A week ago Twitter introduced optional header images for profiles. But while the new design only takes a couple of minutes to implement, only eight of the world’s top 100 brands have done so.

The Facebook-like cover image occupies a valuable piece of digital real estate, resting just about your tweet timeline. While some brands have used this as an opportunity to draw attention to company details, others have used it to showcase the people behind the brand.

But despite the benefits, only Samsung, SAP, Nike, Nintendo, Ford, Moët & Chandon, Armani, and Starbucks have made the switch. As Mashable pointed out, even Facebook’s Timeline saw slow adoption rates with only 25 percent of brands switching over two weeks after the launch announcement.

One possible reason for the reluctance is the awkward placement of your profile picture, which is now right in the middle of the header image. Switching over might require a bit of design work, but doing so could really help your brand stand out on a crowded platform.

At this time it isn’t clear if header images will remain an optional feature or if Twitter will eventually make this the new norm.

[Via: Mashable, Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe]