May-4-2014

In the last few months, Twitter has been rolling out a new profile design. As of yesterday, May 28, the design is mandatory for all users. If you hadn’t opted-in – you have now.

What’s new? Quite a lot. The most obvious is a new profile layout. This includes: updated profiles feature larger profile and header images, new timeline views, and the ability to pin a tweet to the top of your profile.

Your first step is to optimize your profile images to meet the new size requirements:

Profile Photos: 400 × 400 pixels
The new profile photos maintain the same 1:1 ratio as before, so your previous profile image (100 × 100 pixels) will work if push comes to shove. However, the new timelines are formatted to scale based on screen size. For the best possible resolution, you’ll want to upload a new 400 × 400 pixels profile photo.

Header Images: 3000 × 1000 pixels
The new header image now spans the top of the screen, much like it does on Facebook. At a minimum, your header image should be at least 1500 × 500 pixels. However, to ensure your photo is optimized for the largest possible screen, you’ll want to use an image that’s 3000 × 1000 pixels. It’s also worth noting that this update means background images are no longer needed.

Understanding the “Pin to your profile page” Feature

The new timelines allow you to pin a single tweet to the top of your profile. This new feature is particularly attractive for tweeters who have a special announcement they want to highlight throughout the day.

Where’s it located? Under each of your tweets there are several symbols (arranged in this order): * Reply * Retweet * Favorite * Trash * More

Under the “More” symbol you’ll find three options: * Share via email * Embed Tweet * Pin to your profile page

Select “Pin to your profile page.” It’s that easy. But, it’s worth noting that you can only pin one tweet at a time to the top of your page. If you selected another pin, it will replace the existing pinned tweet.

Stay tuned for more Twitter insight.