lost medium, others are taking full advantage of the new features offered up by the social networking site. One of these features is the cover photo. Cover photos are larger photos displayed behind your profile picture and is often the first thing someone sees while visiting a Facebook profile. To social media managers and PR professionals, this may seem like another thing to manage, update, and mold. However, if given the time and attention it needs, a cover photo can be the shining glory of a brand. Here are a few tips to help you master the art of the Facebook cover photo:

1. Update often - Is your client releasing a new product, or making a major branding change? What better way to announce this to consumers than through your cover photo? Update the photo whenever something fresh and new is happening to give viewers a reason to keep stopping by your page. Keep in mind updating for holidays as well!

2. Make it fit - A cover photo should measure 851px x 315px, no more and no less. Make sure your photo fits the space provided, and is done in an aesthetically pleasing and graphically correct way. This isn't a time for low quality images done by a friend who "dabbles" in graphic design. This is a chance to put your best face forward!

3. Show off the staff - Help your consumers and visitors build a relationship with your team by using a behind the scenes shot in your cover photo! Show them the faces of the brand that they love and trust to form a bond beyond money and products.

4. Get creative - If one picture is worth a thousand words, why not use more than one picture? Have your graphic designer put together a collage of photos to showcase all that your company or brand has to offer!

5. Shout out - The point of creating social pages is so that your brand can socialize with its consumers! A great way to do this is through a shout out program, where you display the name, photo, and short blurb or quote about a client who stood out! Post a question to your status every week or month, and then chose the best response to be a shout out in your cover photo!

How are you using the cover photo feature on Facebook? Let us know, and share your tips!