29 Examples of Visually Engaging Facebook Updates [2013 Edition]

There’s one undeniable fact about Internet culture these days: it is overwhelmingly visual. Even the most clever text-based Facebook updates can’t engage users like they used to. Now, if you want thousands of Likes and Shares, you have to include something for the eyes. I found some fantastic examples of great visual Facebook updates last year. Since then, quite a few brands have been experimenting in this new medium:

Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s campaign staff does a superb job of creating posts that not only receive extremely high levels of engagement, but also do an excellent job of getting across his messaging.

The Internet loves a good quote. Match that with a shot at Mitt Romney‘s controversial 47 percent comment and you’ve got a recipe for over 300,000 Likes.

A nice photograph, some nice typography, and a confident quote from Joe Biden makes for a simple but effective update.

This update takes a quote from Barack Obama to remind voters of his humble beginnings. And just about everyone loves Michelle Obama, so if you have an opportunity to include, you use it.

This update was tailor made for the News Feed. The arrow points right towards the thumbnail of the user who shares, giving the supporter a sense of ownership. It’s kind of the like the Facebook version of a political bumper sticker. And it also has that “oh hey, look at that, that’s cool” factor (yes, that is the scientific term).

Marriage equality is growing in popularity, so it was pretty much assured when the president came out in support of it, proponents would rally behind him to the tune of nearly 300,000 Likes and almost over 200,000 Shares.

Barack Obama Gay Marriage

Bud Light

The folks at Anheuser Busch show that you don’t always have to create your own content. Sometimes you can repurpose, and Bud Light has done just that by utilizing photos submitted by their fans.

A Bud Light and a spectacular view? Doesn’t get much better than that.

If you add an adorable puppy to anything, you can just about guarantee higher levels of engagement.

Clever pop culture references are always good for getting for Likes and shares. This frosted Bud Light can accompanied by the text “Winter is coming…” does a great job of showing off the product and incorporating a nice Game of Thrones reference.

Bud Light Winter is Coming Game of Thrones

Another lesson in pop culture references done well, this update uses a picture of a bowling alley and a clever nod to The Big Lebowski with the caption of “The BL abides.”

Supporting the troops is always a good move. If they happen to be fans of your brand, even better.

Conan O’Brien Presents: Team Coco

Placing funny quotes on pictures is a common Internet practice. Several brands have recognized the popular trend and taken it into their own hands, one such brand being the social media team behind the famous red crop of hair. By taking some of the more popular jokes from Conan O’Brien’s monologues, the Team Coco Facebook page has a plethora of engaging content.

Only Coco could compare your parents to Ayatollah Khamenei.

Conan O'Brien Ayatollah Khamenei

There’s nothing wrong with making up news, just as long as people know you’re joking.

Conan CEO of Yahoo Announcement

Celebrities always seem to be fair game for comedians, Britney Spears even more so.

Conan X-Factor Judge Britney Spears

Recently, the page has started using two images. One for the setup and one for the punch line. It works very well.

Conan O'Brien Americans Vegetables

Dr. Pepper

The Dr. Pepper page on Facebook makes great use of implementing their product into cool visuals. Their content shows design can be just as much a factor as well-written copy.

Something all Dr. Pepper fans (and really all soda fans) can relate to is the love of drinking them… a lot of them. The Pepper Cycle perfectly illustrates that.

Take a peek into your future with the “Diet Pepperscope.”

Dr. Pepper takes a page from the Sommeecards book by using an old-fashioned stock image and humorous copy.

Dr. Pepper Sommee Card

Because milk and cookies is so 20th century.

Facebook

One would hope that Facebook would be good at posting Facebook updates. This series uses a very clever series of analogies that compare the social network to everyday objects. My only criticism is that there aren’t enough.

Birthday cakes are made for people to be together. They give friends a place to gather and celebrate. But too much cake probably isn’t healthy. So birthday cake is a lot like Facebook.”

Cakes Are Like Facebook

Halloween gives people a chance to be scary or funny or sexy or, sometimes, a little bit of all three. Halloween lets people express themselves. That is why Halloween is like Facebook.”

Halloween is Like Facebook

Swimming pools are filled with people. Some you know. Some you don’t. And every once in a while you see something that maybe you shouldn’t. That’s why swimming pools are a little like Facebook.”

Pools Are Like Facebook

Oreo

When it comes to visual Facebook updates, Oreo is about as good as it gets. With a combination of wit, pop-culture parodies, and photoshop, the Oreo page on Facebook does a fantastic job of working their iconic cookie into entertaining updates.

What better to illustrate the relationship between Oreos and milk than a Taylor Swift song.

Oreo Taylor Swift Parody

What better way to publicize Winter Oreos than with a nod to one of the greatest holiday movies of all time: A Christmas Story.

Oreo A Christmas Story Parody

An eye patch Oreo on Talk Like a Pirate Day. This is a situation where marketers are extremely grateful Photoshop exists. Could you imagine trying to break up a cookie to look like that? What a nightmare.

Oreo Talk Like a Pirate Day

This Oreo globe honors the first flight around the world.

Oreo First Flight Around the World

One of Oreo’s most successful posts was this rainbow-colored cookie signifying the brand’s support of same-sex marriage. It’s a risky proposition for a company to get into political issues, but sometimes it can gain them a whole new fanbase or reinforce the existing one.

Oreo Same-Sex Marriage Gay Pride

Starbucks

Starbucks shows you don’t need fancy graphic arts to make engaging Facebook updates.

I think all of us have been part of a Starbucks run at some point in our lives. To help advertise their buy four, get one free promotion, all the brand needed was a camera, some coffee cups, a piece of white paper, and a marker.

Starbucks Buy 4 Get One

A simple, cute image with an instagram feel turned love for Starbucks into a ton of Likes.

If this one looks like an image from Pinterest, that’s because it is. The Starbucks Facebook page repurposed content from Pinterest and got 100,000 Likes.

As you can see, there are many different ways of turning a Facebook update into a visual feast for the eyes, whether it’s a combination of photography and typography or something you could accomplish with a visit to your local arts and crafts store. The only real limitation is your creativity. So, from now on, whenever you have an update with just text, take some time and think about how you could transform it into an engaging image.



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