Common Misconceptions About Twitter Profile Picture Size

In the ever-changing world of technology, social media has become a major asset to business owners and consumers alike. These days, it is just not enough to have the credentials and a highly accredited business (with an occasional brochure inconspicuously showing itself on the front desk) without proper marketing skills. Taking advantage of up-to-date marketing techniques--particularly online marketing techniques--is an invaluable skill for driving more traffic to your business. 

Every successful advertiser knows that the key to is to appeal to the emotional senses of the potential customer. A study conducted by IPA dataBank found that emotional content is more effective than rational content. Attractive images sell. Twitter's fairly recent layout change creates a more favorable atmosphere for marketing. In fact, the Twitter profile picture size can make or break a viewer's interest.

The Facebook Advantage

As many of you social Networkers are aware, Twitter recently modified its layout such that it resembles the layout of Facebook's Timeline:

• Profile picture on upper left-hand side (400 x 400 pixels max)
• Header/Timeline cover (1500 x 500 pixels max)
• Bio on left-hand side
• Tweets under the header
• Most monumental posts enlarged, or highlighted

Those of you who had to adjust to the layout change might have been fortunate enough to have a high-resolution computer, but if you did not, you might have noticed that you had to change your profile picture. Otherwise, you would have had to deal with the irritatingly distorted pixelations. When people click onto your Twitter profile, the first thing that they will likely notice is your header image, so it is important to make sure that their first impression is a good one. A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes.  

Optimizing Your Twitter Profile Picture Size

Although marketing and marketing and SEO can seem like a daunting and time-consuming task, Twitter makes getting your brand message relatively simple and straightforward. The trick is adhering to their standards for optimal results. Here are a few ways you can get your profile picture to stand out and generate more sales:

• Profile picture/Avatar - The maximum dimensions Twitter will allow you to upload are 400 x 400 pixels--a square. Upload a square-shaped picture, or you can resize and/or crop your image such that it resembles a square. We recommend that your Twitter profile picture size be 128 x 128 pixels, especially if you have a logo, because 48 x 48 pixels are the minimum dimensions that will be most frequently seen in your stream. 
• Twitter Header Picture - Twitter's maximum dimensions for your header are in the area of around 1500 x 500 pixels. We recommend that it should be 1251 x 626 pixels. As was mentioned before, first impressions are everything, so even if your Twitter bio provides some compelling info, your header picture should sum up what you and your business are really about. Whether you want to convey to your audience a collage of positively influenced customers, or a picture of your dedicated, employees, or even one of humanitarian efforts (if that is what your business entails), do what you can to captivate a person's emotions. 
• Good resolution - This point is self explanatory, but the point is that you want to relate to your audience while simultaneously maintaining an air of professionalism. Make sure your images reflect these qualities. 

Absolute Advantage

Your Twitter profile picture size makes up a sizable portion of your success as a marketer. Keeping up with the latest social media layout changes as well as current marketing skills is vital. For more information, check out our "4-Step Checklist to Optimize Your Twitter Account"