You probably already know why it’s important to establish a business page on the largest social network, Facebook. But, of course, it’s not enough to simply create a business page. Facebook makes that really easy. Reaching new customers? Not so much. As Facebook’s algorithm increasingly limits organic reach and competition grows, companies often find it’s harder than they think to gain people’s interest.
You need to make your page design and your content engaging. The good news is that you can probably learn a lot of handy tips to improve the look and content of your page on your own.
For an extra boost, consider these four ideas to optimize your Facebook page for video and other visual media.
1. Try Facebook Video Covers
You may already have a cover image for your business page, but you may be able to kick it up a notch. Facebook has been granting some page owners the ability to replace still graphics with videos. Many big brands are already taking advantage of this opportunity.
Cover videos should be 20-90 seconds long. Otherwise, it will not be uploaded on Facebook. Fortunately, Facebook will automatically loop video.
Videos should be at least 820 x 312 pixels, with recommended size being 820 x 462 pixels. Though Facebook allows uploading videos of different sizes, it’s still better to stick to the recommendations to guarantee the best user experience. Video covers are rendered on the mobile app too.
Facebook says that site members spend a lot of time on the site watching video content. Adding a Facebook video cover to a business page seems like it’s worth experimenting with. Also, you won’t force people to hunt for your best content on your business page when you can feature it right up at the top.
Here’s a good example from the BMW Facebook group:
2. Record Live Video for Your Business Page
Facebook says that users spend three times as much time watching live videos than regular ones. Because of this, the social network tends to rank feeds that run live videos higher. If your own page could use more attention from the Facebook ranking algorithm and your actual audience, you might try creating your own. If your audience misses the live play, they can still watch the recorded video later.
The length of your video may depend upon your content. At the same time, you’re more likely to keep people engaged if you keep them relatively short. Since the drop rate on most videos is fairly high, be certain that you craft your video to interest your audience within just a few seconds. Your entire video may not need to last that long. You just need to engage viewers long enough to convince them to take the next step. Be sure to let them know what that next step is in your call-to-action.
3. Use Video or a GIF as Your Profile Picture
While Facebook video covers are available only for business pages at this point, you can still spice up your page by using video or a GIF as a profile picture. According to Facebook, the profile video can’t last longer than seven seconds. With this in mind, an animated GIF could be an option, too. It isn’t exactly the same as a video, but the graphics can achieve the same impact as a short, punchy video, if crafted well.
An important thing to remember — adding this feature to your profile currently appears to be available via the mobile app only. However, people can still view your creation via browsers app on other devices.
This video from Facebook’s press release on the feature explains how it works:
4. Optimize Your Videos for Facebook
Before you create your video, you should also take the time to gather Facebook specifications to optimize the way the video will display and run.
People use Facebook more on mobile than they do on regular computers, so you’re better off using a square format. For one thing, it takes up more space on a mobile feed than vertical video does. This idea was confirmed by a case study that found square video outperformed vertical video:
- The square video generated about one-third more views.
- The square video just about doubled engagement over vertical video.
- Because the square video performed so much better, the advertiser also enjoyed cheaper advertising when they paid for engagement.
Keep Calm & Embrace Video
You probably can find plenty of Facebook users who are very interested in your products, message, and offers. The problem is that you must compete with many other companies (and the Facebook algorithm) for their attention. The internet is a distracting place. As the success stories of other small businesses have demonstrated, you don’t necessarily have to be a marketing guru to improve. You may just need to research some fairly simple ways to optimize videos and other visual tools on your Facebook page.