So you've decided that Twitter is the right social media network for you, and you are ready to have your account.
Fill only to find your account information...
Choose your username
Your name is already in use!
Twitter has 320 million active users, and although a little more reluctant to disclose the number of inactive accounts, their number in the millions as well.
Chances are your ideal name may be already taken.
It is frustrating when someone else has registered your name or company name, especially if you find out they do not even make use of the account
Twitter has a policy in place for trademark infringement, but if your name or company is not a registered trademark you are probably out of luck. Even celebrities have to resort to workarounds like @ TaylorSwift13 or Jennifer Love Hewitt @TheReal_Jlh.
But if you're not guaranteed thousands of followers because of your fame, using random numbers or obscure acronyms will not make for a memorable twitter name.
Below are a few other tricks that you can use instead.
Best Practices For Twitter Names
Before being taken into specific methods for coming up with a new Twitter name as yours, it is important to go over some best practices for social media usernames in general.
Your social media usernames are reflective of your brand, whether it is your personal brand, blog brand or company brand. Your username impress, whether good or bad.
Just like anything else having to do with branding, you want your user names consistent and memorable:
1. Be Consistent
It is smart to check if your desired company or blog name is available as a domain registration and user name on social media platforms. You can do this quickly with a tool called Namecheck.
(Of course, this does not help if you try to enter your personal name.)
Your domain name can be longer permitted for social media usernames, but you can always use an abbreviated version.
But using different user names on social media platforms is just asking for trouble. If your Facebook page can be found under facebook.com/chiditech, then your audience will look for you on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest with the same username.
If you choose a different user name as "Chidi Tech" has already been taken by your competitor, guess who you're sending your audience?
If your name is already in use on a single platform, you should seriously consider changing on all platforms to be consistent.
2. Be Memorable
If you are unable to use your real name or personal brand on social media, be sure that the name you choose is memorable for it. It should be recall closely related to your brand, and easy for your audience.
3. Be Quick About
Once you start thinking about a name for your business or blog and you find that the name is available ... take it! Immediately!
Do not stop and think about it, just place a reservation. You can always remove it later if you do not use the account.
(And, while this is a bit beyond the scope of this topic, you should do the same with domain names. There are shady companies will buy those domains when users search for them, just to sell them to you at a higher price. If you are looking for it and its available, go ahead and take it.)
So lets get straight to the topic of today
5 Creative Ways To Come Up With An Alternative Name Twitter
1. Shorten The Name
A twitter name is 15 characters long, so if your brand name more than that is that you can experiment with different ways to shorten. For example, for my blog ChidiTech In History, I chose the twitter name @chiditech.
For a personal name, try shortening your first name or adding a nickname (ie. joe instead of joseph, or josephine)
2. Use Keywords
I am fortunate in having a unique name. I'm pretty sure I'm the only Lordchidy, ever!
But you would have discovered that your name is all around the world and have goodd use on social media.
If that's the case, you can use keywords to distinguish yourself. This is also a great way to broadcast what you do and what sets you apart from your namesake.
3. Add An Initial
If your name is already short enough, try adding a first such @AndyHilsonjohn, or using a first initial and writer @Ahilsonjohn
4. Add A Location
This is a great idea for local businesses, or companies with multiple locations.
You can leave your country (@HistEdSocNG = History of Education Society NG) add your state (@ProChoiceSA = NARAL Pro-Choice South Africa) or your county or city, if you can fit!
5. Use An Underscore
This tip is for the last time, because it is not ideal. Underline not just taking your precious 15 characters, but they are also hard to remember.
If your preferred username @exampleuser is taken, it may not be a good idea to use instead are @example_user. You take the risk of your followers (and potential followers) link accidentally instead @exampleuser.
Any twitter name you use, make sure it is meaningful, memorable, and unique!
So Back to you, Do you have any suggestions to add to the list? We love to hear about them in the comments below.