First impressions are important. When someone visits your Facebook page, the first thing they see is your Facebook cover photo. So you need to know how to design a Facebook cover that is memorable, eye-catching and brands YOU!
Generally, your Facebook page cover design should follow these guidelines:
- Size: 851 x 315 pixels. If not exactly right, you can shift it around once it is loaded.
- Avoid copyright infringement
- Brand yourself with colors and personal images
There are 6 Key Elements to a Great Facebook Page Cover Design:
- High definition background
- A short statement or USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of what you or your page is about
- A professional picture of you preferably with the background removed
- Some type of accent color or shape with a 2-3 word power statement
- Brand your page with color. Pick a color scheme and maintain it in all your graphics.
- Add a Logo if you have one
Here are some pointers and resources for putting this all together.
Picking Your Brand Colors
Your brand colors can have a major impact on how your brand is perceived and remembered. There is a whole science to it. But to keep this simple, I have listed a few resources for researching colors and color combinations.
Find colors that resonate with you, but also make sure that they aren’t major marketing turn-off’s. There are some colors that will chase people away! Here are a few fun and useful resources for diving into the world of color.
- Adobe Color Wheel: https://color.adobe.com
- The Logo Company – Color Emotion Guide: http://thelogocompany.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Color_Emotion_Guide22.png
- The RGB Color Calculator: http://drpeterjones.com/colorcalc
Creative Graphics Tools
There are many graphics tools out there that you can use for your Facebook header design. The ones listed below are the ones I hear bantered around most often in the online marketing circles. Here are a few:
- Photoshop and Photoshop Templates
- Pixlr (https://pixlr.com)
- Tricked Out Timeline (http://www.trickedouttimeline.com)
- PicMonkey (http://www.picmonkey.com)
- Canva (My favorite – see video below) (https://www.canva.com)
Canva has become my favorite graphic design tool.
Here is a video I did to show you how to easily make a cover photo in Canva: https://youtu.be/LVIWQeTs0rY
Sources of TRULY Free, Royalty-Free Photos
Finding graphics that are safe to use can be a problem if you don’t know where to go. DO NOT just go to Google and find a random image. You can get in trouble for Copyright infringement. Also keep in mind that Royalty-Free does not necessarily mean no cost.
If you find a site that claims free images, completely check them out and any disclaimers they have. I found one called FreeGreatImages.com, but the disclaimer states that the pictures are copyrighted and can’t be used for commercial purposes. So make sure you read the fine print.
Here are 2 sources I know of that have absolutely free and safe picture to use for commercial purposes:
- Unsplash
- Pixabay
Sources For A Logo
There are some logo-making softwares available. Just do an online search to find one you like. Or you can use a design service and save yourself some time.
Here are 3 design services that I have heard recommended. Fiverr is $5 for just the basic logo. 99 Designs is more expensive but make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If you need some of the add-on’s available through Fiverr to be able to use the logo the way you want, the cost could be about the same or even cheaper with 99 Design. Do your research.
- Fiverr
- 99 Designs
- Vista Print Free Logo Designer
Sources For the Whole Banner
Same recommendations and cautions apply as stated above for the Logo.
- 99Designs.com
- Fiverr
So to design a Facebook page cover, you have many options from free to expensive, DIY to Done-For-You. But no matter what option you choose, make sure it Brands You well with your Colors and Style, AND your Message!
To Your Success!
Cyndie Phillippe
Home Business & Social Media Marketing Professional
Cyndie@CyndiePhillippe.com
SKYPE: Cyndie.Phillippe
P.S. [Caught on Tape] Watch this Waiter Fire his Boss so that he could go Full Time in his Home Business (awesome)! Watch the Short Video Here.
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