Facebook Cover Videos Are Here!

Update (8/15/17): Facebook cover videos have become more reliable, however some users are still experiencing problems. Facebook has begun rolling out their next new feature, round profile pictures in the news feed, as of 8/15/17. This could create some confusion for page admins as profile pictures will begin being cropped to circles and will likely need to be adjusted. For the full story of what we know so far about the next big Facebook change check out our latest article on round profile pictures! 

Update (8/1/17): The feature seems to be universally available to all Facebook business pages now. The recommended size of a video is now 820 x 462 pixels, however it is required that videos be at least 820 x 312 pixels. There have been issues with the reliability of cover videos as some users have had their video stop working or crop to a size they do not want. Many users have been able to upload their video with no problems at all, so it seems the feature will become more reliable as time goes forward. 

Update (7/7/17): We are hearing that the vast majority of pages have the option to upload a cover video, however it is not working. There has been trouble getting the videos to play and many users are saying that when they try to upload their cover video it freezes as a thumbnail image rather than playing as a video. This is likely just a bug on Facebook’s end and will be corrected as they continue to develop the feature.

Update (6/16/17): Facebook Cover Videos are back and available to about 80% of our pages as of today! We talked to Facebook about the cover videos feature and they told us that the development team’s test is progressing well and they will continue to expand it. If you still are not seeing the feature on any of your pages, you should in the coming days and weeks. To check out an example of a cover video visit our Facebook page!

We recently talked about how engagement is Facebook’s driving factor.  Cover videos are Facebook’s latest change to allow brands to better tell their story.

What we know about Facebook cover videos

Yet again, Facebook is making a major change to the way businesses and individuals pages look. Users will soon have the option to turn their cover photo into a cover video. In recent years Facebook has really begun to focus on video content, realizing this is the way that most people prefer to consume content, with that number consistently growing. This is just the latest video feature.  Others include Facebook live, profile videos, a stronger focus on video ads, Facebook stories, among others. Below is what we know so far about the mystery that is Facebook cover videos.

Facebook, in typical fashion, has not told us much about Facebook cover videos. They have begun rolling it out to select pages, with the Netflix original show Narcos being the first page that it was noticed on. Twitter user @vladcalus was the first to notice the feature just recently on April 25th. Facebook released the following official statement upon the public’s discovery of cover videos on Pages.

Official Facebook Statement:

We recently started testing the ability on desktop to upload a video as the Page cover. Once a cover video has been created, video will render when people visit the Page.

By making cover video available, we want to help you create more engaging interaction and drive more rich experience for your audience by letting you spotlight your creative content in one of the most prominent space: your Page cover.

The feature is still in early testing, but we expect to roll it out more widely soon. We appreciate your patience and support while we improve on this feature to bring cover video available to you soon.

How It Will Work

Users will upload a cover video in the same way they upload a cover photo now. The suggested dimensions are also close to that of a cover photo. Facebook requires that cover videos dimensions are at least 820 x 312 pixels, while the recommended size is 820 x 462 pixels. Cover videos can be anywhere from 20-90 seconds long and can loop in any way you want. The one we see on the Narcos page is a 6 second clip that is set to loop a few times over. The video will automatically start to play when someone visits the page, immediately drawing attention to the page cover. In the bottom right corner there is a mute/unmute option, just like in videos typically seen on Facebook. Cover videos preset to have the sound muted, so if a user wishes to hear the video they must manually turn the sound on. Cover videos will have most of the same requirements and guidelines as cover photos, but are sure to change the way users engage with Facebook pages.

Keep your eye out for cover videos on Facebook, as they will continue to be rolled out to more and more pages. Facebook has not given any plans or timeline for the new feature, but it is safe to assume that it could be a lengthy roll out. This feature came as a bit of a surprise to everyone, so we will update as more information becomes available.

Need help with Facebook or Facebook Advertising optimization?  We are experts and have helped many businesses and products achieve their target cost per conversion!