Doing a double take as you log on to Twitter? Over the next few weeks you just might as the popular micro-blogging site rolls out its newest redesign which comes close to echoing the feel of Facebook. According to Twitter’s blog post announcing the change, “it will be even easier (and, we think, more fun) to express yourself through a new and improved web profile.”
Sounds great, right? So what’s new?
For starters, you get a larger profile picture and screen-wide header. It’s crisp, clean and totally you. Check out the already migrated Twitter page for Scandal star @KerryWashington to see what I mean.
Other changes include:
- Best foot forward – tweets that generated more engagement will be displayed in a slightly larger font. It means you as a brand, or individual, stand out more the more you connect.
- Stick with it – You know that one perfect tweet, the one that summed you up better than any other? Pin it to the top of your page. Visitors to your profile page will see it front and center each time they stop by.
- Pick and choose – Profile visitors can opt to view only specific content based on the following filters: Tweets, Tweets with photos/videos, or Tweets and replies. Your take away? If you’re not sprinkling in a few tweets with a graphical element, you may want to start.
What’s not changing?
Twitter’s appeal has been its short and to the point collective stream of consciousness and that’s not changing. You’ll still be counting characters and crafting concise, witty content within that framework. It’s just going to look tidier.
If you haven’t noticed any formatting changes yet, don’t worry, Twitter didn’t forget you. These changes began rolling out this week to a small group including the First Lady, musician John Legend and the aforementioned Kerry Washington. Twitter’s newest users will automatically default to the new format. The update will roll-out to the rest of us over the next few weeks.
Has your profile gotten the make-over yet? What do you think?
