How to choose a Perfect Twitter Handle
Hello Folks, welcome to the second lesson of Twitter Marketing. Today we will talk about choosing a perfect twitter handle. So let’s get started
On twitter your username, or handle, is your identity. A twitter handle is a username that appears at the end of your unique twitter URL.
Twitter handles must contain fewer than 15 characters. Twitter handles are not the same as twitter names. Twitter handles appear after the @ sign in your profile URL and it must be unique to your account.
A twitter name, on the other hand, is simply there to help people find the company they are looking for.
Once you logged in to your Twitter account and check out your twitter feed, you can see the twitter handles of the people you follow right after the Twitter name.
Below is the example, the one circled red are Twitter names and the one circled blue are Twitter handles.
When you place your mark on a twitter name, you will see a pop-up window through which you can learn about the twitter user.
You can see the number of Twitter users they are following and the number of Twitter users who follow them.
As you scroll down you will see suggested twitter users that you can follow. You will notice that you can read their Twitter handles just below their twitter names.
By knowing the twitter handle of users you follow, you can easily mention them in your tweets.
That way the people you are following will be able to see your tweet as they check the mention section in their twitter accounts.
Now let's check out a profile on Twitter, here you can see the twitter handle and twitter name.
In the following example, the user has used a twitter handle the same as his name, with an initial in between the username.
Having a Twitter handle the same as your twitter name will make it easier for people to type in your twitter handle.
As people mentioned you or your business in their tweets!
Let’s check another profile,
This profile is of Wells Li President of Human Resource, Western Europe. His user handle is relevant to his position.
His user handle is @HRWEU initials of his position and country. Twitter is all about short, instant-impact content.
Creating initials for your twitter handle will make your twitter handle shorter and easy to remember.
Example: CNN International is a famous news agency worldwide they use initials for their twitter handle @cnni ( where I stands for international)
This benefits people who want to tag you or mention your name. It will only take up less than 10 characters in their tweet.
On Twitter, you want people to respond to you, not be put off by a questionable username.
Tweets are only 140 characters, so when people are replying to you, if you have a longer name, you leave them less room for message content.
Twitter limits your username to just 15 characters for this very reason.
Avoid Numbers
Usually, when I see a number on a Twitter name, especially at the end, the first thing that pops into my mind is that it could be spam.
Having a number doesn’t look good and makes the name seem odd.
Maybe you want your handle to have your name, but having a number at the end will make your profile lose its originality and be harder to find.
Usually, you pick a name with a random number after it when Twitter suggests it.
However, this means that when people look that name up on Twitter they will first go through the person with the name only and then at least several others with that name and a number before finding you.
There are only two reasons why you should use a number in your Twitter name either because
-You want it to match your email ID
-You want to do something creative like Skysports F1
Be unique
Being unique is another way to get your account to stand out. The more unique your Twitter name is the easier it will be to find it. Usually, the best thing to do would be to use your company if you’ve already got a unique name.
As long as you have a company name that’s already original choosing a unique Twitter name should be easy.
All you need to do is to use your company name as your Twitter name.
Be quick about it
Try and get in there early and try your best to find the best Twitter name you can. If you’re thinking about a new Twitter name for you or your company – stop thinking about it and start acting.
Don’t stop and think about it, just reserve it. You can always change it later on if you don’t find it attractive.
Keep it short
Your Twitter name should also be short. The shorter it is the easier it would be for someone to mention you in their Tweets because of the word limit. The word limit on Twitter restricts you to keep your Tweets to a length of 140 characters.
If someone Tweets something from your website and if the Tweet is too long to be shared, they will start cutting it down. They will get rid of hashtags, the message, and eventually your name to help it fit in.
Also, remember that people might try to keep it as short as 120 characters to make it more retweetable. So try and choose a Twitter name that’s as short as possible.
A great short Twitter name is that of reading Write Web. Their Twitter user name is @RWW.
Add a location
This is a great idea for local businesses or businesses with multiple locations.
You can add your country (@HistEdSocUK = History of Education Society UK), your state (@ProChoiceWA = NARAL Pro-Choice Washington), or your county or city if you can fit it!
Use an underscore
This tip is last because it’s not ideal. Underscores not only take up your valuable 15-character limit, but they’re also hard to remember.
If your desired username @examplename is taken, it may not be a good idea to use @example_name instead. You take the risk of your followers (or potential followers) accidentally linking to @examplename instead.
Whichever twitter handle you use, make sure it’s meaningful, memorable, and unique!
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
-Use your name: If you have a pre-established business or personal brand, use it. If users have already claimed your title, adding descriptors like “Inc,” or “HQ” may help
-You can use your company or business name as your username, and you can fill in that business name in the Name text box on the Settings page for your account.
-Twitter is all about short, instant-impact content. Keep your name small to avoid taking up too much of the character limit when people respond to you or retweet your content.
-Make sure your profile supports your twitter handle
Don’ts
-Don’t stuff your handle with keywords: It’s easy to get into the habit of putting keywords everywhere. Unfortunately, keywords in your Twitter handle sometimes look spammy.
-Avoid numbers and underscores: Twitter handles should be as simple and memorable as possible. Adding numbers and underscores makes your username more complex and harder for followers to find.
-Something completely random (Tigerman): This is a lost branding opportunity for you and your company and could spark confusion. It's also unprofessional and looks like you're hiding your identity.
Let’s proceed to the next chapter of Twitter marketing i.e, How to Optimize a Twitter Profile for Maximum Engagement & Follower Growth
Chapter 3 : How to Optimize a Twitter Profile for Maximum Engagement & Follower Growth See More