7 ways to make the most of your Twitter Profile

Cast your mind back — how much time did you spend on your Twitter profile? Probably less time than you spent tying your shoes this morning, right? It’s the first thing someone sees when they click on your user name, but too many people (and brands) neglect this space or fill it with rubbish.

Take the time to craft your profile – including your picture, bio and wallpaper – and you’ll reap the rewards of more interesting followers. Here are a few ways to do just that.

1. Don’t leave your bio blank

It’s not mysterious or intriguing, just annoying. Most people will simply click on by. Also remember this is the only personal information a person sees when they receive a notification email that you are following them.

2. Don’t put latitude & longitude as your location

It doesn’t mean anything to most people. You don’t have to add an exact location to your tweets, just give us the name of the city where you usually sleep.

3. Be factual – don’t make lists or waffle

You’re MD of your own company or your product makes rainbows appear. That’s interesting, but you write, “Dreamer, lover, explorer, dancer” or “Rainbow Inc. believes in the future, blah, blah, blah.” First tell people what you do, then tell them who you are. Preferably in four short sentences or less.

Example 1: “Software Engineer at Phones4U. Devoted Christian and family man. Enjoys cycling and kayaking.”

Example 2: “Rainbow Inc. makes rainbows appear right in front of you. Our mission is to brighten your day and change the world with seven colours.”

4. Have a clear photo or logo as your avatar

You don’t need to get artsy, unless of course you actually are an artist (or hipster), but most of us can’t go wrong with a clear head-and-shoulders shot. Colour and black-and-white are both fine, whether it’s a straight-on or angled shot. Just make sure it’s not taken from 20 metres away.

If you’re a company, customise your brand’s logo to fit neatly and clearly within the photo space so that it’s instantly recognisable and professional.

5. Use wallpaper

As a brand, this is another opportunity to convey your corporate identity. As a person, this gives you the chance to use one of those cool or pretty backgrounds that usually just sit on your desktop. Remember that it will never be clearly legible, so avoid lots of words and go for designs or pictures instead.

6. Use links

Twitter is a great source of web traffic. Use your Twitter bio to link back to your Facebook Page, website or blog. Don’t use a URL shortener when adding your link to your profile, be open and honest and let people know where the link will take them.

7. Take care when choosing your username

It must be unique, simple and easy to recall. Nobody else will have “@Do_Ro_Th_Y_69”, but nobody will remember it either. Avoid numbers and underscores and use your full name if possible.

If you are setting up a company or brand account, use the company name. If it’s already taken, add a qualifying word to the brand name. For example, @savanna was taken so I made it @savannacider. Also get your account verified. You have 15 characters – make them count.

Of course, content is king. A great profile will make people give you a second look or even follow you for a while, but if your tweets are as hard-sell as Verimark or as vapid as Kim Kardashian, you’re not going to keep those followers.