5 Ways to Use Text Images to Promote Your Content

Whether you call them “text images” or “text pictures” or “image quotes,” using images with text is a content marketing trend that’s not going away anytime soon.

You’ve probably noticed a lot of bloggers use text images to promote their content, particularly blog posts. I also recommend doing that, as I suggested when I published the Online Visibility Challenge (ongoing, take the challenge anytime!).

The second step in the Challenge is to “Create a quote image from your post” and the third step is to “share the quote image.”

Text to Include on Your Text Images

There are two types of images I generally see associated with promoting blog posts:

1. The title of the blog post with an eye-popping image
2. A quote from the content of the blog post

The image below by Dustin W. Stout is a great example of creating an attractive image with the blog post title:

You can easily create quote/text images on sites like PicMonkey and Canva – two of my favorites – then save them to your computer to use on your social networks.  

Each social network favors different image dimensions. However, if you create your image 560 pixels wide, it will work nicely on Facebook pages, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter. If you take it one step further and create a square image, you’ll be able to create one image that works on Instagram as well.

This image was created on Canva at 800×800 and then resized to 560×560

Where to Share Your Images

My suggestions probably won’t come as a surprise to you. There are five primary sites where you can use your images to promote your content. Caveat: every blog post may not be appropriate for every platform. You’ve got to know your audience.

Tip: Make sure your image has a Call to Action and a URL for people to follow so they can get to your post. Create a redirect link (use a plugin like Pretty Link) or use a link shortener like bit.ly or Goog.le.

1) Google+

Like the other social networks, gorgeous, large images get a lot of attention on Google+. There are a couple of ways you can present your text images: upload your image and in the description of your update, include the link to your blog post; or share the link to your blog post and (at the time of this post) your large image will be displayed automatically along with the title of your post and a preview of the content. For a detailed review of how the link posts work, please read Mike Allton‘s post on the subject.  

2) Facebook Page

 If you have a Facebook page for your business, you probably do this already, right?

The optimal size (currently) for images on Facebook is 560 x 292 pixels, and square works as well.

NOTE: Optimal image sizes are always evolving, especially on Facebook. Here’s an updated list of best image sizes for Facebook in 2016.

3) Pinterest

 It’s well known that Pinterest can drive a lot of traffic to your blog posts, so don’t neglect this social network. Pin your image to the appropriate board and make sure you include the URL in the description and source. If you think you’re topic doesn’t lend itself to Pinterest, think again and watch this interview with Joan Stewart about how to use Pinterest for dull or yucky topics.

4) Instagram

 Do you promote your content on Instagram? Most people don’t, so you have an opportunity to stand out. Use a pithy quote from your content vs. the title of your blog post. Instagramers love quotes. Then add the URL to the description. The link won’t be clickable but at least your followers can find your content if the quote resonates with them.  Use the #quote hashtag to attract new followers.

When you share an image on Instagram, you have the option to also push it to your Facebook profile and Twitter. In this case, I suggest you don’t do that and have another option for you.  The reason why you don’t want to share on Twitter is that the image is shared as a link vs. a full-size image. There is a better way so your image shows in all its glory on Twitter.

5) Facebook Profile and Twitter

 Before you post your text image on your Facebook profile, set up a recipe on IFTTT (If This Then That). Lou Bortone has built a recipe that creates an action to share an image you post on Facebook and tweet it to your Twitter account with a linked pic.twitter.com image. That means your image shows up in the Twitter stream vs. only showing a link to the image.

This is how your tweet will look:

It’s back. Are you in? #visibilitychallenge #visibilitytip http://t.co/YQUVlXtEbE pic.twitter.com/hp2yT8T1sD

— Denise Wakeman (@DeniseWakeman) March 19, 2014

 There you have it. Five ways to post on six social sites. Are you using any of these tactics? Do you have other ways you share your text images? If so, please share in the comments!