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Steps to Setup a Twitter account

The mechanics of setting up Twitter is relatively straightforward. Just go to Twitter’s site and click the Join button. But before you do, it’s important that you take time to consider a few things before you send out your first “tweet.”

First, think about what you want to accomplish and how you want to be perceived. What is your brand strategy, personal or business?

When picking a user name, consider using your name or your company’s name instead of a nickname. This will allow people to know who you really are. This is important if you’re interested in branding yourself or your company.  Also, a real name or company name allows people to find you easier.

Here are some tips about setting up your Twitter account:

• Personal Bio: Consider what to use as your profile description. Again, Twitter forces you to keep it short — 160 characters, to be exact. Use a couple of professional statements (or more) followed by a personal statement. For example, this is for a personal Twitter account try adding something related to your job, skills, expertise or even personal interest and/or hobbies such as: “Social Media Optimization Specialist, Public Speaker, Martial Artist and Weight Lifter.” Regardless, let people know who you are and what you do so potential followers have enough information to decide if they want to follow you.
• Profile Picture: Please take the time to get a real picture of yourself or company logo. You won’t be taken seriously if you use the default picture. Think of how you want to be perceived. A professionally shot photo of yourself can go a long way to promoting your personal brand. Smile and give followers some insight into your personality, be creative. Headshots stand out more when your picture has to be condensed down to fit within some applications.
• Background Picture: Next is your background picture. Twitter has some template backgrounds you can use. Pick something that is contextual to your brand strategy. Create your own if you really want to stand out. If you do, remember that people use various screen resolutions, so you need to make it big enough so it doesn’t tile. Also, Twitter doesn’t give you much space for your bio, so you can use the left side of your custom background picture to display more information about yourself, like your blog or another related Web site.