On Sept. 18 Twitter released some new design updates and a new Profile page for users. This new Profile is only visible to others viewing your profile and does not appear on the Home feed page. This can be a good opportunity for a business or brand to apply their branding, but a few conditions should be reviewed.
Like Facebook, GooglePlus and LinkedIn, there is a large area for an image upload. The size is restricted to 1252px X 625px, with a maxmimum file upload size of 5MB. The color model is RGB, and the resolution set to 72dpi (dots per inch). Your Twitter avatar will appear near the center-top of the new Profile area in a fixed position and size; text is then filled from your Twitter bio (160 characters or less).
Once you sign in to Twitter, click the “Me” link in the top navigation bar. Currently this is what visitors will see before deciding to follow you. From here click the “Edit Profile” button, then click “Header” to upload a new image. The text is set to white with a slight drop shadow; neither the size or coor can be changed. The background default is set to black, so it is not necessary to upload an image to this area at all. If you do decide to use an image, be prepared to make tweaks until you are satisfied.
Even though this is not yet mandatory, I recommend using the new Profile because it presents opportunities for branding and sales. [This is your profile, and what others will see as they find you. At the moment, the new Profile is not mandatory to use. I do recommend using it, however, because it may be come mandatory down the road.]
How To Brand? Depending on the background of your Twitter page, this may be a good opportunity to use this area for specials, new store location information, or use your brand’s secondary colors to set it apart from the page. For example: if your logo is a drawn image, you might choose to use a photo representation for the Profile background. At this time Twitter has no other restrictions, so creativity is the name of the game.
Choose Your Background Carefully. It might seem like a good idea to upload your current Twitter background to this new Profile background, but be careful! It might not look right sized smaller; it might also look as if it blends in, making the information in this area seem unimportant. Experiment with your logo’s complementary or tiertiary colors [put link here to either Color Cop or that website Michael likes to use, with the color wheel].
Shorten Or Leave Out Bio. You have this large area to work with. Since the text comes in from your bio, try leaving out the bio and making a branding or selling statement on the background image. Leave room for your Twitter avatar [find out how far down, in pixels, you have to go for the avatar] and get creative! TIP: If you do use this area for a sales point, be prepared to change as often as needed (i.e., seasonally, specials, etc.).
Tell me what you think of this article, and leave a link to your new Twitter Profile page! In the coming weeks I’ll post links to Profiles of well-known brands to tickle your creative juices.
