Stand Out and Use Video As Your Facebook Page's Cover Image
What is one of the best ways to visually promote and brand your company on Facebook? If your answer is "video", you're spot on. But do you use video to maximum effect for your page? Unless you're also using video as your Facebook page's cover image, you're missing out on a powerful tool to catch page visitors' eyes.
Marketers have recognized that video is one of the most powerful online marketing tools available, yet video isn't as widely used as expected. This may be due in part to small businesses not having the time, budget, or resources to have a serious video marketing strategy. As a result, there's plenty of room for those businesses that wish to set themselves apart from the competition. Using video as your Facebook page's cover image is a great place to start.
While it's reasonable to assume that all Facebook business pages have the capability to use video as their cover image, it would probably be a good idea to make sure your page has that capability first. You can check by simply clicking on the "Change Cover" button in the upper left corner of your cover image. If "Upload Photo/Video" is listed in the drop-down box, you're good to go. But before you upload a video as your cover image, here are some helpful tips to ensure that your cover video turns out awesome:
- Keep your video between 20 and 90 seconds long.
- Make sure the subject of your video is centered, because Facebook will automatically crop your cover video to 820 x 462 pixels. If your subject isn't centered, he/she/it might well end up being only partially visible or out-of-frame entirely.
- Facebook will auto-play your video by default, but the sound is muted. Therefore, while it's desirable for your video to also have audio, you should make sure your message is adequately conveyed without it. If your video features someone describing your product, either as a voice-over or a "talking head," you can simply include subtitles.
- Since cover videos are played on a loop by default, it's best to insert a title with your logo at the beginning and end, with a fade-to-black at the end so there's no doubt in the viewer's mind when the video is looping back to the beginning. If you don't want your cover video to play on a loop, choose the video setting option to disable automatic replay.
Although cover videos have been available on Facebook business pages for a while now, it's remarkable how few businesses use this feature, especially small businesses. But that's good news for you: if you create and add a good one, you'll be far ahead of your competition. To learn more about cover videos and how to incorporate them into your Facebook strategy, contact us today.
