Maybe I’m just feeling grumpy because it’s Monday, but this morning I snapped:
The news org faction of my Twitter feed has reached Peak Photo Tweet #StopTheMadness #MixItUp #socialmedia
— Sam Shaddock (@samshaddock) January 26, 2015
Photo tweets are a great tool for publishers. When Twitter first started showing expanded photos in people’s streams, I couldn’t wait to spread the word to my compadres at The Dallas Morning News. After all, images are known for their magic retweetability powers. That said, a photo tweet is not appropriate in all cases. Everything we know about social media says a mix of post types is best for achieving the Twitter goal trifecta: awareness, engagement and clicks back to your domain.
The worst thing about the recent glut of image tweets in my newsfeed: Many of the stories don’t merit the extra visual emphasis. Here are a few examples of when to use a photo in your tweet and when to let your words alone do the talking:
Good Photos Tweets
This clever tease:
See the full list of Oscars nominees and pick your winners http://t.co/kbmU1zJlZl pic.twitter.com/AAyJGEJG9F
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 26, 2015
Perfect:
Look closely at this "pinstriped" suit Modi wore to receive Obama: http://t.co/q7TPpxEayM pic.twitter.com/VM93teXril
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 26, 2015
Nothing sexy, but the extra info this image conveys is useful:
Don't miss @ryangphx's How U-Do Local for Enterprise tomorrow, a free #Mozinar http://t.co/45Jo7HgdnL pic.twitter.com/TOAZuDO33s
— Moz (@Moz) January 26, 2015
Just enough to make me want to see more:
Watch how the @SAGawards statuettes are made from molten bronze http://t.co/4fJdKnKxbu via @latimesvideo pic.twitter.com/l5baQuUYfj
— L.A. Times Photos (@latimesphotos) January 23, 2015
Not So Good Photo Tweets
Not necessary:
“Professor Belichick got it exactly right,” said MIT's Richard Binzel on #Deflategate http://t.co/xD5dRFfRv1 pic.twitter.com/FRKTg6XyZO
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) January 26, 2015
Ditto:
Watchdog: Carrollton auto shop's discount far from a bargain for one driver, @davelieber says http://t.co/Ac92Idt0OA pic.twitter.com/vIjFV6vaqT
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 25, 2015
Weird:
MT @katiekings: How a nuclear near-miss in ’95 would be disaster today http://t.co/DZguOfinmw #Russia pic.twitter.com/VepQEgfF1V
— Boston Globe Opinion (@GlobeOpinion) January 26, 2015
Maybe a chart would work here. This? Not so much:
Despite a decline of 13% in just two weeks, bitcoin fans are keeping the faith. http://t.co/E78YLaTumL pic.twitter.com/91l5FGb7dh
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) January 26, 2015
Stop cluttering my feed, VentureBeat:
Google taps WePay to put Wallet support in 200K more online stores http://t.co/8PD9FVClfe #ICYMI pic.twitter.com/AkzyhTUuOE
— VentureBeat (@VentureBeat) January 26, 2015
I’m pretty sure we all know what Clinton looks like, kids:
Un-oh: Hillary's lead over Bush, Romney, shrinks; Catholics abandon http://t.co/0IqyJHtwXf pic.twitter.com/R8Ym9GjStF
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 26, 2015
This guy, too:
With PAC, Chris Christie takes another step toward 2016 presidential bid: http://t.co/nPBK5rXPgX pic.twitter.com/2tMm3rnvam
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 26, 2015
#SadTrombone:
At $20 a month, Sling TV is a giant step away from cable, @geoffreyfowler says. http://t.co/f4vbt4ztwS pic.twitter.com/7krJi3DFzn
— WSJD (@WSJD) January 26, 2015
Remember: Just because you can add a photo to your tweet doesn’t mean you should. Make sure you’re serving all of your goals with a mix of tweet types.
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