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Twitter 101: How to Create an Inspiring Profile

Your profile, or bio, is your chance to tell the Twitter world who you are and what you do, in a space the size of a candy bar wrapper. It’s your online Twitter business card, so make the most of this tiny space. Give us some reasons to follow you!

Tell Us Your Interests or Purpose. What do you do? So many profiles don’t include an accurate or compelling description—make sure yours stands out a little. Pretend you’re introducing yourself to someone at a barbeque. How would you tell that person, in one or two sentences, something about yourself that she could understand? How will you be using your Twitter account? To educate? To entertain? To sell homemade amethyst necklaces? Then say that!

Here are some real examples:

@YouTooCanBeGuru

I offer my opinions, unsolicited advice, and #socialmedia tips. I’m not an expert; just opinionated. Love, @gidgey FB Page:http://on.fb.me/no7tJL

Dana Point, CA · http://youtoocanbeaguru.wordpress.com

Notice @YouTooCanBeGuru’s profile says she’s “not an expert.” And although her Twitter name is meant ironically, she actually is an expert, and does offer good advice.

@TheBloggess

I have friends in spite of myself.

Texas Hill Country · http://thebloggess.com/

People love to follow @TheBloggess because she’s funny. And human. And a lot of other things. And yes, in case you were wondering, hilarity does ensue.

@ToyotaEquipment

Toyota Forklift Dealer Engaged with our followers – From manufacturing to sales. Find us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/h7DCCU ~ Kyle Thill

Minneapolis MN · http://www.ToyotaEquipment.com

@ToyotaEquipment’s Kyle Thill is extremely engaged, and retweets often, even across platforms (Facebook to Twitter, for example). So when the profile says engaged, he really means engaged.

Other Additions

Add URLs: Add your website address in your profile so that others can find you and learn more about you. In addition, you may want to add a Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest URL. You can shorten your URL (bit.ly is a good URL shortener) and then add it, since the space in your profile is very limited. Note that the example profiles above all have their websites listed.

Add Hashtags: Hashtags are those pound signs (#) that you see all over the place on Twitter. You can use them in your bio to highlight something that interests you, like this: #SharkLover or #Bicycles. However, if you overdo hashtags, that can look spammy (and unfriendly!).

Add @ Signs. If your Twitter account has more than one person tweeting for it, add your @ signs so people know who’s tweeting. For example, if you look at the @oLyfe account, you’ll see my @ sign there (along with two others) so that people know who is tweeting for that account. @Kred does a great job using a carat sign (^) as a mini-signature, since they have multiple tweeters.

Add Your Location. While “Spaceship Earth” is great for someone into astronomy, adding your real location helps followers determine whether to follow you. If you’re in a tiny suburb, you can reference the larger area nearby, such as “Boston Suburbs” or “San Francisco Bay Area.” Some people will only follow people who are local.

Spend a little time looking at profiles and see what you like or don’t like about them. You might search within Twitter for someone who does what you do, and see whether you can use their profile as a model.

Creating an Awesome Twitter Avatar

An avatar—that little picture that appears next to your tweets—represents you and your brand on Twitter. The success of your profile can hang at its weakest point. Your audience will initially look at your content and numbers (followers/following) to get a feel for who you are, but the real hang-up can be upon whom, or what, you chose to use as the face of your business.

You want your avatar to be instantly recognizable so that you and your brand can be seen as professional. Putting in a little time to create an avatar provides clients with the confidence they demand from a product or service they will invest their time and energy in.

Browse Twitter for Avatars You Like: Before you make a decision about an avatar, consider looking around on Twitter and choosing a few avatars that you like. Maybe pick 10 and then narrow it to three that you really like. Could you easily create an avatar that looks like one of them? Or find someone who could make one for you? There are some amazingly creative people on Twitter, so look around and see what makes you say “Oh! I like that one!”

People Like to Talk to People: The number one choice for all social media avatars is a picture of your face. People like to know that they’re talking to another person, not an object. That said, you still have some decisions to make.

Use a Drawing: Some people have created caricatures or drawings of themselves. Remember that time you were on vacation and that guy made a caricature of you? Maybe you could pull it out and use that. Since you don’t have a lot of space in Twitter, make sure to use the entire space up to the edges. Or maybe you have a talented graphic designer friend who could create a line drawing for you.

Use a Photo: One of the benefits of using a photo is that you probably have one that you can put up relatively quickly. Make sure it looks good on Twitter—that it’s in focus and there is good contrast. You don’t get a lot of space, so make sure it fills the entire space. If the photo looks unprofessional, that could reflect on your business. Consider using a professional makeup artist and photographer to get a really great shot. It really is a good investment.

Use a Group Photo: How about a group photo of the people who work in your business? Just make sure that the photo isn’t too small.

Logo: Although I like faces best, a logo or symbol could be terrific, too. A logo allows your business to look professional, multiple people can tweet from the same account, and other professionals will want to connect with you. If you already have a logo, that’s great! But don’t let getting a logo stop you from getting started on Twitter. Put up a photo and get going. You can change it later.

Mascot: A mascot is a fabulous way to get started. If you have a shop, you could have a shop dog. People identify with animals and will say things they wouldn’t say to a person or to a logo. (My cat, @Purrsilla1 has an account, and people love to chat with her.) Downside: a mascot might not be seen as “professional” in some businesses.

Anything But An Egg: If none of the choices above call to you, don’t worry. The main thing is that you get away from the default egg. If you keep the egg, a lot of people will look at you like you’re a spammer, and that’s the last thing you want. Any random picture (Easter bunny, daffodil, smiley face) is better than an egg.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Avatar, Twitter

Twitter 101: How to Create an Inspiring Profile

@YouTooCanBeGuru

@TheBloggess

@ToyotaEquipment

Creating an Awesome Twitter Avatar

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