In the past year, there has been a huge build in the amount of images shared on social media, with channels like Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook putting more emphasis on photographs and visuals. Twitter recently changed the way images are displayed on the social network. Previously, users needed to click on a link to see an image, but now an image preview is automatically displayed in the Twitter Feed. This is great news for small businesses looking to get better results from their marketing efforts. With the addition of images, Twitter has changed the feed from a text-only stream of information to a place where marketers can use images to stand out and catch their followers’ attention. It is important to note that only Twitter content is getting the extra boost, as only images shared on pic.twitter.com display automatically. Everybody else needs at least one more click.
Even before Twitter rolled out this update, images were already helping marketers generate engagement. According to a study from Buffer, tweets with images generate 18 percent more clicks, 89 percent more favorites and 150 percent more retweets than those without. A successful Twitter content strategy should include a combination of text, links, photos, and videos. If you are sharing a link to a post on your blog, consider adding an image to encourage people to click through. If you are trying to spark a conversation or are looking for feedback from your followers, you can ask a question and upload a photo to go along with it.