What's In A Name?

A rose by any other name may well still smell as sweet, but when it comes to your Twitter account, it's important to make sure your name is relevant and describes you well.

When I approach clients about their twitter accounts, the first thing we discuss is name. What are you telling your client from your twitter name? Usually people see your twitter name from a retweet or mention, so you need to make sure it's right.

Wherever possible, you should use your real name. If it's already taken, or like mine it's too long, you need to find something appropriate, so here are a few things to think about when you're choosing.

1. If you're running a small business, people buy from you partly because they want to support small businesses and they like the personal touch. Therefore, your twitter name should reflect you and be personal. So, my twitter name is @AdoreSocialM but I have also got my full name on my profile page, so people know it's me they are talking to.

2. If you look at my handle, I use capital letters to differentiate between the 3 words. Incidentally, I couldn't have @adoresocialmedia because it's one character too long. When I don't use capital letters it takes longer for your brain to break up the words, and therefore understand what I do. It's up to you which you use, so don't worry about it too much,

3. Look at it from every angle. Who Represents becomes whorepresents if you don't employ the capital letter rule! (btw, this was used by one company as their web address, awkward!)

4. Try to avoid using underscores. They make it difficult to spell out verbally when talking to people. Well, that's what one person says. I'm not convinced, I am a bit of a grammar fiend, so I quite like the aesthetic of the space. I don't like one at the end, but in the middle and only using one is fine.

So there you go, that's all I can think of at the moment. The main thing to think about is making yourself accessible. If you brand your account as the face of the company like Marks and Spencer's might do, you put up a wall, and make yourself inaccessible. Embrace the fact you're a small business and you have the ability to give your customers one to one attention, that you are accessible. That after all is the beauty of being small!

Give me a call if you've got anymore questions! 07907 824728

Helen x