replacing white-rodgers thermostat 1e30-910

So, we've got baseboard heating, some of which are connected to an old thermostat:



Here is a picture the backside of a white rodgers 1e30-910 mercury thermo:



Thermostat wires in wall:







The problem: yesterday the baseboard heaters never turn off. Though it could be a short somewhere else in the system, I'm going to start with the assumption it's this old thermostat.



When I removed the thermostat from the wall, these were the only 2 wires actually connected. The 3rd one was just floating. :eek:





Could any of you please suggest a replacement thermostat, something that is basic, could handle these 2 (3?) wires and is programmable?



I've looked at this one, for example, but it assume about 6 wires to connect. I've got 2: Honeywell

Attached Images

External gas shutoff needed to replace range?

We have a condo which still has the original gas range from the 70s or 80s. We want to replace it. When we recently replaced plumbing valves in the kitchen that required water to be shut off in the whole condo building. Is a similar shutoff usually needed to replace a range?



I was told that a similar job was done in the building next to ours by Sears when they delivered the new range and they did not need an external shutoff. I suspect the same might be true about our condo, but what if, for instance, the old pipe (i.e. whatever connects the range to the gas line) is old/rusty? Could it crack even when the old range gets moved from the wall?

City of Toronto outside workers closer to labour disruption

A legal strike or lockout date could be as soon as Feb. 20, Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong says after both sides seek No Board reports.

Electrostrip [Plug in Receptacles] plugs

In need of 2 maybe 3 plugs for the Semens Electro Strip.. any help would be great.

New Laminate Storage

I am doing new kitchen countertops using Wilsonart HD laminate. I have the laminate on order and it should be here a few days. When I pick it up I am expecting it to be rolled up. Between fabricating the new countertop underlayment (particleboard) and other commitments it will be a few weeks before I will be installing the laminate. How should I store the new laminate? Leave it rolled up or lay it flat.



Thanks

Scarborough transit plan takes step forward

Mayor John Tory’s executive committee voted unanimously Thursday for city staff to study and report back on the plan.

Leslieville homeless shelter approved despite residents’ concerns

Toronto's community development committee is recommending city council give final approval to an 80-bed shelter on Leslie St.

3 Soon-to-be-Everywhere Social Media Trends You Can Profit on in 2016

What is the next big wave of social media?

Maybe it's Peach—or another hot new social network. Maybe it's a strategy like posting times or text faces. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

It's really hard to say!

(And yet here I am saying it.)

To ride the wave of the next big thing in social media, it often takes a lot of trial-and-error, a good deal of trendspotting, and some courage to try new things. I've spent some time reading up on what's to come for social media and I'd love to get your thoughts on three new trends that might be monumental.

3 Soon-to-Be-Everywhere Social Media Trends for 2016 from Buffer

1. Social shopping

You can buy stuff straight from your News Feed!

E-commerce has felt a bit like a missing piece from the social media feeds. Sure, you can tweet/post/Snap about a product that you're selling, yet your potential customers must still leave the social network they're on to visit your site in order to complete the purchase.

Previously:

Social --> your site --> $$

Soon:

Social = $$

This is already in the works in some moderate ways, on sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.

Pinterest has a "Buy It" option on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, where you can buy Pinned products directly from Pinterest. Available products have a blue "Buy It" button next to the standard red "Pin It" button.

Here's a preview of how the process works:

Facebook has been testing a Buy button for well over a year now and has been slowly rolling it out to more and more users. Like with Pinterest, Facebook's option allows shoppers to buy products without ever leaving Facebook.

And you might be familiar with Domino's pizza emoji tweet?

Yep, Twitter shopping is a thing, too. In addition to the pizza emoji, Twitter has a buy button that users can access to buy and sell directly from the Twitter stream. Here's an example of the experience with a Warby Parker set of sunglasses.

Buying and selling on social media feels like it may be on the verge of something big.

And whatever solution falls into place here could go a long way toward solving one of the Big Mysteries of social media marketing:

How can I accurately measure my social media ROI?

For some time now, one of the biggest challenges for social media marketers has been assigning dollars-and-cents results to efforts on Twitter, Facebook, and the like.

And though this new frontier of social shopping and e-commerce might be only part of the return on investment (there's still the lead gen and funnel parts that are important to consider), it's one of the biggest steps toward tying a direct, monetary result to one's social media marketing.

If purchases take place on social media, ROI becomes clearer, social media's position in the marketplace improves, and we all win—buyers and sellers.

Ways you can profit on this:

• Join the Pinterest waitlist or use "Buy It" straight away today if you're on a platform like Shopify


• Check your Facebook page and ads center to see if you have the "Buy" option turned on for your call-to-action buttons


• Check Twitter's list of partners to see if you've already got access via a service like Gumroad or Stripe perhaps


• For Instagram, you can look into services like Penny, which let shoppers buy straight from Instagram with hashtag #sold

2. Social media at work

One of my favorite topics to write on (and one that I probably didn't have a really great answer to) is the split between who you are on social media inside of work and outside of work.

Well, moving forward, that might not be an obstacle any more!

Facebook at Work, announced last year, seeks to carve out a work-specific social media zone for coworkers to communicate with one another.

Like this TechCrunch headline stated: Facebook at Work lets businesses create their own social networks.

LinkedIn is interested in similar work-style social media, and like a lot of other Facebook features, it's possible that this one will trickle out to a whole host of other networks, too.

Even apps like Slack and Hipchat have helped add distinction to the work/life split, making it easy to converse with teammates in a medium that doesn't dip into personal life.

This new, explicit distinction between work social media and personal social media could represent a huge shift in how social networks are used. It's quite early days with things (Facebook at Work is starting its slow roll out, available on mobile currently). Guessing at some of the effects here, you could see changes to:

• Ideal posting time: If the typical high-engagement window of 9-to-5 is spent with 9-to-5ers hanging out on their own private networks, optimal timing might shift.


• Message content: Instead of reaching folks at work and play, now a brand's updates might be targeted toward one or the other


• Ad types: Will it be possible to get a message into a "work" network?

A lot remains to be seen here, but the early signs of work-centric social networks feels like too big a trend to miss.

Ways you can profit on this:

• Stay tuned into Facebook's updates on the subject so you're first in the door. (Facebook publishes lots of great updates to its Business blog.)


• Start honing your messages to different types of people and different times of day: Custom audiences and ads provide a good playground for tests

3. Messaging & chat apps

How to reach people who aren't checking their feeds

When we go on our semi-annual Buffer retreats, we all stay in touch with one another not on social media but on messaging platforms: WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.

Is the same true for the ways you communicate with your nearby friends and family?

This seems to be a growing trend for a lot of the back-and-forth convos that take place. If social media is seen as a broadcast medium, messaging apps feel a bit more conversational. 

And it's possible that these two reasons might be why. With messaging apps, there's:

1. No algorithm.


2. No ads.

Algorithms and ads have come to define social media more and more. Messaging apps are the complete opposite. For instance, on Snapchat (not quite a messaging app per se but disruptive enough in this sense), a user will choose to view a branded story and give it their full attention, whereas on Facebook the algorithm decides which posts the user might see.

So with people choosing a way around ads and algorithms, how does your content stand a chance of being seen?

This one definitely calls for some outside-the-box thinking. We're currently spinning our brains with this one at Buffer and taking inspiration from folks who are charting new territories here already.

The WhatsApp newsletter

Alex Laughlin of the National Journal came up with a pretty neat experiment last year: She uses WhatsApp to send a daily newsletter to a group of subscribers.

The setup for the list is pretty simple. Here're Alex's instructions:

• Download WhatsApp


• Save this number in your contacts as Lunch Links: 706–604–5805.


• Send “Lunch Links” a message on WhatsApp asking to be added to the newsletter.

Essentially, people would opt in with a phone number rather than an email, and they'd get the newsletter messages straight away as chats. It's a super interesting concept! And I quite liked this as the motivation for exploring this type of network:

If my fifteen-year-old sister’s social networking use is any indication, organizations should be hopping on these chat technologies — and quickly.

The Everlane Facebook messages

Online clothing retailer Everlane is one of the first to explore Facebook Messenger as a way to engage with customers and perform those standard e-commerce support roles with order confirmations, updates, shipping info, etc.

Customers can chat directly with Everlane support reps for any questions—even adding more items to an order.

(Here's a bit more from Facebook's announcement about their Messenger platforms).

The new wave of Slack, chat, and notifications

And then there's all the many different ways to get a message into things like desktop notifications or a Slack chat room (the next frontier!). Here're just a few options:

• Roost – Let folks turn on desktop notifications for your blog's content


• Slackbots and integrations: This neat list on Product Hunt features things like a Slack bookmarklet for sharing links, plus lots of other cool marketing ideas

Ways you can profit on all this:

• Give people more than one way to hear from you: Offer subscription via text, Messenger, and more


• Survey your audience to find out what new technologies they're using most, then adjust your strategies accordingly


• Not sure what some of these apps are? Give them a go yourself so it's easier to empathize with how your customers might experience your brand

Bonus: A few extra social media trends

I originally researched more than 20 new trends that social media folks thought might be big this year. The three above are the ones that seemed really promising, and a bunch of these below were simply too intriguing not to mention. They are:

1. Emoji responses


2. 360 video


3. Livestreaming


4. Social media customer service


5. "Everything platforms"

I've added all these to a new story on Buffer's Medium collection.

Click to read more detail on any of these. (And feel free to follow us on Medium if you happen to hang out there some. We post cool stuff!)

Over to you

What trends are you keeping your eye on this year?

What do you see coming for social media?

I'd love the chance to learn from you with any thoughts you have on these items or any that I might have missed! It'd be awesome to connect in the comments or on Twitter.

The post 3 Soon-to-be-Everywhere Social Media Trends You Can Profit on in 2016 appeared first on Social.

Aluminum pool enclosures - different ways to screen

I have a house that wraps around the pool and an overhead aluminum screen enclosure that is mounting on the interior fascia of the house's roof framing.



I am looking at redoing the screening.



The overhead screen is like an "A-frame". The aluminum structure has seven "rafters" forming six sections.







The way it is done now, each "section" is one big sheet of fiberglass screen. In other words, there is one piece of screen that starts at the low point where it attaches to the frame at the fascia, that piece runs over the cross member, over the crown member, over another cross member, then down to the bottom on the other side.







One big piece as shown in the sketch below.







Is this the best way to do it?



I am getting different estimates for the rescreen.



One contractor said the way I have it now is better because it is more flexible and less likely to tear.



Another contractor said I should not use one big piece but instead divide into four smaller pieces per section, that way when one piece tears the other three pieces do not need to be repaired.



Any screen experts here? What is the "best practice"?

Solutions — with a price tag — seen for Toronto Community Housing residents

At places like 220 Oak St., partnerships with local agencies and the province are helping vulnerable TCHC tenants build better communities.

Heater & A/C will NOT turn off

I am not an air conditioning expert! I learn through trial and error. Here is the issue, my Draft Inducer Motor and the main fan that blows air into our vents does not turn off! The only way I can turn it off is by flipping the breaker off. As soon as I turn the breaker back on, the Draft Inducer Motor and main fan that blows air into our vents immediately starts blowing! With regards to the thermostat...I have turned it off, but this does not make the Draft Inducer Motor or main fan stop! I remove the batteries and it does NOT make the Draft Inducer Motor or main fan stop! Only by flipping the breaker does everything shut off. Now, the heater lights up and works perfectly and blows hot air into vents AND the air conditioner works perfectly and blows cold air into vents. If I lower the heat to below the current temperature, the heat does turn off, but again the Draft Inducer Motor and the main fan continue to blow air!



In the last 6 months, I have changed the following: Dual Run Capacitor, Run Capacitor, Pressure Switch, Flame Rollout Limit Switch, and air filter every 3 months! Lastly, I changed the Control Board a year ago. The fuse is not broken!



This is on York unit that is 10+ years old and resides on the top roof of our condominium.

Toronto police Deputy Chief Peter Sloly’s absence sparks speculation

Deputy chief has been on vacation since he hit the headlines earlier this month with comments about ‘ongoing issues of trust and legitimacy’ in policing.

condensation or is my recently installed window leaking?

Hello,



I was just getting set to trim out my recently installed windows and noticed a small amount of water in both bottom corners. It has been cold where I am (sub 20 degree F), so it's possible that it is condensation, but I'm not sure.











The window has been installed for several months, but, until now, I've been concentrating on the exterior.

I believe I followed the spirit of the manufacturers (Pella) recommendations for installation (I didn't use Pella branded flashing, but, what I did use is at least as good). The sill is covered with Flex Wrap applied directly to the wood sill. The bottom flange is over the Flex Wrap. WRB is tucked in on the sides. Side and header flanges are covered with DuPont peel and stick flashing. WRB is over the header flashing and 'skip' taped.

I don't want to cover this up with trim until I'm confident that I'm not covering up a problem.



What are your suggestions for determining if it's condensation or if it's leaking? If it's leaking, what are my options for dealing with it? The exterior siding and window trim are installed and sealed, so I'd really be upset if I had to remove the window.

If it's condensation, how do I make sure it won't continue to have condensation behind the trim?



Thanks in advance.

Attached Images

Kenmore gas furnace and rollout switch

I have a Kenmore furnace thats about 15 years old and this past weekend it started tripping the rollout switch got a guy to come out he adjusted the gas pressure and said it was high now its correct anyway it hasnt tripped out since but he said the heat exchanger might be dirty or restricted and that it was something that isn serviceable and that i should consider betting a new furnace ...is that true are they not serviceable ? 15years is that old for a furnace these days?

Attached Images

Trane Heat Pump Auxillary Light

I have a Trane Heat Pump and I noticed that the auxillary light that use to be blue, when it came on, now it is green. When the heat pump comes on, the outside unit fan will run for a little while and then, when the auxillary light now green comes on the fan will turn off. It has a Trane Baystat 240 weatherton heat pump thermostat on it now. I was going to change it to a Honeywell RTHL3550, but there are too many wires for this one. What is causing the auxillary light to change colors? It use to be blue, now green. Is it the thermostat or something else?

Basement Bathroom Ventilation Fan

Hi all,

Putting a bathroom in my basement and need some advice. Installing a vent fan that will be discharging out the side of the house, roughly 5 feet straighshot from the fan. With that short of a straight run, am I ok without insulation if I use pvc and pitch it downward or am I better off using insulated flex vent?

Cities can use stimulus cash for repairs, Ottawa confirms

Infrastructure Minister says first phase of funding should flow by spring, and may be applied to "recapitalization and repairs,” not just new projects

Suggested materials for exterior attic crawlspace access door.

Hello,

I want to create an access to the attic crawlspace via door in the gable end of the house. I want to disguise it to look like a gable vent. To add to the challenge, I want an "eyebrow" (i.e., arch at the top) shaped door.

I'm thinking of using exterior plywood--perhaps reinforced on the backside with angle aluminum to inhibit warping. On the face, I'll use PVC to (somehow) fake the look of a gable vent.

In case you're wondering, we currently have an access door in the ceiling of a room that we'd like to finish as a living room, so we'd like to finish the ceiling. We have limited closet space and the closets are crowded and shallow, so they have been ruled out for locations for the access door.

I welcome any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

How to Find Amazing Content for Your Social Media Calendar (And Save Yourself Hours of Work)

"Could you pop into a quick morning standup, Ash?"

"I'll be there in a minute," I'd reply. "I'm just finishing up a Facebook post."

As a community manager, most of my mornings would start along these lines.

One of the toughest, and most time-consuming, tasks in community and social media management is finding a stream of high-quality, engaging content to share with your audience every day.

A social media calendar is an excellent way to keep on top of this. But staring at a blank calendar can feel daunting: How do you find great content to share? How can you keep your feeds engaging? 

In this post, we'll help you to identify some great ways to curate content and create an engaging social media calendar for your business.

Let's go!

What is a social media calendar?

A social media calendar is essentially a planning document that allows you to visualize your social media strategy. It helps you to organize all the content you are curating and creating and helps ensure you're consistently sharing high-quality content with your audience.

A content calendar can also be extremely useful to give your wider marketing team or other areas of the business an easy-to-digest overview of your social channels and help you organize resources as you'll know what content needs to be published and when. It is super helpful to be able to plan when you may need some help from a copy editor or designer, for example.

Here's how our social media calendar looks within Buffer:

Why a social media calendar is important

It will help you be more consistent
Consistency is key to social media success. It's hard to achieve your goals and break through the noise if you only post now and then or whenever you get a chance.

By creating a social media content calendar and pre-planning your schedule, you can ensure you're regularly posting updates and keeping on track.

Social media requires strategy
On the CoSchedule blog, Garrett Moon explains:

"The difference between having a content marketing editorial calendar and not having one is simple: One is flying by the seat of your pants and the other is executing a strategy."

Success on social media requires a strategy. You need to know what content your audience craves, and have the right tools to execute. Having a social media calendar will publish incredible content on a consistent basis.

(P.S. We've teamed up with Hubspot to create a social media content calendar template to help you manage and plan your social media content.)

5 places to find incredible content and inspiration

Having a social media strategy is one thing, curating and finding all of the amazing content you need to execute that strategy is another challenge altogether.

Here are five places to find and curate great content:

1. Twitter

Twitter is an amazing tool to find great content ideas and talking points from your industry.

Following and retweeting others in your niche is a great way to engage with people and share content in real-time. However, when it comes to planning a content calendar, Twitter can be a great help here too.

Twitter search is amazingly powerful and by searching for topics related to your business you can uncover some real gems to add to your calendar.

Here's a great piece of content I found by searching for ‘social media marketing':

2. Following industry news and trends

Every industry will likely have a focused news outlet (or even multiple outlets for larger niches).

For example, to keep up with the latest online marketing and advertising trends, I regularly check out: AdWeek, Brand Republic and The Drum. These sites help me to keep on top of the latest news, trends and conversation within the industry. If you're looking to curate some great content, it can be a good idea to

If you're looking to curate some great content, it can be a good idea to identify some of the best blogs in your niche and regularly scan them for content your audience will love.

3. Social media analytics

Taking a look back at your own data and analytics is an amazing way to figure out what content has been successful and resonated with your audience.

Here's an example from Buffer analytics showing two of our most popular tweets over the past week:

It's always good to experiment and try new things on social and by looking back at analytics, you can start to see what is working for your business and performing best across your social channels – this will help you to refine your strategy and create a calendar full of extremely engaging content.

We've also started to see a trend within Buffer where people are re-Buffering some of their most successful posts to maximize the reach and engagement of their best content.

Pro tip: If you do start to re-share content multiple times, it can be great to make slight tweaks each time, so that the re-shared posts are identical to the originals.

4. Content aggregators and communities

When I first open up my laptop in the morning, I quickly scan through a few of my favourite content aggregation sites: HackerNews and Inbound, in particular.

These sites help me to scout some of the best content on social media, marketing and startups. Content aggregators and community sites are a great way to find content on any niche.

Here are a couple of great sites:

Reddit

Reddit is an amazing place to discover a ton of great stuff you could re-share with your audience and what's even better is that every niche you can imagine (and then some) will be sure to have its own subreddit.

Here are a few examples:

• Real estate – /realestate
• Car sales – /carsales
• Small business – /smallbusiness
• Restaurant ownership – /restauranteur 

To find the best subreddit for your business, head over to Reddit search.

Quora

Quora isn't necessarily a content aggregator, but it's a great place to find some inspiration.

Keeping an eye on questions in your niche on Quora can be a brilliant way to find some ideas for social media content (posts, images, videos) and blog posts – countless posts I've written have been inspired by threads on Quora. 

For example, if you're a mortgage advisor, following the ‘Mortgages' topic on Quora will give you a ton of ideas for content you could create:

From just these two questions and subsequent threads, you could craft a wealth of content and know that there's an audience of people who are interested in it before you start.

The best way to get started on Quora is to sign up (results are very limited without an account) and search for topics related to your niche that you can start following.

Once you're up and running, you should begin to see a bunch of relevant threads on Quora every time you visit the site.

5. Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo is a great tool to find out what content performs best in any niche.

By simply searching for keywords related to your business you will find some of the most share blog posts that are centered around your chosen keywords.

Here's a quick search I ran for ‘real estate':

By identifying the most popular content in your niche, you can find some awesome, highly shareable content to add to your calendar and also find some inspiration for new content of your own.

How to plan your content calendar

Once you find some amazing content, what do you do with it next? Here are three quick steps to planning your social media calendar.

1. Find the best time to post

In 2015, we ran our own study to find the best time to tweet. To do this we analyzed over 4.8 million tweets across 10,000 profiles, pulling the stats on how clicks and engagement and timing occur throughout the day and in different time zones

Here’s the chart for the most popular times worldwide, taken from an average of 10 major time zones (the times represent local time):

This works as a great guideline when you're starting out with planning your calendar, though often, it's best to experiment with different timings to find out what works for you and sometimes you may find it easier to grab attention at non-peak times.

Facebook Insights also has a neat tool that will show you the times when your Facebook fans are online. Here's an example from Buffer's page:

Once you've decided on the best times to post (or at least, best times to test), you can schedule those times in your calendar and start adding content to tell your story.

2. Figure out how you'll tell your story

The content you share on social media is telling your brand story. Every tweet, status or blog post is like a page in a book, each representing a small part of your story.

When you plan your calendar, try to think about how you can pull together all the content you have and craft a unique, flowing story from it.

3. Get your team on board

A successful social media strategy often relies on many people working together.

A calendar helps you to understand what resources you'll need and when you'll need them, to execute your social media strategy. For example, you may need a designer to create some graphics, a copywriter to edit your status'.

If you don't have a whole team to focus on content, having it all planned in a calendar can help you to schedule your own time better and put aside a time to create images or proofread your posts.

Bonus: The Social Media Content Calendar [Free Template]

We've teamed up with the awesome folks over at Hubspot to create a free social media calendar template.

Our customizable Social Media Content Calendar will allow you to organize your social media activities far in advance to make your social marketing more manageable and less time consuming.

This easy-to-use Excel template helps you plan your updates, breaking down how to format your content for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest, all while providing helpful tips and tricks along the way.

Over to you

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments: Do you use a calendar to organize your social media content? How do you source great content to keep your calendar full?

Share your thoughts and experiences below. I'm excited to jump in and join the conversation.

The post How to Find Amazing Content for Your Social Media Calendar (And Save Yourself Hours of Work) appeared first on Social.

Propel Problem With Craftsman Snow Thrower 247.885570

Hello again ... I am having a problem with my snow thrower not propelling on grassy surfaces. Grass and dirt are getting caught in the skid shoes.:thumbdn:

I try lifting it a bit but it still gets stuck in the snow where I end up having to push it to get it to propel.:NO NO NO: On concrete surfaces it will propel and on snow pack. Also it moves extremely slow in reverse ... I have to pull it along.

What can I do if anything to get it to propel better and stop getting stuck??? :madhell:

6 Types of Simple Yet Powerful Social Media Images (And When It’s Best To Use Them)

If you’ve been on social media for any length of time, you may be well aware that images can help boost your online engagement.

But while it’s true that a picture can add some pizazz to your posts, it’s not always easy to determine the best type of image to publish. They can also take a long time to create, especially when you’re not sure what you’re trying to communicate.

Thankfully, deciding which format best suits your posts can be a straightforward process. In this post, I’ll outline a few simple image variations and show you when it might be best to use them.

Ready to dig in? Let’s go!

1. Photos

This is undoubtedly the most popular type of social media image.  It’s relatively easy to take a picture with your smartphone and apps like Instagram and VSCO make editing photos to an almost-professional looking standard easier than ever.

While this approach is quick and simple, it’s sometimes limited in its effectiveness precisely because it’s so fast and simple! Anyone and everyone can attach pictures to their updates so standing out is becoming more difficult.

So when do photos work best? When the image is unique, unusual or powerful (i.e. when the image can tell its own story).

Here are a few examples:

Gary Vaynerchuk

Vaynerchuk has an enormous following on social media because he’s an incredible storyteller. This post is a great example of how simply adding a little extra into an image (his foot) inserts an absorbing layer of story into an ordinary photo.

Always dreamed for Knicks season tickets … Not bad for a boy from Belarus … Love u @aj… https://t.co/ucbum29MhH pic.twitter.com/bcLdX2Wl7z

— Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) January 11, 2016

When it comes to sharing any image on social media, especially photos, the accompanying copy is super important. In less than 140 characters, Vaynerchuk manages to paint a portrait of his journey from Belarus to having courtside season tickets at Madison Square Garden.

Mike Escamilla

Escamilla is a legendary BMX rider and stuntman who spends much of his time travelling the world in search of adventure. He takes some truly epic pictures that grab people’s attention, such as this gem while in Whistler, Canada. 

He’s built a huge following because these images show him performing unusual and thrilling activities.

Escamilla's photos stand out because he takes his followers on a journey and shows them something they wouldn't normally see.

You don't need to be a global adventurer to take your customers and followers on a journey, though. Simply opening up to a side of your business people would never normally see can be extremely engaging.

We try to take this approach at Buffer with our #weekinthelife series on Instagram, where our team invite followers behind the scenes of life as a remote worker.

Here's an example of Happiness Hero, Ross, sharing his remote work setup:

Fast Company

Plain images work particularly well for news stories. Fast Company used this picture that captured a  memorable moment during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. 

The U.S. government offers more details on its "moonshot" effort to cure cancer: https://t.co/kx5uIAglsk pic.twitter.com/5Ov7PdHRDa

— Fast Company (@FastCompany) January 15, 2016

2. Collages

Collages allow you to use a collection of images to tell a story or showcase items. They are no hard and fast rules for creating collages, but they’re particularly useful in situations where:

• The images can establish a timeline of events.
• The images show contrasting perspectives.
• The images can highlight interesting details about a product or story.

John David Glaude

Before/after images like this are powerful because they demonstrate a journey. Glaude has built a massive Youtube and Instagram following by using these types of contrasting images. Even though he posts these types of pictures quite regularly, they remain incredibly inspiring because they capture a phenomenal story.

Quartz

At first glance, this collage is a little baffling. What’s the connection between Steven’s Universe, Orange is the New Black, Jimmy McNulty and Mad Max? That’s the whole point! For some (like me), this collages will pique their interest enough to click the link and read the story. Presenting contrasting images is a clever way to draw the inquisitive.

How is it possible that we're still telling diverse stories through the white male lens? https://t.co/qSJSpTXFFR pic.twitter.com/fplhfw4ko7

— Quartz (@qz) January 14, 2016

Shme Custom Kicks

Collages are fantastic for showcasing products such as apparel and cuisine. This example from Shme displays intricate details from all around the shoe, something that would be impossible with a single shot. 

3. Text over a plain background

If pictures are all about telling a visual story, text-heavy images are focused on quickly communicating a very specific message. Words are less captivating than photos, so the phrasing in plain text images should be carefully crafted if you want it to stand out. Text-heavy variations are especially useful when they feature:

• Inspirational quotes
• Attractive headlines
• Intriguing excerpts (e.g. from a blog article, book)

Marie Forleo

This first example illustrates the power of words and the importance of design.  The quote is short and profound, which makes it more likely to be read. The text also takes up a very small area within the image, a design that places even more emphasis on the quote. 

Don't ever forget it. pic.twitter.com/XlbEqRQKL4

— Marie Forleo (@marieforleo) January 9, 2016

Amy Porterfield

Porterfield is well-known in the online business world, and this social image is a catchy headline designed to attract her target persona. Once you have the perfect title or sub-headings, these can easily be pulled into a social image to engage your audience.

Wall Street Journal

Excerpts are an easy way to pique interest in an article or publication. The WSJ uses this approach for many of its stories, and I often find myself pausing to read these snippets as I scroll through my timeline.  It’s best to select the most appealing snippets for these types of images, such anything that sounds especially contrarian, insightful or funny.

The 10-Point: @gerardtbaker on Jakarta attacks, a deepening stock-market rout and more https://t.co/Q2UmK6XJSf pic.twitter.com/hT8gUFU93g

— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 14, 2016

4. Text with a photo

The text-photo combination is my favourite social media image variation. This doesn’t mean that it’s the best approach for every situation, but it often works because it facilitates the fusion of visual storytelling and compelling copy.

Jay Baer

Adding text on top of a picture is particularly useful when using stock photography. Many publicly-available images are repeatedly used, so posting the photo by itself is often not catchy enough. This example from Jay Baer shows how easy it is to make a generic photo stand out by adding a headline and splash of colour.

Why B2Bs Have It All Wrong About #SocialMedia https://t.co/h6wdw3uyRF @JonathanWich @convince pic.twitter.com/kLIx9FEpUw

— Jay Baer (@jaybaer) January 14, 2016

Molly Galbraith

This image from Galbraith is a perfect example of how a compelling photo and gripping text can work extremely well together. The quote could be great on its own, but the combination with the picture makes it stand out.

Shriya Nevatia

Calls-to-action also work particularly well in this format, such as this great example from Shriya Nevatia. 

Are you a female technology professional or startup founder? Sign up for #TenXList Mentors! https://t.co/AX16WP0yKh pic.twitter.com/fhuRwfORJE

— Shriya Nevatia (@shriyanevatia) January 8, 2016

5. Icons and illustrations

Icons and illustrations are great tools for drawing people into your content. They’re great to use as an alternative to photos because they’re a visual form of communication, and they can easily be added into images. Often less is more when it comes to these elements. The goal is to clearly communicate with your audience, not to make an image look fancy. 

Help Scout

The content team at Help Scout has fully embraced the power and simplicity of icons. From blog images to social media posts, their frequently use of this feature has become somewhat….iconic! BlogThis!