Important update: As of Spring 2021, the option of having a Facebook cover video has been removed. You can still have a static image or a slideshow with multiple images as your Facebook cover.

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Over 500 million people watch 4 billion videos on Facebook daily, which might explain why Facebook cover videos have been so well received. With a dwindling internet attention span, adding a cover video to grab your audience’s attention quickly is a no-brainer. Static images are nice too, but videos are simply more versatile and powerful.

What is a Facebook Cover Video?

A Facebook cover video is a short video that appears right at your Facebook page’s top section. The cover video is accompanied by your profile photo, which is usually a logo if it’s a business page. Facebook cover videos allow you to say a little more about your business without the visitor having to look for it.

Facebook confirms that the option to add a cover video is available to all pages. All cover videos are public, which means that anyone visiting your page will be able to see the video.

But what does it mean to your business?

Why use a Facebook Cover Video?

The short answer is that they provide endless possibilities. To name a few options, you can highlight your brand’s message, promote an event, or show off your product: all this at the frontline of your Facebook page. 

• Introduce Your Brand, Product, or Service

Whether it’s a glimpse of your portfolio, your services, or a new line of products, Facebook cover videos provide a way to introduce your offerings and what visitors can expect from you. Four times as many consumers would rather watch a video than read about your bus anyway, so videos are very effective. Check out our Facebook cover video for an example of how to present your product offering.

• Make an impression

Facebook cover videos are a great way to make an excellent first impression within a few seconds. The first thing visitors will notice when they visit your page is the cover, and you can use it to give them a reason to stay around a little longer.

• Show off your Team

Get more intimate with your audience by taking them behind the scenes of your business to show off your company’s culture and ethical values. This is another way to draw potential customers in and establish a lasting connection that results in sales.

Facebook Cover Video: Guidelines

Let’s start with some guidance from Facebook almighty. Here’s what they say our page video cover should be like:

• It should be at least 1250 x 312 pixels. For best results, choose a video that’s 1250 x 463, with a 2.7 aspect ratio.
• It should be between 20 and 90 seconds.
• It should NOT be deceptive or misleading. You should also be aware of copyrights.
• You can use arrows to scroll through up to 10 thumbnail options for your cover video.

That’s about it. What Facebook does not clarify is this: how on earth does one make a video with such a ratio, especially if she is not a video pro? Here’s where we come in.

How to Make a Facebook Cover Video

Here’s a short video that guides you through the process. Read on for more detailed instructions on each step.

Step 1. Set the format “Facebook cover”

To get started, log into your Wave.video account. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for Wave.video for free. Right here:

In Wave.video, the perfect ratio for a Facebook cover has been set for you. So all you need to do is to choose the necessary format from all available options.

There are two ways you can get started.

• Option 1. Customize one of the pre-designed video templates

On the Templates library page, select one of the templates that were made by our design team. For your convenience, use the Popular Aspect Ratio filter on the left side to see all options that fit for your future Facebook cover.

• Option 2. Create your cover from scratch.

You’ll get a blank canvas, where you can pour out all your creativity. Here is how to access this mode.

Step 2. Choose a video or picture that you would like to turn into your video cover

The video you choose would depend on the purpose of your cover video. If the video’s purpose is to build brand awareness, go with something evergreen, like showcasing what your company does. If you are going to promote an event, then it would make sense to change the cover every so often.

In Wave.video editor, there is an option to upload your own media files or choose a clip from the massive built-in stock library.

You can work with videos as you would do with pictures, i.e., you can move the video over to choose the perfect shot or zoom in and out.

Step 3. Add text to the cover video

You can also add text to your Facebook cover. To make sure the text looks good when uploaded to the FB page, I like to make sure the text is centered right in the middle of the video clip. This way, it really captures the audience’s attention.

Step 4. Combine with more video clips or images

In Wave.video, you can add more than one clip to your story. This means that you can create a whole video by adding more video clips or images. This feature can be particularly helpful if you:

• want to showcase a collection
• are creating a slideshow for a Facebook page
• want to demonstrate your product from different perspectives

Just add another clip to your video and edit it as the first one. You don’t have to change the ration to “Facebook cover”; Wave.video will do it for you automatically.

Pro Tip:

Apply video transitions to glue the scenes into one beautiful video story. Wave.video offers a nice collection of over 20 options.

Step 5. Download and share

To download your fabulous new video, head over to the “Publish” tab. The video will be saved in the ‘Downloads’ folder on your computer.

Bonus tip: Before downloading, make sure your video is at least 20 seconds long. If it isn’t, Wave.video will loop the video for you.

 

If you are looking for more guidance on how to create Facebook cover videos, watch this helpful tutorial by Mari Smith, the Premier Facebook Marketing Expert. She shows exactly what she did in Wave.video to make her own video cover.

Facebook Cover Video Ideas

Still stuck on what to use as your cover video? Try these video ideas on for size:

• Product Demo – Cover videos are perfect for showing your products in action and demonstrate their effectiveness.
• Tour Your Location – Show all the best parts of your business in a short visual tour of your location and operations.
• Screencast – If you’re marketing a software that you want to educate your users about, there is no better way than showing it in action.
• Video Menu – If you’re a restaurant or cafe, you can use a visual menu to show customers what they can get and highlight your most popular items.
• Portfolio – Apply a simple transition to your portfolios instead of using just one image or a collage. Any service company can easily take advantage of this one.
• Promo Videos – Repurpose a promotional video and use Wave.video to resize it to the right cover video specs.
• Animated Logo – If you still can’t decide what to use, keep it simple for now and use an animated version of your logo and tagline. Animated logos are infinitely more engaging than still logos.

Here’s how you can take advantage of the Facebook cool feature and get started with cover videos.

More Tips to make the perfect Facebook Cover Video

• Focus on your audience

When choosing the type of cover video you want to create, consider how to show them what your brand is all about, and what scenes would help them understand you quickly. Once you know, head into Wave.video online editor and start creating.

• Keep it short and simple.

You can add up to 90 seconds of video, but it doesn’t mean you should. Try to refrain from putting too much information in the video. Highlight the key points in a way that is easy to understand and try to keep it as short as possible.

• Add a Call to Action

At the end of your cover video, invite visitors to try out your service, visit your website, use a coupon, or any other relevant CTA based on your video.

• Keep text centered

Your video might be cropped to fit different screen sizes. Ensure your message is always visible by keeping your text at the center of the video.

• Use audio wisely

Audio can make for more immersive video experience, but it shouldn’t be so loud that it distracts visitors from the message or make them stop watching. Check out this blog post for more tips for adding music to your video.

• Add subtitles for speech

You should know that cover videos play with audio off by default, and it is up to the viewer to unmute the video in the bottom right corner. You should add subtitles if you’re using a talking-head video or any type of video type that involves speech.

How to Upload a Facebook Cover Video

Follow these steps to add your newly created cover video to your Facebook Page:

• First, you need to add the video you want to use as your cover to the Facebook Page. To do that, go to your Page and click Videos at the top of your Page’s timeline.
• Click on the button Upload Video and select a video from your computer.
• Add a title, description, and tags for your video. To add more information to your video, click the sections in the right column, then click Next and Publish.
• On your Facebook Page, click Edit in the bottom right of your cover image or video area.
• Select Choose from Videos from the drop-down menu and pick the uploaded video.

• After you’ve selected your cover video, reposition the video so that the part you want in the center sits in the center. You can drag and drop to set the video, then click Next.
• Add a thumbnail image before you publish your video. Scroll through the collection of suggested thumbnail options for your cover video with the left and right arrows.
• Click Save Changes.

Facebook Cover Video FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about Facebook cover videos:

• How long should a Facebook cover video be?

Your cover video can be anywhere between 20 – 90 seconds, but it is important to grab your page visitor’s attention fast in the first few seconds.

• Can I add a Facebook cover video?

To check that you have access to add a cover video, go to your Facebook page and hover over the cover image. Click the Change Cover button. If the drop-down menu includes an option to Choose From Videos or Upload Photo/Video, then you can add a cover video.

• Do Facebook Cover videos play on Mobile?

Yes, Facebook cover videos play on all mobile devices.

• Who can see my Facebook cover video?

Your cover video is public and it is visible to anyone who visits your Facebook page.

• Can I delete my Facebook cover video?

You can remove your cover video, but it will still be available in your Page’s video library. You can choose to delete it there.

Are you using video as your Facebook cover image? What type of cover video do you feel like creating after reading this? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

 

How to Upload a Facebook Cover Video