So imagine my surprise when Twitter’s new profile format was touted as a redesign that visually mimicked Facebook’s. Facebook’s format conversion, or “Facebookmagedon” as I like to call it, is still fresh enough in my mind for me to remember that I was forced “kicking and screaming” to their new timeline. Although I’ve adjusted to their life altering changes and have grown to accept the new format, I felt as though it was too soon to go through these life altering experiences again with, Twitter, the social media love of my life.

It was with a heavy heart that I signed into my Twitter account yesterday to face the music. When I updated my profile, I was pleasantly surprised! The new format is clean and crisp and allows the viewer to learn more about a profile’s owner at a glance. Twitter has introduced a large banner-like image referred to as a header image and the profile image has been moved from the corner of the page to sit in the center of the header image.

I especially like that the profile bio stands out against the header image and is immediately visible to the viewer. Because there are both profile and header images, businesses can end the long standing debate on whether to use a company logo or a more personal image for their accounts. Now the best of both worlds are available! While Facebook has limitations on the use of its cover photo, Twitter does not. Twitter’s header photo can be used to display contact information, sales/announcements, a website address, or just about anything you want to use to share your business and connect with customers. Additionally, the header photo can be used to give visitors a “behind the scenes look” at your business, including; who you are, what you do, and how you impact the community around you… an excellent way to make a visual, personal connection. Twitter simply requires your header image be:
1252 pixels wide by 626 pixels high, larger than 700 pixels wide for image quality, and under 5MB . Pretty simple, right?

In addition to the new header image, Twitter has also changed its photo stream format. You will notice that your thumbnails are larger and the space has increased from 4 to 6 images… If you’ve already been tweeting lots of pictures, great! You’ll notice your thumbnail images are full. If not, this presents a great opportunity to take more pictures and share more about your business through images. It’s clear from the new layout, Twitter is working to enhance our mobile experience, making our interactions even more so in the moment.

So even though I initially signed into Twitter with hesitation, I have to admit I’ve fallen in love with Twitter all over again and I’m not ashamed to shout it from the roof tops! What about you? What do you think about the new format? Have you updated your profile?