It also presents an opportunity for brands to become creative with the way in which they use images, or else risk appearing a bit sloppy if their picture previews end up looking slightly obscure.

This effort from Burberry is a good example of how not to preview an image:

Yet some brands have managed to come up with some really creative ways of exploiting the new preview window, which in essence is like a small banner ad.

By using an image that perfectly fits the preview box brands can get their message across without their followers having to expand the tweet.

I’ve not managed to find any information on how to optimise images specifically to fit the window, though it presumably works in the same way as the summary cards. And here are 10 examples of brands that have had some success.

Or for more information on this topic, check out our blog post on whether Twitter images really do increase engagement… 

Dotmailer

This is a terrific example of how brands can be creative with the new image feature.

Victoria’s Secret

Certainly an eye-catching use of the image box.

Waitrose

Supermarket chain Waitrose was extremely fast to adapt to the new feature and as of the beginning of this month all of its images have been optimised to fit the preview window.

CBS Films

This movie promo from CBS Films demonstrates the impact that can be achieved when the image is the right size to fit the preview window.

Sephora

In general Sephora doesn’t make great use of the image preview box, however this example is worth highlighting. It manages to capture all the important information and effectively acts as a banner ad within its feed.

When expanded the tweet just includes a few extra T&Cs and a larger image of the make up product.

Cadbury

Only one of Cadbury’s images fits the preview window, but it looks delicious…

Adidas

Sportswear brand Adidas has posted several optimised images in the past few days aimed at advertising its products and celebrating its celebrity endorsements.

Spotify

Spotify has been particularly creative with the new image preview, posting several tweets with arrows that entice the reader to find out more.

Here are the before and after images for this particular tweet.

Before

After


Nonesuch Records

Another ad that is perfectly sized to show up in your timeline whether you like it or not.

Hmmm

Okay, so this tweet didn’t come from a brand marketer, but it is a really creative use of the image preview feature. Obviously it requires very swift fingers to ensure that both tweets appear next to one another in your followers’ feeds.