3.5 Things To Consider When Picking Your Twitter Name.
Two of my favorite movies growing up were Smokey And The Bandit and Convoy – both of which made heavy uses of ‘CB Handles and Lingo‘ like ‘Bandit’, ‘Snowman’, ‘Rubber Duck’ and ‘Pig Pen’ to name a few. We had a CB in our vehicle and when we went on road trips, I was always excited to put our ‘ears on’ and use my own handle when broadcasting. Although the medium has changed from CBs to Twitter, it is still important to pick a name/handle that identifies you to others and promotes you and your objectives before you start updating people ‘On your 20′.
1 – What’s Your Purpose? – You could be using your Twitter account for any of the following reasons that should be considered when selecting your Twitter handle:
- Personal updates & communication
- Event promotion
- Customer service & feedback
- Internal communication
- Product promotion or information
Consequently, it is important you spend some time and put some forethought into your Twitter user name which is restricted to 15 characters or less. Your handle is what people will see on your profile, in their Twitter time line, what others will see if one of your updates is forwarded (re-tweeted) and aside from your photo, is one of the most displayed items throughout Twitter.
2 – Shorter Is Better. – As a general rule, shorter Twitter handles are generally better, which can make it a little more difficult to find a name that fits your objectives. Also keep in mind that your name should be descriptive and not cryptic. It is easier for you and your followers to communicate and remember tutorialroom than ttrm. So as a rule: A shorter AND descriptive name is the best.
3 – Say My Name. – Always, ask yourself “How easy is it for me to say my Twitter handle in the phone?” It may sound funny, but it is true. If your name is 4u2, it’s easy and short but for every one you tell about your name, you have to explain that it’s the four and 2 digits as numbers and ‘u’ as a letter not the complete word.
Consider all of the different interpretations of this name if someone is searching for you on Twitter
- fouryoutwo
- fourutwo
- 4youtwo
- fouru2
And the list goes on. This can make it difficult for followers to find, remember and promote you.
3.5 Your Name Is What? – In addition to being easy to say, you’ll want to make sure there aren’t any additional meanings or negative connotations associated with your handle that are inappropriate to you or your business. For example, one of my early Twitter handles was “jackdup”. Although short and easy to remember, not only did I have to remind people to spell it without an ‘e’ (jackedup) but there are also negative connotations to the term. I am a high energy person and think of the name as having great energy and excitement but places like Urban Dictionary have different meanings associated to the term.
Although you can change your Twitter handle at any time, with a little forethought and research, you can create a Twitter handle that is a great representation of you and/or your business.
JackAlert Down-n-Out – Comeback?
