Hi –

I have a client who believes they read an article on the web that stated something along the lines of Facebook frowns deeply on brands/biz pages which share their cover photos with fans.

Does anyone recall reading something like this, and if so – can you point me in the right direction so I can clarify the details?

Thanks!

@andrea-vahl, sorry if I wasn’t all that clear.

Here’s the example; Michigan International Speedway has created a Facebook photo album of photos sized for Timeline Cover Photos. They are encouraging their racing fans to download and use any of those cover photos they like. I thought it was a marvelous idea, and their type of photos show really well in this application. Especially if MIS mixes it up with various race teams and drivers.

When I mentioned something like this to my client who is in the health & beauty industry, she immediately balked at the idea since she thought ‘sharing’ those cover photos was in violation of FB terms.

I hope that explanation is a little more clear.

Amy

Ahh – interesting.  And actually it is against Facebook Terms,  @amylang and  @fayebrogi  Here’s the actual terms:How should I choose a cover photo for my Page?Use a unique image that represents your Page. This might be a photo of a popular menu item, album artwork or a picture of people using your product. Be creative and experiment with images your audience responds well to. 

Cover images must be at least 399 pixels wide and may not contain:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”
• Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

Not sure if this link works to show you:  http://www.facebook.com/help/search/?q=page+cover+photo  

Interesting!!

@fayebrogi, that’s how I’m interpreting that too. That they are simply sharing photos for USE as a timeline cover if the fan chose to do so doesn’t seem like it would violate any terms.

I’m thinking that my client must have misunderstood whatever article she read.

Thanks for the help tonight @andrea-vahl and @fayebrogi

@amylang THanks for sharing this.  I like the idea and want to incorporate it as well.  Since I have a site about Dogs, I can imagine people would love to grab some already done cover size photos.

Falls into the category of give them more than they expect–FOR FREE and they will be hooked.

Thanks again for igniting an idea and keeping us all legal!

Cheers

Chrissa

There is a rule that states “You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines.“
It’s in section III B on this page: https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php
So I guess if it’s not the cover photo, other photos that they are offering it would not be against that rule.
If you wanted to be safter you could also offer clients to download them from your website and not Facebook.

@jenniferwashlow-pag Thanks for sharing that page link. The rules of engagement change so frequently and finding the rules is comparable to the needle in the haystack sometimes! Ugh!

Wow, brilliant idea by the track – most fans aren’t able to get good photos but want to share their love of racing. I can see a lot of applications for this: horse pics for the equine biz, dogs being dogs for a dog trainer, nature photos with affirmations, beautiful kitchens for our dealers, etc…

I like the idea of putting them on your website though, to be safe… @jenniferwashlow-pag