In its quest to become a more visual social platform, Twitter has enabled the Cover Photo. This new feature enables users to dress up their profiles by adding a large image to the top. (Think of Cover Photos as Twitter’s version of Facebook Timeline Photos.) When the Twitter Cover Photo debuted, my stomach churned. “Here comes another non-standard image size marketing people have to worry about,” I thought to myself. But after seeing it in action, I quickly learned its benefits, especially for indie game developers. Here are three reasons why every indie studio should use a Twitter Cover Photo on its company profile.

3 Reasons Indie Game Developers Should Use Twitter Cover Photos

1. Differentiation
We live in a visual world. It’s scientifically proven that people gravitate toward images and away from text. This is one of the reasons why social media sites like Pinterest exist. Twitter, on the other hand, is very much a text-focused site. With exception to profile photos and backgrounds, there is little visual difference between one Twitter profile and the next. The Twitter Cover Photo is a perfect opportunity to add some visual flare and stand out from other indie game profiles.

Vimeo stands out with its signature and beautiful illustration.

2. Suspense and Promotion
One of the reasons I love Blizzard as a marketing example is because of the way it uses visuals to build suspense. Before Diablo III launched, Blizzard posted teaser art on splash pages across its online properties. The art was beautiful, mysterious and clearly hinted that something was coming. Naturally, online commotion erupted and Blizzard’s marketing ploy generated a ton of traffic, chatter and publicity. Why not do the same thing using your Twitter Cover Photo? Build suspense by displaying concept art and early prototype screenshots. As the development of your game matures and completes, display more finalized imagery. The Twitter Cover Photo is a wonderful opportunity to show off your game.

Xbox takes advantage of its Cover Photo to promote a weekend of Double XP on Call of Duty: Black Ops.

3. Personality
The desire to connect is a natural human instinct. That’s why successful companies pay advertising agencies hundreds of millions of dollars to communicate a human element in their brands. People love seeing the individuals behind the products and services they use. Additionally, people love seeing that these individuals, and associated brands, have a personality. The Twitter Cover Photo is an excellent opportunity to display your personality. Why not show a photo of the people who make up your small team, or your office’s digs, or even your favorite foods? Whatever your studio’s quirk may be, show it off…personality is and endearing quality.

Volkswagen displays a collage of its customers, giving the brand a much more human touch.