Twitter is evolving again. The social media network has yesterday announced that it will be changing the way images appear on the site’s newsfeed.

Up until now images appearing in your Twitter feed weren’t always entirely visible.  In order to see a full size image Twitter users would need to deliberately click it to see it in its entirety.  Visual posts that a user chose not to click on such as irrelevant or controversial images could be bypassed with only a glance.

The Changes

This format has now changed, however. Previously collapsed images are now displayed in full without the need for viewers to click on it.  Twitter stated in its blog post that images will be “more immersive…so you can experience and present them as they were meant to be viewed.”  While this is only a minor change it has several significant repercussions for consumers and companies alike.

The changed interface has been rolled out with the intention of creating a more seamless experience for users. Pausing many times to fully view a collapsed image interrupts a user’s journey, so this latest change offers a more fluid Twitter tour.

Business Impacts

As with any development in the world of social media, this change will have repercussions for companies using Twitter.  Those using the social media platform as a marketing tool for their business will see their visual media automatically displayed in its original form.

Rather than needing to create images with Twitter’s collapsed picture format in mind, account holders will now have the freedom to create visual media knowing it will be displayed as it was originally designed.

Given that images gain so much more engagement on social media – Pinterest and Instagram are testimony to this – Twitter’s latest move is helping brands reach out to their audience on the latter’s terms.

The Downside

As is often the case with technology, this change comes with a parental advisory sticker. While easy-to-see images might be great for brands and individuals seeking exposure on Twitter, this is exactly the problem users must now contend with.

While Twitter users could previously scroll past any images they didn’t want to see, they will now find themselves confronted with whatever material is in the news feed – regardless of whether or not they want to.

This is not such a problem for, say, a person who has no interest in motorsport who is exposed to a motorsport image. The problem arises when more sensitive images are visible to a public who may not want to view them.

Twitter has already considered this matter, stating that it will be posting warnings in users’ timelines asking them to ensure that they have their settings up-to-date, so that warnings will be displayed if required.

Context

While concerns about sensitive images in this case are fair, it’s important to remember that this kind of material is an inherent internet problem rather than one solely associated with Twitter.  For more advice about staying safe with visual posts on Twitter you can read their guidance here bit.ly/1lOW2co

Happy tweeting!

Georgina.