Defining the needs for social media images

When it comes to social graphics and templates, there are really three main places I want to focus: Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Each has a few unique features I need to think about.

Twitter
This should be a horizontal image, and needs to include the post title and possibly either category or subtitle. It doesn’t necessarily need a watermark or logo, but it might be good to include a small URL of the homepage. I need to think of a standard text overlay, and whether to keep it neutral or bring in brand colors.

Pinterest
A whole different animal, Pinterest images are vertical, and normally include the most information. I’ll probably want to think about a standard header or footer, and possibly a “sticker” overlay for downloads. Long pins perform better, but I want my pins to be a lure, not include the entire post content.

Instagram
When it comes to Instagram, the question is whether to use text at all, or just allow the image to do the talking, and mention the blog post in the caption. I don’t like when text disrupts an Instagram feed full of gorgeous images. As the most visual format, I think having strong imagery is the most important factor here.

Sounds like I have a few things to keep thinking about!