Who doesn’t love perusing social media and sharing their favorite tweets? Twitter is great for those of us who love connecting via short sound-bytes – perfect for our limited attention spans. But the Twitterverse presents some challenges when it comes to sharing graphics. If you want to gain followers and rack up the re-tweets, you need to be strategic about what types of images you share and what characteristics your images have. So here are six guidelines for creating and sharing only the most relevant, audience-friendly images out there.
1. Consider Your Format
Sizing is everything when you’re sharing on Twitter… tall, skinny graphics are great in theory, but unfortunately, they tend to get cropped so that the whole image is only available if it’s clicked on. In the scrollable world of social media, you need your full image clear and easily distinguishable, so be sure that your graphics are sized correctly for Twitter.
2. Make It Bold
Again, the tendency of most social media users is to endlessly scroll without pausing. Your goal is to stop them in their tracks! Images that are striking or unusual will garner more attention and bring that scroll to a screeching halt.
Utilize images with characteristics that stand out: bold color schemes, unique photos or humorous images are a few of the traits that make for dynamic graphics that capture attention.
3. Get Personal
Your audience needs you to get personal. That connection helps build a strong rapport, and you can solidify this relationship through the images that you share.
People want to see who you are, not just what you’re about. You can paint that picture by including photos of the people involved in your business or showing behind-the-scenes shots of how your operation runs. Customers also want to feel valued, so sharing images of satisfied clients utilizing your products is another fantastic way to build a personal connection.
4. Brand It
You want everyone to know who’s responsible for the awesome photos that are making their rounds on Twitter. Add a watermark or logo to your images and brand your graphics so your name never gets lost in the shuffle. This will also solidify your logo in the mind of your audience so your brand is easily recognizable.
5. Shout Your Message Loud and Clear
The image is what first grabs attention, but once all eyes are on you, you can extend a message to your audience. Add text to your images to give a clear understanding of what you do and what you stand for. Use bold, easy-to-read fonts that don’t confuse or overwhelm the existing graphics.
6. Hashtag It
The hashtag isn’t there to be obnoxious – it’s actually a fantastic network-building tool. Hashtagging your photos helps you create an affiliation surrounding your brand, or enables you to join and contribute to an existing community. Always include a few relevant hashtags to give your tweet more exposure. Create a hashtag surrounding your company/campaign name and use trending hashtags to get in on the viral action.
You can use Easil to create graphics that always meet these six rules for Twitter images. Simply find a template you like and customize it to be bold, branded and ready to captivate. Then share the love!