Facebook cover photos are like Hinge profiles. You want them to be attractive and represent up-to-date photos. First impressions are everything, and staying on top of of the latest updates and technology available for page managers is a great way to show your company is keeping up with the times and staying current.
COVER VIDEOS ARE HERE
In April 2017, Facebook began to introduce cover video capabilities for (some) pages. This new feature was first noticed on the page for Netflix Original Series, Narcos where instead of having a still photo as their cover, a video played on repeat. While the Narcos cover video appeared similar to a gif in the sense it is short and repeating, cover videos can be between 20 and 90 seconds and have full audio capabilities. Fast forward to 2018 and cover videos are possible on almost any page, and have been widely adopted as the go-to for cover content. Having the ability for a beautiful video be the first thing visitors to your page see is a great tool and should certainly be utilized.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FB COVER VIDEO
Thankfully, setting a cover video for your page is an easy task, and a familiar one if you have ever changed a cover photo. If you hover over the cover photo, you will see the “change cover” button appear in the top left corner of the cover area. From there, setting a cover video is the same as setting a photo, and you will see the option to “upload photo/video”. Select that option, find the video file and upload. It’s as simple as that!
File requirements
According to Facebook, the cover video file must be at least 820 x 312 pixels (although, they recommend 820 x 462), must be between 20 and 90 seconds long, and at least 1080p.  If you receive an error message upon uploading, it is because at least one of these requirements has been missed. It is worth noting that even though Facebook clearly recommends 820 x 462, we have had better luck with the minimum ratio of 820 x 312. If your video is getting cut off in the cover video area, give the smaller size a shot and see if it helps.
Resizing your video
If you have an existing video you wish to make your cover, chances are it doesn’t already meet one (or both) of the size and length requirements. No worries. Changing the dimensions and duration is a quick and easy task and can be done in Photoshop  by following these steps.
 1   After opening Photoshop, select File>New for a new template. A second window will appear, and on the righthand side, you can specify the width and height (among other things, but for our purposes the dimensions are what we are concerned about) of the canvas. Simply change the width and height to 820 pixels and 462 pixels respectively, select “Create” and Photoshop will open a canvas that matches the size requirements provided by Facebook.
2   Now that you have your project sized correctly, select Window>Timeline to bring up the video toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, Window>Workspace>Motion will bring up all the video controls.
3Â Â Â To import the file you want to work with, simply drag it into the main photoshop window. You will notice it imports with the transform tool activated, so click the checkmark at the top of the window to accept the transformation and your video will fill the canvas.
4Â Â Â With the dimensions corrected, the length is the only thing left to change (unless your video is already between 20 and 90 seconds!). From the timeline section at the bottom of the window, hover over either end of the video clip and you will see your cursor change and allow you to adjust the length of the clip so that it meets the 20-90 second requirement.
5   Now that your video is the right size and length, exporting it is the only step left. From the file menu, select Export>Render Video. Once you have named the file and selected the location it is to be exported to, click “Render” and your perfectly formatted cover video will export and be ready for use!
A well-done cover video is another way to impress anyone who finds themselves on your company’s Facebook page, especially as this technology is becoming the new standard across pages of all types. In a world where every company has a Facebook page, utilizing the latest and greatest features available is a must. Facebook will continue to launch new updates and features. Keeping up with those updates is a great way instill a sense of competence and leadership in those who come across your page.
Sources
Social Fire Media. Â Facebook cover videos are here. Â Retrieved July 2017 from:Â https://socialfiremedia.com/facebook-cover-videos/#
