What does your Facebook cover photo say about you? One of the biggest visual additions of the 2012 Timeline redesign was that of the cover photo. The cover photo is the landscape at the top of your Facebook Business Page. It is the first and most powerful message you share about your dental practice. And it’s your best opportunity to immediately emotionally connect with visitors.
Facebook recommends your cover photo tell a story about your practice. Note: ‘let your cover photo tell your story’ literally means illustrate your story—with photographs, not text. You can see examples of what Facebook uses for their cover photo, as well as several other excellent examples of cover photos here.
Did you notice that there are no phone numbers, no individuals names, no website URL’s, and little to no text in those cover photo examples? You mainly see rich and engaging photographs illustrating the business story. Some practices create graphics and add text details like the doctor’s name, practice name, or some of the same information that is already located in the page title or about section below their cover photo. Perplexing.
In addition, many are unaware of Facebook terms regarding cover photos. Below is an excerpt:
Section B of Facebook Pages Terms: Cover
All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t 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% off” or “download it on socialmusic.com”
- contact information such as a website address, email, 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”
Take advantage of the greatest opportunity to illustrate your practice story in a photograph that best represents your practice. Your cover photo might be a photo of your entire team, the doctors, your beautiful practice interior, or a montage of several photos. Brainstorm with your team and choose your photo as a group. Know that it is as easy as the click of a button to change out your cover photo.
What does your cover photo say about you? If you have a fun, fabulous or special cover photo you’d like to share, please post your Facebook URL in the comments below. I’m looking forward to seeing how practices express themselves and what their stories represent!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parkwaydentalhomegmailcom/498019536877847?ref=hl
Hello Rita, Love your stuff. I think they need to have you listed as one of the contributors, on the upper right hand side of the page.
http://www.facebook.com/seasonsofsmiles
Dr. Medina,
Rita’s name is now appearing on our contributors widget. This list is the 10 people who have contributed to Off the Cusp the most and is automatically updated as new blogs are posted. We agree, though. We love Rita’s posts and would love to see her higher on this list! You can also click the word “Contributors” and see a complete list of contributors for Off the Cusp. If you have any other suggestions for us, please feel free to leave us a comment or send us an email at social.media@pattersoncompanies.com.
-Kristen
Hi Dr Medina – Thank you for taking time to visit and share your thoughts. I’m so glad to hear you find value in my articles — that made my day 🙂 And thank you Kristen and everyone at Patterson Dental for the opportunity to share my advice and participate in these cutting edge conversations for our wonderful dental community.
Hello Rita and Kristen, thank you for taking the time to respond. I’m a fan of offthecusp.com and all the information that it provides.