How to Make Your Twitter Profile Stand Out

When was the last time you looked at the words in your Twitter profile?

Is your Twitter bio interesting?

A little personality in your Twitter description makes you stand out from the masses and entices people to follow you.

In this article you’ll discover how to share your personality to create a unique Twitter profile that brings you more followers.

Find tips for making your Twitter profile stand out.

#1: Zig When They Zag

This one’s easy: Don’t do what everyone else is doing. If you see a trend popping up in bios, don’t immediately change your bio to reflect that trend. Everyone ends up using the same verbiage, the same phrases, the same descriptors.

One inclination is to use a string of general identifiers that don’t tell your audience anything about why they should follow you or place trust in your services. This type of bio is popular because you can pack in as much as possible. Unfortunately, all of those descriptors run together and they don’t provide context.

If you do a quick check of the people you follow, there’s a good chance you’ll find basic clichés and humble brags. You’ll find lots of coffee, java, caffeine and bacon. You’ll also find that just about everyone is a maven, junkie, guru or enthusiast.

Those words are all overused and dilute the effectiveness of your bio. Leave off the junk. Get rid of profile flotsam.

Another trend is to include a disclaimer—the most popular being, “Views are my own.” This is the Twitter equivalent of saying “I will bore you to death.” This disclaimer doesn’t serve any real legal purpose, nor will it save your job. If your employer requires it, do it, but other than that, leave it off.

When it comes to bios, don’t follow the pack. Image: Shutterstock.

The key takeaway here? When you see a trend, run the other way. If you’re compelled to follow a popular trend, at least put it through your personal lens first. Change it enough that the thread is there, but it’s clear you’ve put more thought into it than simply following the crowd.

#2: Use Brief Sentences and Links

Make an impact on your audience by crafting a sentence or two that convey your expertise. Choose the most important things you do; state them in a clear, compelling way; and then explain why your skills should matter to the visitor. The challenge, of course, is brevity.

In addition consider that hashtags, @s and links—the language of Twitter—are clickable in your profile. I’m always surprised that more people aren’t using these valuable opportunities in their Twitter bios.

Jim Cramer’s Twitter bio has two simple, concise sentences that promote and link to his website, charitable trust, his CNBC show and his blog.

It would have been easy to make a laundry list of those properties along with his book titles and accolades (just like everyone else). Instead, two well-crafted sentences emphasize his most important efforts and include links to each.

Think about how you can subtly promote your additional properties.

A cover photo of him at a book signing lets you know you can look for his books as well.

Notice at the end of the bio he says, “Booyah!” That single word shows off his personality. It makes him more accessible and helps him connect with followers.

In your Twitter settings you have the option to set your location and provide a link to your website. Since Cramer’s main bio already links to his website, he uses his sidebar link to point to his author page.

Make the most of your real estate. If you have too much to convey in a sentence or two, get creative—use your sidebar link.

If you operate other accounts, go ahead and add them. These simple links are such an easy way to build your followers for other accounts or your website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

#3: Use One Word

On the other hand, you don’t always need a list of keywords or even sentences to convey your sentiment. Sometimes, a single word can make a serious impact.

Ev Williams just uses a single word in his bio—”Here.”

If you can creatively distill your abilities to one word, you’ve snagged yourself a punchy, powerful piece of the creativity pie.

#4: Stretch the Truth

I’m not talking about lying about your abilities. I’m talking about tongue-in-cheek obvious exaggeration.

A statement that is humorous and patently untrue grabs attention.

An obvious “lie” can be funny and attract attention. For example, since when is Ellen an ice road trucker?

#5: Update Frequently

Smart Twitter users know that a static profile is boring and uncreative. Change it up based on what’s current in your career or marketing initiatives.

Tell followers about new apps or projects.

Changing your profile bio helps you keep followers abreast of your new accolades or endeavors (e.g., launching a new business or writing a book). Adapting your profile keeps you interesting. And best of all, it forces you to be creative more often.

#6: Acknowledge Your Audience

Say “hello” or “goodbye” to your followers. When you speak directly to someone, you stand a much better chance of actually gaining his or her attention.

Acknowledge your audience in your bio.

Use the word “you” rather than “I” in your profile—it becomes more of a personal message and less of a brag. With that simple change, your bio becomes more inviting.

Over to You

The New York Times calls Twitter bios a postmodern art form. If it’s an art form, then we are the artists. I encourage you to try some of these tips and see where your own creative artistry takes you.

Creativity doesn’t come with an instruction manual. You’ll probably find yours at weird moments when you least expect it. I know a lot of people who have that a-ha! moment in the shower!

My only caution is to keep your main goal in mind as you craft your Twitter profile. Chances are, your goal isn’t to assert your creativity. It’s more likely that you’re looking to gain leads, form connections, etc. Creativity may help you accomplish your goals, but keep it in check. Allow your creativity to advance your goal, not shroud it.

What do you think? How have you tweaked your Twitter profile to make it more interesting? What are some of the most interesting profiles you’ve seen? Leave your comments, ideas and questions below.

Yellow traffic arrow photo from Shutterstock.