Everything You Need To Know About Twitter’s New Brand Profiles

Twitter announced an update to their profile pages today. Marketers can now showcase their brands more efficiently and effectively. All new profiles are available for any user or brand. Here are some highlights of the new features:

Header image: This is the biggest change of the Twitter profile. Users have the opportunity to upload a custom image (1252 x 626 pixels for optimal display). Visit the design tab via the settings tab to upload your header image. Brands can now tell their story at scale. The header image provides a place for marketers to display a unique and creative image that represents their brand.  Go beyond the logo and focus on what you want to share with your community. Connect your brand’s voice on Twitter with a visual story. Calls to action such as contact information or “Follow us” should be avoided. The cover photo is similar to what you see on Facebook’s Timeline and Google+ profile. Is Twitter catching up with the competition?

Pinned Tweet: Similar to Facebook Timelime, brands are able to “pin” tweets to the top of their page for a continued discussion. Tweets are no longer lost in Twitter’s stream. If you have an important announcement,“pin” your tweet to the top of your page. Every time you post something new, this post will still stay at the top. This is a great feature for highlighting events, contests or deals. Currently this feature is available only to Twitter advertisers.

Updates to Apps: The social network has a new iPad app in addition to updates to their iPhone and Android apps. These changes illustrate Twitter’s mobile strategy. All images on Twitter’s mobile apps or on the desktop appear the same, offering a consistent, more personalized, photo-heavy experience. Mobile strategy is more important than ever before.It’s important not to forget the Twitter basics.

Take this Twitter profile update as an opportunity to refresh and change your profile picture and background image. Update your bio and tell your story in 160 characters or less. These three components are a great place to showcase your logo or person behind your brand.

Twitter’s new updated profile pages are increasingly visual and organic. Brands have the ability to say more than just 140 character tweets. This update further proves that social media not only gives brands a voice, but also heightened storytelling capabilities to significantly engage their audiences. Companies can cultivate an identity by telling their story. Customers are now part of this narrative.