ByThe perfect Twitter profile can be the key to building your brand, influencing users and gaining loyal followers. A lot of planning and effort can help you set up an effective Twitter profile. You need to have the perfect name, profile photo, header, background design and bio. I have shared how to get each of these features right to help you set up the perfect Twitter profile…
1. Twitter Name:
There are three main things you need to keep in mind while choosing a twitter name; it needs to be relevant, short and unique. If it’s your personal profile use your name and if that’s not available use something similar to it and if it’s your business name use your business name.
Keeping it short is important too as it will make it easy for someone to add your handle to their tweets. Keeping it short will increase your chances of being squeezed within the one hundred and forty character limit. And keeping it unique will make it easy for someone to find your profile when they perform a search. Check out this post for more tips on choosing the perfect twitter name.
An example of a profile with a great Twitter name is Ching Ya’s. Her Twitter name is @wchingya. This name is unique, relevant because it’s got her name and her initial and short (only eight characters long – excluding the @). The fact that this name is the same as her website address makes it even more relevant.
The name you choose i.e. the one that appears before the username and right below your profile photo should be similar to your username.
2. Profile Photo:
The profile photo is another important part of your twitter profile. You need to have a photo that your fans and friends will easily recognize. If it’s your personal profile, upload a clear photo of you smiling and if it’s a business profile upload your logo or an image with your company name. It has to be something your fans can easily recognize you by.
An example of a twitter account with an easily recognizable twitter profile photo is Bufferapp’s. They kept it simple and uploaded their logo. Fans can easily recognize its Buffer’s profile as soon as they see the logo and if they miss it they should be able to see their name right below it. This simple combination of logo and name, make the profile easily recognizable. So just like buffer – keep it simple.
3. Header:
The header is a new feature on Twitter. The header is the large image that can be placed behind your profile photo. The recommended dimensions are 1252 × 626. On many profiles random images of scenery, nature, illustrations, etc. have been placed. But this space can be used for better purposes – you could use images where you display your services, expertise, achievements, etc.
Mari Smith is making the most of this feature on her header photo. She has uploaded a photo on which the names of the different prestigious magazines she has been featured in are displayed. This is a great way to build credibility, influence and to promote her brand on Twitter. So go a step further and instead of uploading a regular image, give your readers some information about you.
4. Background Design:
There’s a lot of space in the background. Twitter provides a few themes you could use to beautify it. But this space can be also used to brand your profile. You could create a unique design that showcases your achievements, a bigger photo of you or your business logo, your website address, your services, etc. The aim here is to create something that will help build your brand.
Jeff Bullas’s twitter profile has a fantastic background design – in the background you will find several illustrated pictures of Jeff Bullas (the same picture also appears on the header of his blog) and below each image is his web address. This is a great way to build his brand and to encourage people to visit his site. So make use of all the ample space in the background.
5. Bio:
The bio is a very important part of your twitter profile. In one hundred and sixty characters you need to explain what you or your business does. While you do this it’s important that you add keywords. Think of your profile as a SEO landing page that needs to be easily found when someone performs a search on Twitter or other search engines. When you add keywords to your bio, the chances of your profile being found go up. This will make it easy for you to land clients and customers. It can also help you get more followers.
You could also add other details like your website address or Twitter handles of your other profiles. Even if you have already added your website address in the field provided, don’t hesitate to add it here. This could lead to another website or a landing page.
Joanna Penn’s Twitter bio is well written and is filled with keywords which make it easy to locate her profile. In the bio you will find keywords like author, speaker, write, publish, market, books, etc. As Joanna Penn is an author and helps writers write, publish and market their books, these keywords will attract the right audience. Also a link to her personal website has been included here.
So just like Joanna Penn, fill up your Twitter bio with lots of relevant keywords your target audience are likely to search and add your website address or another Twitter profile’s handle, if possible. Also don’t forget to add your location and your main website address in the fields provided.
Follow all the above tips in order create a Twitter profile that will help you build credibility, gain influence and a loyal following.
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What do you think is the most important rule while setting up the perfect Twitter profile? Have I missed out any important steps? Please leave your comments in the comments box below.
