The notification chimes- it’s a new follower alert, you’ve got a new follower on Twitter, you open your app to check them out. Once you reach their profile, what’s the first thing that you notice about them? Even before going over their work and what they post, chances are you’d probably see their bios.
And while it might only take a few seconds to scan, at the end of it, you’d have the most of the information you need to know. Or at least you should.
Ever wondered what the best ones have in common? They’re captivating and catchy, agreed. Yet the most important thing that sets them apart is their originality.
Similar to other social media, your bios are where you get to tell people who you are, deliver a great elevator pitch and set the tone for all your future interactions. It’s a great place to show the world what you’re made of. But there’s a catch. For your bio, Twitter gives you only 160 characters to show the world how awesome you are and make them fall in love with you.
And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want more Twitter followers? Be it a business, brand or individual, we all people want to follow us, enjoy what we post and appreciate our work.
By adding a few elements to your bio, you can change the way people think and perceive yourself or your brand. Businesses and brands are on the constant search for things to better their marketing strategies. And optimizing Twitter bio may be the start of a brilliant marketing campaign.
Does your Twitter bio need help?
With over 2/3rd of Twitter users checking Twitter daily, you can stay boring no longer. Now is the perfect time to switch up that Twitter bio and wow your followers.
But are you still not convinced? Like, are you wondering whether now is the right time you need to change up your Twitter bio?
Let us help you decide. Consider these:
- Your Twitter bios are similar to the content on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. So by adding more searchable keywords to your bio, you can get recognized by more users.
- And if your bio happens to be more distinctive and catchy than most, then you’re good to go. With millions of users on Twitter, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of content so you’ll need creative ideas to set your bio apart from the rest.
- Your Twitter bio is one of the first things people notice about you. Be it a business or personal page; your bio represents your identity. So, it’s crucial for your Twitter account to not only have a good bio but a smart one.
Some people stand out by using just a few emojis, while some others make use of all 160 characters. But most people fail to get their Twitter bios to stand out. And we hate to see you do that.
Remember that your Twitter bio needs to represent yourself or your brand accurately. The terms (or emojis) that you pick and the order in which you place them conveys volumes. Like Hillary Clinton, who once made headlines with the word “wife” in her bio- a single term could bring life to your bio.
One thing you need to note is that you need to devise a bio that genuinely communicates who and what you are.
So, to help you write some awesome Twitter bios and get more users to follow you, we’ve rounded up a few social media best practices, tips, tricks, and examples.
Let’s start with the what’s important, the basics.
What makes an awesome Twitter bio?
Have you noticed how some Twitter bios fare better than others? It might even be about two people from the same profession or similar brands, yet one of them does better. That’s because some people and brands tell a great story within just 160 characters.
But fret not, you too can bring life to your bios and get many people to follow you. To help you get started, here are a few tips, tricks and ideas that’ll help you create Twitter bios that’ll attract more followers.
Also read: 25 Awesome Market Research Tools to Use in 2020
Introduce yourself
Introductions are always a great place to start. So why not start by introducing yourself or your brand? If you’re a brand, you can opt to add a brief description of your products or services, share your brand’s core values, and tell people what they can expect from you.
For example, innocent drinks is a London based juice making company that makes the most of their Twitter bio. Within just 15 words, they introduce themselves, explain what they do, describe what they give back to people and link users to their website. This Twitter profile, though brief and to the point, speaks volumes.
Be precise
In the quest to be unique and cool, many Twitter bios lose the essence of the brand. A vague bio doesn’t add much value to the brand’s account. So, your Twitter bio should tell your followers precisely who you are and what you do.
Consider this intelligent bio of Starbucks. By using generic words that are easy to understand and simplifying the layout, they’ve conveyed the essence of the brand in 160 characters.
By including inspirational and motivational words in the bio, Starbucks has done a good job of marketing their brand and attracting the attention of their audience.
Use the space
With your Twitter bio, there is no way you can take over 160 characters. So work that space and make the most of it. A recent study conducted found that the higher the character count, the higher your followers. So, let that space help you get the followers you deserve.
P.S.: It’s unlikely that you’ll get your perfect bio the first time around. But don’t worry, keep tweaking it, and over time you’ll perfect it.
Link your location
If you’re using a business account, one of the most important information to build credibility is your location. Well, think about it. No matter how big or small your business is the location matters.
So, it’s a smart idea to link the geographical location of your physical store in your Twitter bio. And if you don’t have a physical store, you can always include the city or town from where you’re running your business.
Showcase your personality
Are you a social person? Or is your brand more serious? Maybe you’re a comic buff. Whatever your personality may be, let your Twitter bio tell the world about it. People love humor and sass. So, showcasing your personality in your bio may give it that much-needed edge and make you stand out from the crowd.
We love people who have funny Twitter bios. It tells the world that they took time and effort to craft here. Here’s an example of Mr Hanks’s who is a master of humour.
Use your brand’s voice
Brands often lose out on Twitter. The voice that they use on Twitter is far from the voice you see on their other social media platforms. They shy away from humor, thinking funny Twitter bios draw away from the business value of the brand. On the contrary, by using humor in your bio, a tweet or even your post can add edge.
For example, take Pop-Tarts. While they prefer to post fun content around the board, their Twitter undoubtedly has a snarkier and more sarcastic tone than their other social media handles.
“It’s a very serious matter” encompasses their personality on Twitter. They have effortlessly integrated humor and sass into their Twitter bios.
You can try to write a funny Twitter bio too. It’ll keep the audience curious about what tweets you’re going to post, and there’s a good chance that they’ll continue to follow you.
Add relevant keywords
Twitter bios are similar to search engines such as Google and Bing. Just like search engines rank for relevant keywords, so do your bios on Twitter. So put those SEO skills to use by adding appropriate keywords and optimizing them.
Blow your horn, tactfully
Twitter bios are a great place to humble brag. Do you have awards, testimonials, or rankings that you want people to know about? Well, if you do, what are you waiting for? Write about in your bio so that they can serve well as social proof. But remember, don’t go over the top- no one likes a swellhead.
Include a call-to-action
Do you want your followers to tweet something, share your tweets, visit a particular website, or sign up for a newsletter? Then make sure that your Twitter bio includes a call-to-action to let people who visit your Twitter account know what you expect of them.
@Honey’s Twitter bio includes a fantastic call to action that people can click to download their app and browser extension.
Link to other Twitter accounts
If your brand has several Twitter accounts, then make sure you include something like a directory, so your followers know where to find them. This is a brilliant strategy for companies that run multiple accounts of different languages or brands that utilize other accounts for various purposes.
Still not sure how linking works on Twitter? Here is an example from @SproutSocial. By providing links to their affiliated accounts, they provide a great engagement experience for the audience.
Don’t skimp on emoji’s
Well, they say a picture speaks a thousand words, an emoji is no less. In the small character space of your Twitter bio, emojis can help you express a lot. You can also include them to add a dash of colour and character to your bios.
Check out this example of how @AlaskaAir has seamlessly incorporated the airplane emoji into their Twitter bio:
Be clever
Twitter is one social media account where your bio matters as much as your tweets do. So be creative and don’t shy away from experimenting. If you’re someone who enjoys puns or can come up with quirky content on the spot, then let that reflect in your bio.
Here is a Twitter account for all the Harry Potter fans out there to squeal in joy or cower in fear. Lord Voldemort has a funny Twitter bio for himself and is not afraid to share his truth. However, he does try to soften the blow with clever usage of Christina Perri’s lyrics.
Hashtag artfully
New research has found that as the number of hashtags increases, the number of followers declines. Keyword hash-tagging appears spammy and off-putting, so stick with a hashtag for a brand or campaign. For your bio limit your hashtags and don’t use irrelevant hashtags that could create the wrong image. And if you’re able to use hashtags in a sentence, there’s nothing better. However, when it comes to your tweets, you have more liberty with the usage of hashtags.
Here is an example of how @SonicDriveInhas artfully included hashtags in their Twitter bio.
Avoid Buzzwords
How often have you seen a bio that contains one or more of these terms?
- Social media expert
- Marketing guru
- Growth Hacker
- Hustler
Quite often, right? And while we were in love with them in 2012, not anymore. Get rid of these boring buzz words and add life to your bios by including words that are catchy and fun.
Look at Richard Branson’s Twitter bio here. By using such words in his bio, he showcases his work and personality unique to the audience.
Add a little mystery
Let’s be honest, talking just about yourself or your brand can get a little boring. So a good way up the ante is by adding a little mystery and allure in your Twitter bio.
How do you build anticipation, or make the audience excited about what you have to offer? You can use suspense and mystery in your bios to draw in new users who will engage with your what you post.
Here’s an example from @FentyBeauty showing how they used mystery and allure in their Twitter bio.
Use themes
Every brand has a theme. Coffee is to Starbucks what diapers are to Pampers. There are common themes important for each brand that the audience recognizes them by. So you can use these themes in your bio to introduce the brand.
Merriam-Webster‘s Twitter bio is an excellent example of how to share an overview of trends and introduce the people behind the account. Logophiles who plan to follow the account know what they’ll get and that a team of experts is serving them.
Be human
While trying to tell people how great you are, you might sometimes lose out on authenticity. This is more common among individual accounts. Twitter, as a social media platform, promotes genuineness and authenticity. Showcase the real you, and you’ll stand out.
Copyright it
Having a funny Twitter bio is great. But what if people aren’t sure if you’re the established brand? By including ‘inc all rights reserved’ in your home page, you can copyright your brand and its content on Twitter. That way no one can steal your content.
Twitter bio ideas online
If you need any more inspiration, you can also lookup bio ideas online or visit the handles of some of your favourite brands. Who knows? That inspiration may be all you need to come up with your own quirky or funny Twitter bio.
Summing up
Following these smart bio ideas will help you find out what your bio is missing and work on it. Take the time to look at your bio to see how you can incorporate these tips.
But remember, all you have are 160 characters.
After creating your bio, the next step is communicating what you want with the audience, making entertaining tweets, posting interactive content and more. With the help of Social Animal, you can easily manage your Twitter accounts, schedule posts and much more.
