SXSW Interactive is a great way to introduce your personal brand to thousands of eager people willing to potentially do business. With so many people in Austin, it’s often quite a task to remember everything that’s thrown at you on any given night (especially under a haze of alcohol), so everyone exchanges business cards and since it’s 2011, almost immediately will people check out your twitter account/profile the next day. Having a creative profile will instantaneously grab their attention, putting you ahead of other people. With that in mind, we polled some brilliant minds* in the twitter world about what a proper Twitter profile description should look like/have. Here are the suggestions…
Make a bold (but not too bold) declaration
It is important to establish that you matter, even if you don’t. On Twitter, if you make a grand statement, then you immediately establish yourself as confident and good at something, even if you aren’t (not the point). Typically, most people use these words:
superstar, master or guru
and combine it with some social media term – marketing, seo, social media, networking, etc. However, it is important to not be too bold, no one wants to go to a profile and see “Marketing God” or “The Almighty Networking King of Ohio”. So judge for yourself.
Use a Buzzword (this week: “Winning”)
Image via Wikipedia
Using a buzzword means you are current and as such, hip and topical. Since most social media conversations are about blowing smoke up a horses ass, there really isn’t much to talk about except for things that are topical. What’s topical this week is Charlie Sheen. The man has virtually exploded the internet. His word of choice is “winning”, which might actually be out of date by next week but there’s a good bet that if you have it in your profile, it will generate a few hearty laughs and inevitably lead to a conversation about Hot Shots: Part Deux, and then if you are lucky, whatever you are selling.
Be an Enthusiast
It is absolutely important to be an enthusiast in something. But only an enthusiast. Don’t say you are a fan of something, that shows too much commitment and clearly you’ve played your hand. Stating you are a enthusiast means you really like something (e.g. new world wine) but would leave it in a heartbeat if something better (e.g. old world wine) comes along, giving you a nice note of spontaneity. Popular things to be an enthusiast of include wine, scotch, organic meat, free run chicken, cats and naps.
Mention Something Nerdy/Retro
Mentioning something retro or nerdy establishes you are a geek of some sort, and as such, one of us. This common ground is obviously needed for one twitter account to feel more connected to another. It also reminds any potential consumers that before you were a heart less, soul less life sucking corporation, you too once liked Optimus Prime. Common things to mention include Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, Dominion, Walkmans, Beta and old video game systems.
Well there you have it, take a bit of everything, mash it in with your personality and you will have yourself one intriguing Twitter profile that will earn you a bounty of followers and also help you make a solid online connection with those you meet. Good luck!
*Actually, no one.
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{ 6 comments }
I like the idea of calling myself a guru, even though I’ve suspected for long time I’m really not an important person.
I like the distinction between “enthusiast” and “fan.” It’s safe to say I’m a “fan” of naps, however, as I’ll never abandon my love for those.
I didn’t realize that loving retro things like Beta and Walkman automatically qualified you as a geek. What a geek I am!
@PotsNPans: if loving the Walkman is geeky, then I don’t want to be cool!
Being an enthusiast is a great tip for life in general, and not just Twitter!
Yeah, and not being a “fan” of too many things is also a good tip for life in general. Boy, it’s funny how SXSW Twitter and social media rules also apply to real life!