June 6, 2011

One of the first things I tell my clients when we’re in initial discussions for the development of their websites is that they need to create a social presence as well. They need to create a Facebook business page as well as sign up for a Twitter account. When it comes to Facebook business pages, there are several things you can change to brand your page and make it stick out above the competition. The most noticeable thing you can do is create a banner-type profile image. When used to their full potential, they can make any large or small business stand out above the rest.

Chances are if you’ve visited a Facebook business page, you’ve seen the type of image I’m talking about. For example, if you visit my Windsor Web Design page, you can see the exact type of profile image I’m talking about. These images have a maximum size of 180px width by 540px height. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve viewed a page that only had an image the size of a business card, which had text that couldn’t be read once it was uploaded to Facebook. These types of large profile images allow you to add just about anything you want including; services offered, location, contact info and even examples of past work.

I use Adobe Photoshop when creating my Facebook business page profile images. I usually start with a blank canvas of 180 x 540 and depending on how much information my clients may want, I sometimes take the height down to 400 or 500px. If you decide to create your profile image yourself, be sure to brand it with the same type of colors and fonts as your web page or logo. Also be sure to add contact info, services offered and a slogan if you have one.

Adding a large profile image to your Facebook business page is an easy and affordable way to show Facebook users that you’re serious about your Facebook page. It’s also a great way for you to tell people a little about your small business without having to create a wall post which could eventually get buried at the bottom of your page.

If you’re unsure about creating the image yourself, feel free to contact me. I’ve done several of these types of banner images before and I could get one done for you within a day or two at a very affordable rate.