When it comes to a cover for your Facebook page, it’s okay just to pick a photo and plop it in the cover spot, right?
Not quite. Your Facebook banner says a lot about your page. One that’s not the right size can look messy and give a disorganized look to your business page. That’s not the best impression you want to give.
We have the scoop on the best Facebook banner size in 2020 to set your page on the right path:
The Ideal Facebook Banner Size in 2020
Screenshot via Nike on Facebook
Your cover photo – a.k.a. your Facebook banner – will display at a size of 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on a computer and 640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall on a mobile device.
So, how can you display your photo properly on both screens?
We suggest a Facebook banner size of 820 x 461.25 pixels (rounding up or down to a whole number works, too, like 820 pixels x 461 pixels or 820 pixels x 462 pixels).
Let’s dig into the “why,” shall we?
The Facebook banner size for computers has a non-standard ratio of 205:78, which makes things tricky when the mobile display has a very common 16:9 ratio. These two don’t work together well.
The thing is you want your photo to look right on both computers and mobile devices. But choosing one or the other display size is going to leave it looking odd somewhere. The 820 x 312 computer size will get cropped on its sides on mobile, while the size suited for mobile devices will have a cropped top and bottom on your computer.
The good news is that Facebook doesn’t distort your image by blowing it up if it’s too small. But it will have odd cropping, which could ruin the effect you wanted your image to have.
By making your image 820 x 461.25 pixels, you’re adhering to the 16:9 ratio that looks best on mobile devices while keeping your photo the optimal width for viewing on a computer.
In other words, it’s the best of both worlds.
What Happens to the Image on Mobile?
Now, when you use this size for your photo, you will have the top and bottom of your image cut off on your computer screen. You can remedy this by making sure you fit the text and the focal area of your image near the center as much as possible.
Leave yourself about 50 pixels on the top and bottom to make sure nothing you need gets left off.
However, the rest of the image should look perfect on both mobile devices and computers.
Don’t forget that you can use the repositioning tool that Facebook offers when you upload your cover photo to realign it if it looks a little funky.
Best Facebook Banner Practices for 2020
Screenshot via Coca-Cola on Facebook
Facebook occasionally changes the layout of business pages, and their tweaks may influence how your Facebook banner looks.
For example, do you remember when your page profile photo hovered slightly over the cover photo? It doesn’t do that anymore. Now, your profile picture is near the top left of the page and not at all overlapping the cover photo.
While you used to be able to blend both photos to make them look creatively cohesive, you can’t do that anymore. But you still want all the elements to work together.
Because of the left-side position of the profile photo on a page, you might consider keeping the focal point of your Facebook banner closer to the right. Situate your focal point slightly right of center and keep the bulk of the text to the right to balance the page.
Another trendy idea is to draw attention to the call-to-action buttons right underneath your banner, like “Send a Message” or “Join the Group.” Some page owners choose to add an element to their cover photo to point visitors to those buttons that they may otherwise overlook.
What About a Cover Video?
We also can’t forget about the cover videos that Facebook now offers. They’re fun and engaging for your audience and can stand out more than a cover photo if you do them right.
What size should yours be?
Fortunately, there are no new numbers to remember if you want a video instead of a photo for your banner. The same sizes apply for desktop and mobile devices, so you can use the same proportions as you would for your cover photo: 820 pixels x 461 pixels.
Of course, you’ll still need to make sure that the most important elements of your video are near the center to account for the small amount of cutoff you’ll have on mobile devices.
Here are some other tips for making your Facebook banner video shine:
- Make the video between 20 and 90 seconds long
- Use the repositioning tool for your video just like you would your cover photo
- Choose the best thumbnail for your video from the ten options Facebook gives you. This is what people see when they hover over your page name to learn what it’s about, so it’s kind of like their first impression.
- Make the video’s resolution at least 1080p for best viewing on Facebook.
It’s Time to Grow Your Facebook Page!
Now that you have all the most current Facebook banner size guidelines down, you can focus on learning more about tactics like how to pin posts on Facebook and figuring out how to get followers on Facebook. One of the easiest ways to do that is by adding the Facebook follow button to your website. It’ll integrate seamlessly with your site to allow visitors to follow you without ever navigating off your page!
