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@DirtyEffinHippy

Easy Cheat Guide to Writing Alt Text for Social Media Images

If you know me, you know I work a lot in the online space in the games industry, which means a lot of asset sharing and a lot of marketing efforts. In the hustle and bustle of everyday adverstising, a lot can be lost in the shuffle. A common lost initiative is making sure that anything you’re putting out is being seen… by everyone. That’s where alternative text, also known as alt text, comes in.


Alt Text is a written description of an image that allows people who use screen readers to understand what is being experienced in any given piece of media. While alt test is an accessibility process, it also serves as a killer SEO boost.


The author can be seen with dyed pastel blue hair hair smiling in front of a binder and a page titled "INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY." Colorful pens are visible in the background.

Think of it like this: If someone couldn’t see the image, what’s the most important thing they’d need to know?


Why Alt Text Matters

  • Accessibility: People with visual impairments rely on screen readers.

  • Clarity: If an image doesn’t load, Alt Text tells people what was supposed to be there.

  • Inclusion: It makes your content open to everyone.


Best Practices for Alt Text

  1. Be specific, not vague.

Bad: “Dog.”

Good: “Golden retriever puppy playing with a red ball on grass.

2. Keep it concise.

  • Aim for 1–2 sentences.

3. Describe the essentials.

  • Focus on what matters to the context of your post.

4. Skip “image of” or “picture of.”

  • Screen readers already announce it’s an image.

5. Capture text in the image.

  • If your graphic has words, include them in the Alt Text.

6. Tone should match the post.

  • Informative for blogs, playful for memes, professional for announcements.


Platform Tips

  • Twitter/X: Has a built-in “Add description” option. 1,000-character limit (but short is better).

  • Instagram: Add in “Advanced settings” → “Write Alt Text.”

  • Facebook: Automatically generates Alt Text, but you should overwrite it with your own.

  • LinkedIn: “Add Alt Text” option when uploading.

  • TikTok: Not traditional Alt Text, but captions/subtitles help with accessibility.


Example for a Game Post

Image: A player character in VR holding a giant foam sword while a cat NPC throws tacos at them.

  • Alt Text: “VR character swings a huge foam sword while a cartoon cat NPC tosses tacos in the air.”


Quick formula: Who/what is in the image + what they’re doing + anything essential to the story of the post.

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