The rumors floating around the internet about Twitter getting a facelift are true! Last week, the folks at Twitter announced a complete redesign of user profiles. Right now, the redesigned profiles are only available for select users, but they’ll be rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks. Read on for a summary of the changes and steps you can take to prepare for the roll out.

What’s new?

If you’ve seen a new Twitter profile, you know that the changes are pretty dramatic. Here are a few of the highlights:

Header and profile images: The new Twitter profiles are highly visual, with a large banner image that stretches across the entire page in addition to the main profile picture, which is now located on the left side of the screen. Take a look at Ford's profile.

Top tweets: Tweets with the most engagement (retweets, favorites and replies) will appear slightly larger on your profile. That way, your top content will easily stand out to users scanning your profile. Check out these two tweets from Starbucks for an example. The middle tweet has been retweeted, favorited and responded to more than the other two, which is why it’s displaying in a larger font

Pinned tweets: Similar to Facebook, the new Twitter profile layout allows you to “pin” one of your tweets to the top of your profile page. That way, users who visit your blog will see that tweet first.

What do you need to do?

If you’re not one of the lucky few that already has the new profile, you can expect your profile to convert to the new layout in the next few weeks. The conversion will be automatic – you’re not required to opt in. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to be prepared for your new profile.

Think about your images. Think about the images you’re currently using on your Twitter profile. Will they work well with the new layout? If not, think about what images will best capture your audience’s attention. Hint: The header photo would be a great opportunity to showcase a beautiful, high quality photo of your community!

Wondering what size your images should be? Here are the guidelines for the new profiles: 

• Header image: 1500x500 pixels
• Profile image: 400x400 pixels

Take a tour. Check out profiles of companies that already have the new layout. That way, you can get oriented with the new layout and you'll know where to find everything when your community gets the new profile layout. Here are a few more companies that already have the new layout:

• Chobani
• Nike
• Samsung

What do you think of the new Twitter profile layout? Please share in the comments below!