Having a Facebook page, especially a business page for a small business or just for you as a freelancer, is extremely important to facilitate your reach to as many customers as possible. Even though the Facebook algorithms change often and many people threaten to quit the social media platform for various reasons, Facebook remains the biggest open market where you can interact with potential customers and keep in touch with loyal fans. As of January 2020, 1.66 billion users logged in to Facebook every day. And, with a good cover page and interesting presentation, you may reach and convert a good number of them. This is why it’s so important to learn how to make a Facebook cover video.

You don’t need to be an expert videographer to create a Facebook cover video. In fact, many small businesses start with a video filmed on mobile phone and enhanced with a video editing app. Here, we show you how to use video on Facebook covers and how to stand out from the competition easily as a result. 

Benefits of a Facebook cover video

Having a cover video on Facebook goes a long way to establishing engagement with your target audience. It tells your brand story quickly and simply, creating an instantaneous link with those who arrive on your page for the first time. 

Moreover, it’s not tough to make a video for Facebook. If you search online for “Facebook cover video creator,” you will find plenty of websites and tutorials trying to sell you their services. However, as long as you plan in advance and have a solid idea of your brand message, you don’t need too much to create an effective video for your audience. 

Finally, video can give you not just a great first step into the customer’s attention span, but also an opportunity to build from there into more marketing initiatives. Videos are addictive and versatile. Your customers will want to see more, but they’ll also have the opportunity to understand your product or service from different angles. Through video, you can unleash your creativity further and communicate your message better to those who cannot meet with you in person or see your products in a store. 

Top tips to create Facebook cover videos that stand out

When you think about how to make a video for your Facebook cover photo and main page describing your business, the first step is to distill your brand and services or products into their essential elements, in order to capture these on film. Then, follow these simple steps and you won’t even need to hire a Facebook cover video maker.

Follow Facebook’s video guidelines

Before setting out to film anything, make sure that you stick to the guidelines published by Facebook itself:

• Cover videos must be at least 820 x 312 pixels (use 820 x 462 for best results)
• Film for at least 20 seconds but no more than 90 seconds
• Ensure the content of your video isn’t misleading and doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s copyright.

Combine footage and photos

Now you have the basics sorted, you can use your video editing app to combine video footage and photos to create the best Facebook cover page video. Just drag and drop the best shots and arrange them in a logical order for someone who’s arrived on your page for the first time. 

Keep the audience in mind

When you film your video, consider why the audience will be interested in your brand. What sort of need or interest do your products or services respond to? Why would your customers pick you over a similar brand?

Sometimes, the simple fact that you make yourself visible by putting videos and Facebook content online will make you stand out. But, in today’s hyper-connected world, your competitors probably have Facebook pages, too. Think of how yours can be better. 

Get inspiration

Speaking of the competition, if they do have Facebook cover videos, don’t hesitate to learn how theirs are unique and how they interact with their customers. Study brands you want yours to be like and use their content for inspiration.

Use built-in tools and templates

On your phone’s video editing app, you may find a lot of helpful templates and set-ups that will get you on your way to create a Facebook cover video. Setting the format to “Facebook cover” and customizing an existing template might be the easiest way to start. 

Change your cover video depending on the intent

When you first create a Facebook cover video, you can start with a general short video that introduces your business or your team. But this doesn’t mean you can’t change it for a special promotion or event.

Ahead of a sale or a special event, film a new clip and post it as a temporary cover video. You can use a different style of video from your “regular” cover. Alternatively, make a short animated video instead of a film, with just the announcement of the event or promotion. 

Edit your cover video on Facebook

Once you’ve filmed your cover video content, here are some extra tips for editing it to make the most impact on Facebook.

• Add a logo

Creating a visual signature that can be recognized on all your content, including your Facebook cover video, will look very professional. 

Test the look and positioning of your logo on desktop and mobile browsers to make sure it’s always visible.

• Optimize for mobile

Most people scroll through Facebook during their commute or breaks during the day, so make sure your page can be seen correctly on mobile devices. Content like a Facebook cover video can easily be cut off or not play correctly if it’s not been optimized for mobile viewing. 

• Add creative touches

One of the best things about creating a Facebook cover video in addition to a logo and a photo is that you can convey more of your creative side to your customers. Use your video editing app to apply filters or special effects that enhance your video. 

To ensure that your message is accessible even when viewed with the sound off, add text and captions, too (after all, so many of us scroll through social media with our phones on mute!). 

Whether you want to promote your business or your team, or just get your customers to be more aware of special events and promotions you have going on, if you know how to make Facebook cover videos you’ll stand out more and be more memorable, too. These short videos are the perfect way to let your audience know what your brand is all about and will advertise your services quicker and more effectively than a long description. Embrace the video revolution!