How to Brand Your Twitter Profile Page

So you’ve got the hang of tweeting and finding other people to follow on Twitter. But how do you ensure your Twitter profile fits with your brand? This post is the second part in our series of ‘Guides to Twitter’, written by Alisha Ramos, a volunteer with Bright One. You can follow Alisha on Twitter at @alishalisha and Bright One at @brightonecomms.

The background image of your Twitter profile can be a useful tool in building your brand.

Many users add a static background image with a “sidebar” of content that reflects them or their brand. The sidebar is a loophole around the limited amount of information Twitter allows its users to display on their profile page. The sidebar can include anything from a photo of that brand or individual, a brief description of what they do, a list of their websites, and a method of contact.

Below are some examples of Twitter profiles that have been successfully branded by companies or individuals:

Bold Creative’s Twitter account (@boldcreative) displays a simple sidebar image with its logo and important contact information and a URL that directs back to its website. All the information you need to understand what the company is and how you can find out more is there.

Pepsi (@pepsico) advertises a current campaign, the “Dream Machine,” on its sidebar, directing users to the Dream Machine Facebook Page. They also feature members of Pepsi who are tweeting for the company, so that users can know who exactly is behind all those tweets. Many companies opt to do this because it creates a more personal touch to Twitter accounts owned by large, seemingly impersonal companies.

GM (@gmblogs) similarly displays the people who are in charge of their Twitter account, probably for the same reasons as Pepsi. GM also displays their Twitter policy – a disclaimer that states that any 3rd party articles linked to from their account is not their responsibility.

Charity Water (@charitywater) is one of the nonprofits that has done an excellent job with its online presence. Its Twitter is beautifully designed, with a simple background that points users to a specific campaign.

Travel Channel’s Twitter (@travelchannel) has a nicely designed background that is branded well. It points users not to its website but to its other Twitter accounts for its various shows. If you go to these other Twitter accounts, you will see that each of them are also consistently branded with the Travel Channel, sometimes even using similar sidebar graphics – which is brilliant. Even in its variety of shows, the Travel Channel manages to maintain a consistent image.

As you can see, these companies have successfully used the user’s screen to provide relevant information and links — all simply in their background image.

5 Steps to Make A Background Image With Sidebar on Twitter

It’s simple to create a background image that has a sidebar on twitter. Here is the simplest method:

1. Take a screen grab of your Twitter account (with the window maximized.)
2. Paste the screen grab into a photo editing program of your choice (like Photoshop).
3. Create a sidebar graphic in the empty space you see to the left of your Twitter feed, making sure that it is not too wide or too close to the top or left side of the canvas.
4. Select the rest of the image that is not the sidebar and delete it.
5. Save your background image, upload to Twitter, and you’re done!

If you are well versed in graphic design, you can get fancy with this method – for example, you could a background color, add a gradient as the background color (as Pepsi has done), and so on.

If you are searching for a generic background, or one with a ready made template, websites like Twitrounds or Twitrbackgrounds work well.