The social media banner is your chance to evoke emotion in your visitors. Choose something that draws people into the one thing you would like them to know, think, or do when they get to your channel.
If you do it right, your cover photo can become a beacon of your online brand!
That being said, you can imagine that making an effective social media banner design takes more than just a photo. It takes strategic design elements, placements of text, and a great hero image.
Remember, social media giant Facebook rules that you cannot include your web address or contact information, or any call-to-action in your cover photo.
So, let’s get creative!
4 Design Tips for a Stellar Cover Photo
1. Know the Dimensions
Every channel is going to be slightly different in their banner design dimensions and will update these dimensions every now-and-again when new versions come out. The best way to find a specific social media channel dimension is by reviewing their help manual.
2. Make a Visually Consistent Theme
One of the key things about a highly-effective social media banner is the consistency across channels. Keeping visual elements the same across all your social media platforms will make it easier for your visitors to know they found the right page. Over time, these visual elements can also help your brand recognition.
At KWSM: a web marketing agency chevron is our branded theme. As you can see, this way all of our channels have a similar look:
3. Keep Mobile in Mind
One thing you must take into consideration is how each of these cover images will shrink down on mobile devices and tablets. In the example below, you can see that LinkedIn makes it’s banner incredibly tiny on mobile. This means you cannot make your font too small, or people will no longer be able to read what you wrote!
4. Devote More Space to Images
Our current banner did not abide by this rule, but it is a very good one to follow. Most people get drawn to images. The same rules apply as best practices for choosing a blog hero image. We recommend picking an image that grabs attention and accurately represents your brand. At KWSM: a web marketing agency, we love donuts so naturally, we have donuts in our cover photo.
Need Help Designing Your Cover Photos?
Our design team is currently offering a brand package to get all your social media cover photos updated. To learn more about this package, please contact us.
95% of Facebook visits are made on smartphones and tablets
Is your social media optimized for smaller screens? Our team is currently offering a social media audit in which we will review your social media channels and let you know how you can improve them to help you stand out of the crowd.
CLICK HERE to sign up for a complimentary 30 Minute Social Media Audit