In true Facebook fashion the social media giant has again made changes to its guidelines without informing the general public (Staff Training, however, thought you might like to know…), but this time there's no need to rush over to your privacy settings to perform a lockdown.
No, this time it's good news, and it has to do with Facebook cover images.
In the past Facebook cover images have been, in a word, restrictive. The rules were such that cover images could not contain any calls to action, any price or purchase information, any contact info, any references to Facebook features (such as "Like" or "Share"), or more than 20% text overall.
For marketers this has meant that the 851x315px in-your-face-marketing-tool, commonly known as the cover image, has proven to be a highly underused feature with wasted potential.
Then in March Facebook eased its restrictions (again without any announcement), allowing pages to include all of the above with the exception of the 20% text rule. The updated guidelines read:
"All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can't be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else's copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text."
As of 1 July 2013 Facebook further relaxed its restrictions, dropping the 20% text rule altogether.
Marketers now have the freedom to utilise their cover images however they would like, creating the possibility of a whole new approach to marketing on Facebook.
Read the latest Facebook guidelines here.
Staff Training is presenting Social Media Marketing Training in Cape Town on July 18. Contact info@StaffTraining.co.za or (021) 839 3021 for more information and bookings.