How To Choose An Attractive Twitter Handle

A Twitter handle is the way through which Twitter identifies you in messages.

Are you making a new Twitter profile but getting stuck choosing the perfect Twitter handle?

Your Twitter handle is the key component of your Twitter profile. You need to select such a handle that will help you market your brand and also make it easier for people to find you on Twitter. And you shouldn't just pick the one that Twitter recommends.

Your Twitter handle is the one that can make or break your impression as a brand on the platform. So, you need to put in some time and effort to select the best Twitter handle for your page. A good Twitter handle will make it easier for you to be identified on the platform and make you look more authentic.

In this blog, you will learn about the Twitter handle requirements and how you can craft the perfect handle within the requirements. Let's start!

• What Is A Twitter Handle?
• Importance Of A Twitter Handle
• Twitter Handle Vs. Twitter Display Name
• Twitter Handle Requirements
• How To Pick A Twitter Handle?
• Twitter Handle Ideas For Business Account
• How To Change Twitter Handle?
• Build Your Presence On Twitter

You can directly jump to a section of your choice or keep scrolling.

What Is A Twitter Handle?

The name with which you register yourself on Twitter is known as your Twitter handle. It is also known as the Twitter username and starts with @.

It is unique to every Twitter user, and it acts as an account's identifier. Hence no one else can use your Twitter handle or username on the platform. When you log in to your ID on the web browser, it also appears at the end of your Twitter URL.

For example, if a Twitter username is 'statusbrew,' it will appear on the ID as @statusbrew, and the URL for the profile is https://twitter.com/statusbrew.

Image Source: Statusbrew Twitter

Importance Of A Twitter Handle

The Twitter handle is an essential part of your profile. It plays a significant role in your brand's social media marketing. Here's why picking the appropriate twitter username is necessary:

• A suitable handle shows professionalism
• Makes it easy to spot or mention your Twitter profile
• Gives a clean look for printed marketing media
• Makes it easy for your followers to memorize and recall twitter handles when searching your profile

Image Source: Twitter

Twitter Handle Vs. Twitter Display Name

Twitter handles are often confused with display names, but in reality, they are pretty different from each other. Different Twitter profiles can have the same display name, but no two Twitter accounts can have the same handle.

The Twitter handle is a unique identifier of a Twitter user, whereas the Twitter display name is the personal identifier. If you aren't using your real name in your Twitter handle, you can add it to your Twitter display name for people to identify your account quickly.

Here are some other differences between the two:

Twitter Handle

• Minimum characters limit: 4
• Maximum characters limit: 15
• It has to be unique from other users
• It cannot contain spaces or signs except underscore, uppercase, and lowercase letters or numbers
• For example, @username

Twitter Display Name

• Minimum characters limit: 2
• Maximum characters limit: 50
• It can be similar to other Twitter users
• It can contain space for special characters like @, #, >, %, etc.
• For example, Display Name

Image Source: BBC News Twitter

Twitter Handle Requirements

Here are the possible reasons why you would be unable to claim a username that seems available:

• Handles having the words "Twitter" or "Admin" cannot be claimed unless they are official Twitter accounts.
• Your Twitter handle cannot be longer than 15 characters. Your display name can be longer (up to 50 characters), but usernames are kept shorter for the sake of ease.
• A Twitter handle can only contain alphanumeric characters (that is, letters A-Z, numbers 0-9) with the exception of underscores. Your username cannot contain any symbols, dashes (other than underscores), or spaces.
• The username of suspended or deactivated Twitter accounts cannot be claimed. Suspended or deactivated usernames are not immediately available for use, so you will have to select a different username. If you wish to view a suspended or deactivated Twitter profile by navigating to their profile, you will see a message indicating suspension or deactivation.

Image Source: Twitter

How To Pick A Twitter Handle?

Another famous social media platform apart from Facebook and Instagram is Twitter. Other than sharing short messages, people use it to share news, their opinions, views, or support for any movement.

Using a unique and sophisticated Twitter handle will make you look professional on the platform. Here are some tips for picking the best Twitter handle:

1. Use A Relevant Name

Your Twitter handle should be relevant to your brand's name. This way, people can find your profile easily on the platform, not only because the handle is displayed on your profile but also on your Twitter URL.

The format of your Twitter URL is http://twitter.com/yourtwitterhandle. So the next time someone searches for your brand, they will easily find your Twitter profile. If your Twitter handle is something completely different from your brand's real name, it could make it difficult for people to find you.

An example of a good Twitter handle is HubSpot's Twitter username. It's @HubSpot – precisely the same name as their brand's name.

Image Source: HubSpot Twitter

It appears in their Twitter URL also. This makes their profile easy to find, even with a simple search.

So keep your Twitter handle as relevant to your brand name as you can if you want to be found with ease.

2. Don't Add Underscores Or Numbers Unless Required

If your favorite one is already taken, using special characters or numbers in your Twitter handle might differentiate it. But it also makes your Twitter handle complex for your followers to memorize or pronounce.

Other options to differentiate your Twitter handle would be to add underscores between names or add initials, just like in Sean Work's name.

Sean Work has the Twitter handle @seanvwork. This looks like a really good Twitter handle, as it has got his full name. It also has the letter V in the middle, which is probably the initial of his middle name.

Image Source: Sean Work Twitter

Usually, when people see a number on a Twitter handle, especially at the end, the first thing that pops into their mind is that it could be a spam account. Having a number doesn't look good and makes the handle seem odd. Having a number at the end of your Twitter handle will make your profile lose its originality and be harder to find.

Usually, people opt to add random numbers at the end of their Twitter handle when their original name is already picked up by another account. Twitter also suggests your brand name with some random numbers in such cases. However, when people type your brand name in the search bar, Twitter will first show them the handles without numbers and then several others before finding you with that name and a number.

That means your original account will appear much below in the search results. However, people usually open the initial results and assume that all the other search results are spam accounts. This makes it hard and time-consuming for your audience to find you.

There are two reasons why you should use numbers in your Twitter handle:

1. You want it to match your email ID
2. You want to do something creative like Matt Brian. His Twitter handle is @m4tt. Even though 4 is a number, it fits really well in this Twitter handle as it slightly resembles the letter A and looks a lot like mAtt.

This one is a very creative Twitter handle.

Image Source: Matt Brian Twitter

3. Be Unique

Being unique in deciding your Twitter handle is another way to get your account to stand out. The more unique your Twitter username is, the easier it will be for people to find you and differentiate your account from the spammers. Usually, the best thing to do here would be to use your actual brand name if you have already got a unique name.

As long as you have a brand name that's original, choosing a unique Twitter handle should be easy. All you need to do is use your brand name as your Twitter handle, just like Microsoft's name.

Image Source: Microsoft Twitter

Their Twitter handle is @Microsoft, and it's unique as they have just chosen their brand name. This makes it easy to find them on Twitter using their original brand name and also promotes their brand.

4. Easy To Remember

You also want your Twitter username to be easy to remember. The next time somebody is tweeting something about your brand, you need to encourage them to mention you. This will help you get more followers and will help you in brand building.

So if your Twitter username is easy to remember, people can easily add it to their tweets. If it's very long and hard to remember, they will need to go through search engines and a lot of research to find your actual name before tweeting.

Do you think people would want to do this regularly? Hence it's recommended to keep your Twitter handle as easy to remember as possible. If you keep your Twitter handle short and relevant, it should also be quite easy to remember.

A good example is the Wall Street Journal which has its Twitter handle as @WSJ. It's only three letters long, and their logo also has these letters. Well, it's also unique. And all these factors make it easy to remember.

Image Source: The Wall Street Journal Twitter

These three letters are present in their logo, which can be easily found on their website and Twitter profile also, thus promoting their brand. The next time someone tweets something about them, it will be extremely easy to remember, tag, and mention them in the tweet. Therefore they are more likely to get more mentions and followers in this process.

5. Keep It Short & Simple

The first and foremost point you must keep in mind before picking a Twitter handle is to keep it short. Twitter allows the use of only 280 characters in the tweets for any user.

If someone mentions you in their tweets, they should be able to do so using the minimum characters so that they can use maximum characters to craft their tweets. Using a long username will reduce the character required for the actual messaging.

Your Twitter handle should also be short. The shorter your Twitter handle is, the easier it would be for people to mention you in their tweets because of the word limit. If someone tweets about your brand and if the tweet is too long to be shared, they will cut down the tweet. They will try to get rid of the message, hashtags, and eventually your username to help it fit in.

Sometimes people even try to keep their tweets as short as 120 characters to make them more retweetable. So try and choose a Twitter handle that's as short as possible.

A great short Twitter username is that of Read Write. Their Twitter handle is @RWW, as they have condensed their long username into a three-letter word which makes it easy to mention them in a tweet even if the tweet you are sharing is quite long.

Image Source: Read Write Twitter

6. Use Original Name

When making a Twitter profile for your brand or business, it is advised to use your real identity, that is, use your brand name as your Twitter handle. If some other account has already claimed your title, you can include words like 'HQ' or 'Inc' to differentiate your account. You can also use your brand's nickname for similar cases.

7. Keep Your Usernames Consistent

Having a similar username on different social media platforms will benefit you in many ways. It will make it easier for your followers to find or identify you on different platforms. It is also advised to use your brand's name as your Twitter handle only rather than adopting a different one for a similar reason.

8. Use Terms Like 'Real' Or 'Official' Carefully

You might have seen the use of the words like 'real' on some celebrities' Twitter handles. It doesn't actually mean that it's the celebrities' actual Twitter accounts. Because some fake account holders also include them to attract audiences to their profiles for increasing followers. To make your Twitter profile stand out from these spam accounts, you must get verified on Twitter.

Image Source: Subway Twitter

Know more about How To Get Verified On Twitter: Become Legit

9. Try To Get In Early & Claim The Name

You should claim your desired Twitter handle when your business or brand idea is in the initial stage. Check on Twitter if some other account is not available for the Twitter handle you wish to opt for, and make an account immediately if the username is available.

This will avoid other users from creating their accounts with the same handle. You may choose to start posting actively on Twitter after a specific duration also if you have claimed your username early. The availability of any Twitter handle depends on how quickly you make a decision.

Image Source: Forbes Twitter

Try and get in there early and find and acquire the best Twitter username you can for your account. If you are thinking about a new Twitter account for your brand – stop thinking about it and start acting.

Every day 460,000 people sign up for a new Twitter account. This means about 319 people sign up for a Twitter account every minute. So your favorite username could be gone any second now – hence it's essential to visit Twitter and find and reserve your favorite Twitter handle as soon as you can.

10. Keep The Spelling The Same

While using your brand's original name in your Twitter handle, keep their spellings alike. For instance, if your brand's name is Tropicana, your Twitter handle should be the same instead of Tropicanaa or Tropicaana.

Image Source: Tropicana Twitter

This is because different spellings can easily confuse your followers, making it hard to spot your profile. And to avoid any further confusion, the same brand name should be used as the username of other social media platforms.

11. Avoid Using Any Sensitive Information

Avoid using any sensitive or personal information on your Twitter handles, such as your birth date, year, or area zip code. Some platforms do ask for your date of birth to authenticate users' ownership and to verify if they fulfill the minimum age criteria.

However, this process is usually carried out at the time of forming your account and is not disclosed by the platform to anyone else. But giving such information to your audience by making it visible on your Twitter handle can make your account vulnerable to hackers.

12. Avoid Using Inappropriate Terms

Do not use any word in your Twitter handle that gives the wrong meaning or sounds offensive. It will create a false image for your profile on the platform.

13. Add Your Services

You can add terms related to your work or service along with your real brand name to make its purpose visible to your audience. It will make it easy for your audience to find your profile when users are looking for the same service.

This is especially true if you have different Twitter accounts for different purposes. For instance, the official support account of Adobe has a handle of @AdobeCare. Some brands also use the term "Support" for a Twitter account that deals with customer queries.

Image Source: Adobe Care Twitter

Twitter Handle Ideas For Business Account

• Add Inc or HQ: You can add Inc or HQ terms with your brand name to differentiate your account from others. It will add a more professional look to your business Twitter profile and engage more audiences.

Image Source: Slack Twitter

• Add Location: If your brand has different branches in different locations, you can use specific location names in your Twitter username to differentiate them. It will help the users identify and choose the proper account based on their location.
• Add The: Adding 'the' before your brand name is another clever idea to make your Twitter profile stand out from the rest.
  Domain Name: Adding your spelled-out domain names will also help to differentiate your account. It will be easy to memorize and recall for the users.
• Add Help or Ask: Adding terms such as 'ask,' 'get,' 'join,' or 'help' in the Twitter username will benefit you if your brand provides customer support services or if you are creating an account for the same purpose. It will be easy for customers to spot the profile at once. It will also help you keep the complaint-related tweets confined to the support accounts.

Image Source: Amazon Help Twitter

Feeling overwhelmed by unwanted interactions? Master how to make Twitter account private to bring peace of mind and online comfort.

How To Change Twitter Handle?

You may want to change Twitter handle to something more consistent and unforgettable, or maybe your preferred Twitter handle has become finally available! Follow the below steps to know how to change Twitter handle:

Step 1: Log in to your Twitter account on the browser & go to Settings and privacy–>Your account–>Account information.
Step 2: Your current username will appear under the 'Username' section. Click on it, and you will be able to edit it & change Twitter handle.
Step 3: Once done, click on 'Save.'

While you are changing your Twitter handle, Twitter will also show you some suggestions below. You will get an alert message if it is not available.

Build Your Presence On Twitter

With Twitter breaking the 363 million user mark in early 2022, many marketers are using it as an essential tool in their marketing plans. It's a great way to get to know your customers, engage with them, and provide them with timely updates. Spending a few thoughtful minutes selecting an elegant and relevant Twitter handle for your brand will ultimately provide better results in the long run. So go and get your best Twitter username now!

Looking for a social analytics tool to track the performance of your marketing campaign? Try Statusbrew. With several ready-to-use reporting templates and total flexibility to customize these reports, Statusbrew will help you determine whether your social initiatives have led to positive results and where adjustments are needed to strengthen your marketing campaigns - in no time.

Try Statusbrew

Statusbrew is an all in one social media management tool that supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, and even Google My Business.