8 tips to rock your Twitter profile

A profile is a powerful way to stand out on Twitter. Unfortunately, many small business owners and solo-entrepreneurs still have not taken the time to optimize theirs.

So, today, let’s talk about that. In the article below, you will find eight basic tips to help you get started in the right direction.

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Profile photo

Whether you own a business or represent yourself, remember to always put your best foot forward.

A logo may be a step in the right direction, but people are more likely to follow you if you show your face. Aim for a professional, yet friendly photo.

Recommended size: 400 x 400 pixels. Your image is automatically resized to ﬁt.

Header photo

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well, this is the perfect place to prove it!

Your header should tell your story and showcase your brand in a creative way. Here are some good examples:

Brian Fanzo – @iSocialFanz

Go Creative Go – @gotweetsgo

Sukhraj Suki Beasla – @sbeasla

Recommended size: 1500 x 500 pixels.

Tools to create an attractive header: PicMonkey and Canva. They are both free (with paid options).

Bio

People will not just follow you because of your nice profile picture and header. They will also want to know who you are.

On Twitter, you have 160 characters to make a good first impression. So, don’t waste people’s time. Describe yourself and what you have to offer in a simple and concise manner. Think of it as an elevator pitch — with a friendly twist.

In a nutshell, make it inviting instead of trying to show off.

Some good examples include:

Rebekah Radice: “Social Media, Digital Marketing Strategist, Author, Blogger, Keynote Speaker, Co-Founder @Imagine_WOW | Coffee addict, sunshine lover & nuts about my 2 pups!”
SearchEngine Journal: “Helping marketers succeed by producing best-in-industry guides and information while cultivating a positive community.”
Doreen Pendgracs: “Professional writer. My niche: chocolate travel. My book: Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate. Find it at http://chocolatour.net.”
Katrina Moody: “I’m a geeky girl who loves building with WordPress and creating awesome designs! I might be addicted to social media and coffee!”

Don’t forget to include your location and the link to your website or blog. They will appear under your bio.

Pinned Tweet

Do you know that you can now prominently feature one of your Tweets at the top of the your profile timeline? What a great way to draw people’s attention to an important message or announcement!

To pin a Tweet, click the “more” option on the Tweet and select “Pin to your profile page.”

Favorites

Favoriting Tweets is commonplace. People use the feature to bookmark content and acknowledge specific messages. (e.g., positive mentions, compliments, interesting Tweets, etc.)

In my book, favoriting is more than a seal of approval. It is also a way to ‘vouch’ for someone’s words.

No matter what you do, remember that everyone can see your Favorites. So, use the feature carefully:

Lists

Lists are theme-based groups of accounts that you want to monitor but do not always want to follow individually. They are great because they allow you to:

Save time by organizing the stream of information that you see.
Show gratitude to your audience.

Lists are also an extension of a brand. When subscribing to and/or creating them, focus on relevancy and quality. Why? Because the better content they feature, the more trust you will build around your brand.

In the case of the Lists you create, remember that you can always make them private. They will only be accessible to you.