Posted by Melissa Thompson

No matter what product or service your business provides, you are going to need a strong presence on social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are all heavily used platforms by most Americans and could drive significant business your way.

Need convincing? Pew Internet research shows that two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) use Facebook. About 75% of those users access the platform daily. YouTube is another heavily-used platform, even if it is not traditionally called ‘social media’. Three-quarters of U.S. adults and 94% of 18 to 24-year-olds use YouTube. Around 35% of adults state that they use Instagram, and another 24% say that they use Twitter. Many of these users, like those on Facebook, access the platform daily.

Matt D’Souza, Vice President of Sales Operations at Washify, knows first-hand the benefits of a social media presence. “The most important thing is carefully choosing your social media handle. It must be something memorable and something that represents your brand.” But how to choose?

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Social Media Handle

When it comes to choosing the perfect handle (username) for social media, you not only want to consider what your business is now, but what it will be doing in the future. Keep in mind that you may want to add future services. Pigeon-holing yourself into a handle that doesn’t take into account the ways in which your business might grow will mean having to come up with a new handle when those changes do happen.

Try to keep your social media handle to 15 characters or less. A shorter handle will allow you to use them across all social media platforms because Twitter limits names to 15 characters. 

Be memorable. If you’re unable to use your real name, choose something memorable. While you can certainly be witty or punny, try not to go over the line. 

Establish a URL that is the same as your social network handles. Find out if your chosen name is available and if it is, go ahead and reserve it. This will avoid the risk of having someone cash in by reserving your name for a URL and then charging an exorbitant price for it. 

Make sure you choose a social media handle that will work for you now and in the future. Currently, Facebook allows only one handle change. Twitter allows for multiple changes, but a better name might not always be available. 

The Handle I Want Is Taken. Now What?

Unfortunately, this happens. However, you can find a workaround and still get your brand name out there. Consider these options:

• Use a location such as ATL for Atlanta or USA
• Place words like “the,” “real,” and “official” in front of your name
• Add periods, underscores, or other punctuation
• Put words like “ask” or “we are” in front of your brand name

These steps can help you pick a social media handle that will serve you not only now, but also in the years to come.